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The 63-year-old former NHS chief nurse has been selected as the new Archbishop of Canterbury designate - creating a milestone as the first woman to be chosen for this significant position.

A former NHS chief nurse, the sixty-three-year-old entered the priesthood in 2006 and was named as the first female Bishop of London in 2018 - the third most senior member of religious leadership in the Anglican Church.

This represents the first time in nearly 500 years of tradition that the Anglican Communion has nominated a female to assume its leadership.

Groundbreaking Appointment

The Church has been lacking an individual in the senior role for approximately twelve months after the previous Archbishop resigned over a safeguarding scandal.

He resigned following a critical investigation into a prolific child abuser linked to the Church. The report found that he "was able and obligated" have notified authorities about John Smyth's abuse of boys and young men to law enforcement in 2013.

Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell took on most of Mr Welby's responsibilities in an interim move, and was one of the voting members of the committee tasked with choosing his successor.

Political Process

Following established custom, the procedure of choosing a spiritual leader involves a candidate being presented to the Prime Minister and then forwarded to the sovereign.

Sir Keir has welcomed the selection of Dame Sarah, stating: "This position will play a key role in our national life. I wish her every success and anticipate working together."

Although formally, the King is leader of the Church of England, the individual occupying the position of Archbishop of Canterbury is the most senior bishop and is the religious guide of the religious institution and the global Anglican community.

Royal and International Reaction

King Charles III has praised Dame Sarah on her new role, "a position of great significance in the UK and across the worldwide Anglican community", the royal household said.

The Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, which advocates for traditional positions, has questioned the selection, saying that although some will welcome it, "most members of the global church still maintains that the scriptures requires a all-male bishopric."

Handover Process

She does not legally take on her new role until a confirmation of election in the new year, and an enthronement service comes subsequently, after they have paid homage to the monarch.

In a declaration on the announcement day after her appointment was finalized, she said: "I know this is a significant undertaking but I approach it with a sense of peace and trust in God to carry me as He always has."

Speaking from the historic church, she noted that "during a period that craves certainty and tribalism, the Anglican tradition provides a more subtle approach but more resilient."

Addressing Violence

Addressing the "terrible attack" of the previous day's incident on a synagogue in the northern city, she stated "we are witnessing hatred that rises up through divisions across our society."

She added: "The religious community have a responsibility to be a people who support the Jewish community against prejudice against Jews in every manifestation. Prejudice and discrimination of any kind cannot be permitted to tear us apart."

Professional History

A mother of two, she spent over 35 years in the NHS, becoming the youngest-ever chief nursing officer for England in 1999.

Although she was volunteering in the religious community at the time, it was just a short time after that she decided to become a priest and was promptly assigned helping make reforms in the way the organization addressed misconduct.

In that year she became financial administrator at the historic church before becoming Bishop of Crediton in the regional church administration in 2015.

As London's religious leader she was seen as someone who used her experience as an health service manager to help modernise the diocese.

Personal Philosophy

"People frequently inquire what it has been like to have had different professional paths, first in the NHS and currently in the Church.

"I prefer to think that I have always had one vocation: to pursue Christian faith, to know him and to make him known, always seeking to live with compassion in the service of others, whether as a healthcare professional, a religious leader, or a bishop."

Upcoming Responsibilities

Perhaps the most urgent thing in her agenda is still to develop improved approaches towards addressing abuse and treating with more compassion those affected by it.

There has also been a reduction in church attendance, though the capital has to a degree bucked that trend.

One of the areas she has been particularly vocal on is end-of-life choices - she is a strong critic, as was her predecessor.

When the law was passed in the Commons, she described it as "unworkable and unsafe and poses a risk to the most vulnerable people in our community."

Modern Positions

Among her responsibilities as Bishop of London was to chair a body trying to steer the Church's decision on whether to bless same-sex marriages.

She characterized the decision to ultimately permit clergy to sanction gay relationships in last year as "a moment of hope for the religious community."

A former Archbishop, summarised her new role as necessitating a "newspaper in one hand and a Bible in the other."

The former spiritual leader told media outlets "the pressure of having an position on all matters is significantly demanding."