Michael J. Hout | Oct 03, 2025 | Townhall

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My cmnt: We don’t need to play footsie here. The Roman Catholic Church is following down the path of the Church of England as both double-down on unBiblical doctrines and beliefs taken from a fallen and degenerate world. Jesus only chose male apostles, the church only chose male deacons. Female ordination to priest or presbyter or bishop was not even a thought in the church for 1900 years. When Eve usurped the headship of Adam and ate of the Tree of Death and acting as priestess to Satan sacramentally gave of the fruit to her husband to eat – all Hell broke loose and man was set upon the path of death and destruction. The most pernicious extra-biblical doctrine of the Roman Church is elevating Mary the mother of Jesus to Mary Queen of Heaven and advocate between the church and the Christ. Mary did not remain a perpetual virgin; she gave birth to Jesus in the normal, human way; she did not have an immaculate conception or lead a sinless life; nor did she ascend into heaven to be seated at the right hand of Jesus.

Churches across the West are twisting themselves into shapes no apostle would recognize — bending like pretzels to please secular society. They update doctrines, rewrite homilies, and water down long-held beliefs, all in hopes of attracting people who rarely show up anyway. And now the Church of England has chosen its new leader: Dame Sarah Mullally, hailed as a “theological liberal” and celebrated for her progressive stances. But it raises a fair question: does the Archbishop believe in the Christianity she is meant to lead, or only in a softened imitation of it?

Mullally, the first female Archbishop of Canterbury in the church’s 1,400-year history, has openly said, “I would suspect that I would describe my approach to this issue as pro-choice rather than pro-life, although if it were a continuum I would be somewhere along it moving towards pro-life when it relates to my choice and then enabling choice when it related to others.” In other words, she suggests she might personally avoid abortion, but her public stance is firmly pro-choice. Past Archbishops have sometimes spoken with personal reservations about abortion while avoiding a strong public label. Mullally, however, has been more direct — identifying herself as pro-choice while simultaneously noting her personal hesitation.

One might ask: how much can be altered before a Church becomes something else entirely?

The Catholic Church is facing its own test. Consider the recent Chicago controversy, where Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) was set to receive a lifetime award from the Archdiocese despite his decades of support for abortion. After outrage from Catholics, Durbin declined the award. But Pope Leo XIV seized the moment — not to reaffirm the Church’s teaching on the sanctity of life, but to attempt to redefine it. “Someone who says I am against abortion but is in favor of the death penalty is not really pro-life,” Leo declared. He added that rejecting mass migration was equally inconsistent.

Around the same time, he presided over a climate-justice event where he blessed a giant block of ice, sparking ridicule across the Catholic world. Many faithful had hoped that Leo’s papacy would move the Church away from the ambiguity of Francis. Instead, so far, his priorities have closely echoed those of his predecessor. Whether that continuity comes from personnel, persuasion, or simply ideology, the direction looks much the same.

Dame Sarah Mullally to become first female Archbishop of Canterbury

The Catholic Herald – Oct 3, 2025 – Catholic Herald

Dame Sarah Mullally, 63, has been appointed the Archbishop of Canterbury Designate. She will become the first female Archbishop of Canterbury.

Mullally began her working life as a nurse and held a number of leadership roles within the profession, being named a Dame for her notable contributions. In 1998, she began training for the Anglican priesthood and was ordained in 2002. In 2004, Mullally left her position as Chief Nursing Officer to pursue full-time ministry.

She held a variety of parish and administrative positions in the Anglican Communion before being made Bishop of Crediton, a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Exeter, receiving her consecration from the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.

In 2018, she became the first female Bishop of London, the third most senior position in the Church of England. She became a member of the House of Lords in the same year.

Mullally has generally espoused liberal views within the Church of England, though she supports the current Church position that marriage is between one man and one woman. She has, however, supported pro-LGBT initiatives within the Communion. On matters pertaining to life, she has not been an advocate of pro-life policies with regard to abortion. However, she has been critical of, and led challenges against, the assisted suicide bill currently making its way through Parliament. As a member of the House of Lords, she is eligible to vote on the legislation.

Mullally’s election is another watershed moment for the Anglican Communion, which has progressively moved towards female ordination over the past 40 years. In 1985, the General Synod of the Church of England voted to permit women to be ordained as deacons, and in 1992 as priests, with the first 32 women ordained in Bristol Cathedral in 1994. In 2014, the General Synod approved legislation permitting women to become bishops, with the first episcopal consecration taking place in 2015.

Since the change, the Church of England has attempted to retain members who dissent from female ordination within the Communion. Provisions have been made, such as allowing parishes to choose that only men celebrate eucharistic services and enabling priests to opt for the oversight of male bishops. However, the introduction of women priests and bishops has led to hundreds of Anglican clergy joining the Roman Catholic Church.

On 4 November 2009, Pope Benedict XVI issued the apostolic constitution Anglicanorum coetibus. This paved the way for the creation of Personal Ordinariates, allowing former Anglicans (clergy and laity) to enter into full communion with the Roman Catholic Church while retaining elements of Anglican liturgy, tradition, and spirituality, under the governance of their own Ordinary—normally a former Anglican priest who had also converted.

Since then, the Personal Ordinariates of Our Lady of Walsingham (United Kingdom), the Chair of Saint Peter (USA & Canada), and Our Lady of the Southern Cross (Australia) have been created, allowing thousands of Anglicans to become Catholic while maintaining aspects of their Anglican heritage.

Nearly a year on from Justin Welby’s resignation, the appointment of Dame Sarah Mullally has followed the formal process involving senior figures from across British public life.

The Archbishop of Canterbury is formally appointed by the monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister, who receives a nomination from the Church of England’s Crown Nominations Commission. The Commission has 14 voting members, made up of lay people and Church of England clergy, who interview candidates and submit one name. The Prime Minister then forwards that name to the monarch, who makes the formal appointment.

The Palace and the Prime Minister are yet to comment on the announcement, though statements are expected shortly.

His Eminence Cardinal Vincent Nichols, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, has welcomed the announcement, saying:

“On behalf of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, I welcome the news of the appointment of Bishop Sarah Mullally as the next Archbishop of Canterbury. She will bring many personal gifts and experience to her new role. The challenges and opportunities facing the new Archbishop are many and significant. On behalf of our Catholic community, I assure her of our prayers. Together we will be responsive to the prayer of Jesus that we ‘may all be one’ (John 17:21) and seek to develop the bonds of friendship and shared mission between the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church.”

(Photo by Aaron Chown – WPA Pool/Getty Images)

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