Pope prays with Anglican female bishop, calls Christians to unity

Pope Leo and Archbishop Sarah Mullally. Photo: Vatican Media

On May 26, 2025, Pope Leo XIV received Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally at the Vatican and prayed with her in the Urban VIII Chapel in the Apostolic Palace, Vatican News reports.

The pontiff expressed joy at the archbishop’s visit and recalled the historic encounter between Pope Paul VI and Archbishop Michael Ramsey, which took place 60 years ago. The two sides exchanged gifts.

In his address, Leo XIV stressed that divisions among Christians weaken their ability to bear witness to the peace of Christ. “If the world is to take our preaching to heart, we must, therefore, be constant in our prayers and efforts to remove any stumbling blocks that hinder the proclamation of the Gospel,” the pontiff said.

He acknowledged that ecumenical dialogue between Catholics and Anglicans is bearing fruit, while noting that the Anglican Communion itself is currently facing many contentious issues.

The pope quoted the words of Pope Francis, spoken in May 2024: “It would be a scandal if, due to our divisions, we did not fulfill our common vocation to make Christ known.” On his part, Leo XIV added: “It would also be a scandal if we did not continue to work towards overcoming our differences, no matter how intractable they may appear.”

Concluding the meeting, the pontiff expressed hope that Anglicans and Catholics continue to journey together in friendship and dialogue, guided by the Holy Spirit.

Recall that the Anglican community is going through an internal crisis: conservative provinces of the Global South have broken with Canterbury, while a third of bishops ignored Mullally’s enthronement, opposing the ordination of women and the blessing of same-sex couples.

As the UOJ reported, the Anglican LGBT female bishop had earlier said that ecumenism is part of the Anglican way of life.

Read also