Thursday, March 26, 2026

This Week in Religion - Canterbury Cathedral ceremony celebrates the first woman to lead the Church of England

Lead story

Sarah Mullally, the new archbishop of Canterbury, sits in her formal religious garments. There are other members of the Church of England applauding for her.

Editor's note:

Sarah Mullally, a one-time cancer nurse who became a priest at the age of 39, has been installed as archbishop of Canterbury, publicly celebrating her election as the first woman ever to lead the Church of England. The ceremony at Canterbury Cathedral was attended by Prince William, Princess Catherine and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer. While Mullally formally became the archbishop in January, Wednesday’s event marked the beginning of her public ministry as both the head of Church of England and spiritual leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The communion is an association of independent churches, including the Episcopal Church in the U.S., that together have more than 100 million members. Mullally’s election may deepen rifts within the communion, whose members are deeply divided over issues such as the role of women and the treatment of LGBTQ+ people. 

A portrait of Holly Meyer, Religion News Editor at The Associated Press.
 

Religion News

Pope Leo moves Father Flanagan of Boys Town fame closer to possible sainthood

The Rev. Edward Flanagan founded the renowned Boys Town home for at-risk youth in Nebraska. Pope Leo XIV has proclaimed the 'heroic virtues' of Father Flanagan. By Peter Smith and Nicole Winfield/The Associated Press

Progressive faith leaders found new power in protesting ICE. Can their movement survive success?

Not since the Civil Rights Era has the religious left so publicly and collaboratively protested in the name of a social question they regard as a spiritual one. By Yonat Shimron and Jack Jenkins/Religion News Service

British police have arrested two men over an arson attack that destroyed four ambulances from a Jewish charity. They're treating the fire as an antisemitic hate crime. By Jill Lawless/The Associated Press

A gathering of protesters holding Syrian flags and protest signs.

Syrian authorities' new limits on alcohol sales in Damascus spark backlash

Crowds rallied to protest authorities’ efforts to limit the sale and consumption of alcohol. The protest reflects rising anxiety in the cosmopolitan capital that Syria’s new Islamist government may threaten long-held secular freedoms. By Omar Sanadiki/The Associated Press

What are starseeds? The alien subculture offering a conspiratorial spiritual escape

Starseeds say they’re not from this planet. Online, they’re sharing mythologies and rituals that, for some, are taking on the trappings of religion. By Kathryn Post/Religion News Service

 

Commentary and Analysis

Young Latinos’ activism for immigrant rights over the past few months has put a spotlight on their importance for the future of the Catholic Church. By Timothy Matovina and Hosffman Ospino for the Conversation

Religious leaders cannot only improvise acts of resistance against authoritarianism. By Michael Woolf/Religion News Service

The Burmese meditation master Sayagyi U Ba Khin played a key role in shaping the meditation retreats that are popular today. By Daniel M. Stuart for The Conversation

Swasthani holds a central place in Nepali culture. Its female characters uphold ideals of faithful wifehood – seen by some as patriarchal and by others as a source of strength. By Jessica Vantine Birkenholtz for The Conversation

 
A family celebrates together. There are many more people visible in the background. It is foggy, partly obscuring the view of a building.

A family celebrates after performing Eid al-Fitr prayers to mark the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan at the Jama Masjid in New Delhi, India, Saturday, March 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

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