Dame Sarah Mullally has been named as the incoming spiritual leader of the Church of England - making history as the initial female to be chosen for this prestigious role.
A former NHS chief nurse, the sixty-three-year-old entered the priesthood in 2006 and was named as the initial woman to serve as Bishop of London in 2018 - occupying the third highest position of religious leadership in the Church of England.
This represents the first time in nearly 500 years of history that the Church has chosen a woman to lead it.
Groundbreaking Selection
The Church has been lacking an individual in the top job for almost a year after the previous Archbishop stepped down over a safeguarding scandal.
He resigned following a damning report into a prolific child abuser linked to the Church. The investigation found that he "was able and obligated" have reported John Smyth's abuse of male youths to police in 2013.
The Archbishop of York assumed most of the former Archbishop's duties in an interim move, and was among those casting ballots of the committee tasked with selecting his successor.
Political Process
In line with tradition, the process of selecting a spiritual leader involves a name being presented to the Prime Minister and then forwarded to the monarch.
The Prime Minister has applauded the selection of Dame Sarah, commenting: "The Archbishop of Canterbury will play a key role in our national life. I wish her every success and anticipate collaborating."
Although formally, the monarch is head of the Church of England, the individual occupying the role of Archbishop of Canterbury is the highest-ranking cleric and is the religious guide of the religious institution and the worldwide Anglican Communion.
Monarchical and Global Response
King Charles III has praised Dame Sarah on her appointment, "which is of such importance in the United Kingdom and across the global Anglican Communion", Buckingham Palace stated.
The international conservative Anglican group, which represents conservative views, has criticised the selection, stating that although certain groups support the decision, "the majority of the Anglican Communion still maintains that the scriptures requires a male-only episcopacy."
Transition Period
She will not formally assume her position until a formal approval process in the new year, and an enthronement service comes subsequently, after they have pledged allegiance to the monarch.
In a declaration on the announcement day after her appointment was finalized, she commented: "I know this is a significant undertaking but I approach it with a sense of peace and trust in God to support me as has consistently occurred."
Addressing media at Canterbury Cathedral, she said that "in an age that craves certainty and tribalism, the Anglican tradition offers something quieter but more resilient."
Addressing Violence
Talking about the "horrific violence" of the previous day's incident on a Jewish house of worship in Manchester, she stated "we observe hatred that emerges through divisions across our society."
She added: "We then as a Church have a duty to be a group who support the Jewish community against prejudice against Jews in all its forms. Prejudice and discrimination of any kind cannot be allowed to tear us apart."
Background and Career
A mother of two, she spent over 35 years in the National Health Service, achieving the position of the youngest-ever chief nursing officer for England in 1999.
Although she was volunteering in the religious community at the period, it was just a few years later that she chose to enter a priest and was quickly tasked with helping make reforms in the way the organization dealt with abuse.
In 2012 she became canon treasurer at the historic church before becoming diocesan leader in the regional church administration in 2015.
As Bishop of London she was regarded as someone who applied her background as an health service manager to help modernise the church district.
Guiding Principles
"People frequently inquire what it has been like to have had different professional paths, first in the health service and currently in the Church.
"I like to consider that I have consistently maintained one vocation: to pursue Christian faith, to know him and to share his message, always seeking to demonstrate empathy in the assistance to people, whether as a healthcare professional, a religious leader, or a church official."
Upcoming Responsibilities
Possibly the most urgent thing in her agenda is still to develop improved approaches towards dealing with abuse and treating with more compassion those impacted by such incidents.
There has also been a decline in religious participation, though the capital has to a degree bucked that trend.
A particular subject she has been particularly vocal on is assisted dying - she is a vociferous opponent, as was her preceding Archbishop.
When the law was passed in the Commons, she characterized it as "impractical and dangerous and poses a risk to the most at-risk individuals in our community."
Modern Positions
Among her responsibilities as London's religious leader was to chair a committee trying to steer the religious institution's determination on whether to bless same-sex marriages.
She described the decision to ultimately permit priests to bless same-sex couples in last year as "an optimistic development for the religious community."
Rowan Williams, summarised her position as necessitating a "newspaper in one hand and a Bible in the other."
Dr Williams explained to journalists "the pressure of having an position on all matters is significantly demanding."