The incoming Archbishop of Canterbury has called for national unity on immigration in her Christmas message to the nation.
Dame Sarah Mullally warned debates on the issue "continue to divide us, when our common humanity should unite us".
The 63-year-old, who is currently serving as Bishop of London, delivered her address at St Paul's Cathedral, speaking of joy emerging precisely where despair anticipates victory.
“Joy is born exactly where despair expects to triumph," she told the congregation.
“As joy breaks through in our lives it gives us the opportunity to become people who make room."
“Room in our homes. Room in our churches. Room in our public conversations and in the attitudes we hold.
“The joy asks us to allow our lives to be interrupted by the needs of others, just as the people of Bethlehem were interrupted.”
She continued: “This insight matters because our own society carries uncertainties that can wear us down.
“Many feel the weight of economic pressure. Some feel pushed to the margins.
The 63-year-old, who is currently serving as bishop of London, delivered her address at St Paul's Cathedral
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“Our national conversations about immigration continue to divide us, when our common humanity should unite us.”
The bishop acknowledged that society faces uncertainties weighing people down, with many experiencing economic pressures while others feel marginalised.
Meanwhile, the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, also addressed societal divisions in his Christmas sermon, recounting how he was "intimidated" by Israeli militias during a recent trip to the Holy Land.
Reverend Cottrell described being halted at checkpoints where militia members informed him he was forbidden from visiting Palestinian families living in the occupied West Bank.
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Crowds gathered at St Paul's Cathedral
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"We have become, I can think of no other way of putting it, fearful of each other, and especially of strangers," he said.
"We cannot see ourselves in them. And we, therefore, spurn a common humanity."
The archbishop said witnessing the separation wall firsthand proved a sobering experience, reflecting on how fear of others has taken hold across society.
Reverend Cottrell spoke of receiving an olive wood nativity scene carving from YMCA charity workers in Bethlehem who support "persecuted Palestinian communities" in the West Bank.
The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, also faced mounting pressure to resign last year
| PAThe carving depicted a "large grey wall" preventing the three kings from reaching the stable where Mary, Joseph and Jesus lay.
Beyond the physical barriers dividing the Holy Land, the archbishop reflected on walls erected throughout the world and, most troublingly, those constructed within human hearts.
"The strangers we encounter in the homeless on our streets, refugees seeking asylum, young people robbed of opportunity and growing up without hope for the future, means that we are in danger of even failing to welcome Christ when he comes," he warned.
However, Dame Sarah was announced as the first woman to hold the position of archbishop of Canterbury in October.
Counter protesters ahead of an anti-immigration protest outside the Refugee and Migrant centre in Birmingham | PABefore entering the church, she served as chief nursing officer for England and received her damehood in 2005 for her contributions to nursing and midwifery.
She has held the role of bishop of London since 2018.
Her Confirmation of Election ceremony is scheduled for January 28 at St Paul's Cathedral, at which point she will legally assume the role of archbishop.
The enthronement ceremony will follow at Canterbury Cathedral on March 25.
Justin Welby, the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury, formally stepped down in early January after announcing his resignation in November 2024.
His departure followed criticism of his handling of one of the Church of England's most serious abuse scandals.