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The Interview

Dame Sarah Mullally, Archbishop of Canterbury: Working in partnership with others

The Interview

BBC

News, Government, Politics

4.3537 Ratings

🗓️ 13 February 2026

⏱️ 23 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Aleem Maqbool speaks to Dame Sarah Mullally, shortly before being confirmed as Archbishop of Canterbury. She's the first woman ever to lead the Church of England. It is a tough time for the Church and its leader who has to hold together people with a broad range of opinions across the Anglican Communion, one of the largest Christian communities in the world. Dame Sarah's election has upset some traditionalists who have threatened to leave the church because they are against the role of women in leadership. And, with her predecessor leaving because of his failings over abuse in the church, her stance on safeguarding, along with reparative justice and the blessings in church of same sex couples, are all in the spotlight. A former nurse, Dame Sarah rose to become England's chief nursing officer before being ordained. She says that there are strong links between nursing and being a priest - not always finding a cure, she says, but trying to heal. The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC, including episodes with Hind Kabawat, Syria's only woman minister, and Nigel Casey, the UK's ambassador to Russia. You can listen on the BBC World Service on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 0800 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out three times a week on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts. Presenter: Aleem Maqbool Producers: Clare Williamson Editors: Justine Lang and Damon Rose Get in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media.

(Image: Dame Sarah Mullally Credit: Ray Tang/Getty Images)

Transcript

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0:00.0

BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, podcasts.

0:05.6

Hello, I'm Alim Mekul, the BBC's Religion Editor,

0:09.4

and this is the interview from the BBC World Service,

0:12.8

the best conversations coming out of the BBC,

0:15.8

people shaping our world from all over the world.

0:20.0

If you're not a little bit afraid, then you're not paying attention.

0:24.7

You have never seen a people so united.

0:28.3

Do not make that boat crossing. Do not make that journey.

0:31.0

Being born in America, feeling American, having people treat me like I'm not.

0:35.1

We're more popular than populism.

0:38.4

For this interview, I met Dame Sarah Malawi at the old deanery

0:42.9

besides St Paul's Cathedral in London.

0:45.7

Shortly before, she was legally confirmed as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury

0:51.1

in a service at the cathedral.

0:54.2

Dame Sarah is the first woman to lead the Church of England, and although there have been

0:58.8

female bishops for more than a decade, the ordination of women remains controversial, and her

1:04.6

election has also led to some traditionalist churches abroad to threaten to leave the Anglican communion. She started her career in

1:13.8

nursing, rising to become England's chief nursing officer, and sees the commonality between nursing

1:20.3

and being a priest, not always finding a cure, she says, but trying to heal. The Archbishop tells me she understands the need to rebuild trust in

1:30.3

the church after a slew of abuse scandals. Her predecessor, Justin Welby, resigned following accusations

1:37.4

he didn't act sufficiently well on information about a prolific abuser. Of course, she won't be making decisions on her own.

1:46.2

Much of the Church of England's agenda is spelled out by its National Assembly, or Synod,

...

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