The recent appointment of Dame Sarah Mullally — a pro-abortion, pro-LGBT female bishop — as the new Archbishop of Canterbury is a tragic example of how deeply the spiritual virus of progressivism has infected mainstream Christianity. This is not mere culture war rhetoric — it is a doctrinal crisis.
While some might say that this is only representative of the Church of England or modern-day Anglicanism, if you take a look at mainstream churches in a variety of denominations, including ones that used to be theologically solid —Lutheranism for example — you'll quickly see how false teachers infiltrate the Body of Christ, working to upend the faith’s teachings and replace them with godless modernity.
Theological and Biblical Objections
First, the Bible plainly prohibits women exercising authority over men in church leadership. St. Paul writes in 1 Timothy 2:12: “I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she is to keep silent.” (ESV) Likewise, in 1 Corinthians 14:34–35 he insists that women “keep silent in the churches.” These are not cultural suggestions: they are apostolic mandates binding on the Church. To elevate a woman to the role of archbishop (the highest ecclesiastical office in Anglicanism) is to reverse Scripture itself.
Progressives are actively trying to change the Catholic Church’s teaching on women in ministry. In many Novus Ordo parishes, parish leaders now allow “altar girls,” a role once reserved for young boys to help nurture priestly vocations.
Women cannot serve as ordained priests, therefore, what is the point of having altar girls?
Faithful Catholics view the practice as the first step toward compromising Church teaching on the distinct roles of men and women in ministry.
And I don't mean compromise in a good way.
Moreover, the acceptance of a pro-LGBT agenda contradicts the clear teachings of Scripture on sexual morality. Our Lord affirms the Creational order (male and female, marital union) repeatedly (e.g. Matthew 19:4–6). The Apostle Paul describes homosexual acts as “contrary to nature” (Romans 1:26–27) and calls them “shameful” (Romans 1:27). None of the progressive reinterpretations can erase what is writ. By appointing someone who publicly supports LGBT causes, the new Archbishop tacitly endorses moral deviation — setting a catastrophic example for clergy and laity alike.
The Church Fathers and Tradition
But the appeal against this spiritual illness that threatens the very health and life of the Church goes beyond Scripture. Both the weight of Tradition and the Church Fathers condemn these modern innovations.
St. John Chrysostom, in his homilies, consistently upholds that leadership in the Church belongs to capable men. In his commentary on 1 Timothy, he argues that allowing women to teach over men would overturn the natural order God established. Likewise, Tertullian, in On the Veiling of Virgins and other works, warns against women overstepping roles proper to men in ecclesial settings.
An examination of the early ecumenical era, councils, and canons reveals a consistent teaching and practice of reserving the episcopacy for men. Leo the Great, in his epistles, always addresses fellow bishops as male and never even considers female bishops. All Tradition points toward maleness in sacred orders.
When a denomination elevates a woman to its highest clerical post, it abandons the clear, plain teaching of Sacred Scripture and the centuries of Tradition the Church has handed down.
Early Fathers of the faith wrote often about the dangers of false doctrine infiltrating the Church. Tertullian said, "The flesh lusts against the Spirit, the Spirit against the flesh,"; thus, false teaching and error will always attempt to work its way into the Church.
The greatest threat to Christian community does not come from outside of itself, but from within.
Why Does This Matter?
Simply stated, by entrusting supreme leadership to someone who openly rejects core Christian moral teaching, the Anglican Communion signals that Christianity can be adapted to secular progressivism. That is a false gospel. Souls depend on true proclamation, not flattering the world.
Other denominations will look to the example of the Anglican faith as a tacit acceptance of the LGBTQ agenda and a thumbs up to their own adaptation to modern society. Instead of preserving the true Gospel—the message that rescues souls and transforms them into Christ’s image—the Church will let that truth decay, trapping people in sin and leading them to ruin on the day of judgment.
Believers within the Anglican communion will become confused, receiving mixed signals from various leaders within the Church.
Where can individuals struggling with same-sex attraction turn for help that frees them from sin and leads them into joyful conformity with Christ?
Church leaders will ostracize faithful priests and pastors simply for upholding Scripture’s clear standards.
Mullally’s appointment serves as a grave wake-up call. It reminds us to remain faithful to the Church’s doctrines, which the saints and Fathers established and upheld for centuries to preserve Christ’s truth.
Pray for priests and laity to have the steel spine necessary to resist the infection of progressivism in the Church and have the courage necessary to speak out against the darkness consuming the Anglican communion.
