A woman as archbishop of Canterbury will come at a cost. She may also bring more welcome change.

The Rt. Rev. Sarah Mullally, the new archbishop of Canterbury, spiritual leader of the world’s 85 million Anglicans, poses for the media inside Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, England, Oct. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
(RNS) — Mullally’s appointment is a landmark moment in a broader trend of women’s presence becoming gradually stronger in her denomination.