New Archbishop of Canterbury to meet Pope Leo XIV

Archbishop Mullally was officially installed in Canterbury Cathedral in the United Kingdom on March 25. She is scheduled to visit Rome from April 25-28.

Pope Leo sent a message to the Archbishop of Canterbury, assuring her of his prayers and invoking “grace, mercy and peace . . . in truth and love”, Vatican News reported.

The Pope recalled the historic meeting in 1966 between St Paul VI and Archbishop Michael Ramsey, when Catholics and Anglicans committed themselves to “a new stage in the development of fraternal relations, based upon Christian charity”. This commitment, he highlighted, has borne fruit over the past 60 years.

In his message, the Pope referred to the work of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC), established following that encounter, stating that it has contributed to greater mutual understanding and has supported a more effective common witness, particularly in the face of contemporary global challenges.

At the same time, he acknowledged that the ecumenical journey has encountered difficulties. He recalled the 2016 Joint Declaration signed by Pope Francis and Archbishop Justin Welby, which noted that “new circumstances have presented new disagreements”.

These differences, he added, do not prevent Christians from recognising one another as brothers and sisters in Christ by virtue of their common Baptism.

The Pope expressed his belief that dialogue should continue “in truth and love”, so that Christians may come to know together the grace, mercy and peace of God and offer these to the world.

On March 26, in the Chapel of Our Lady of Martyrdom in Canterbury Cathedral, Archbishop Mullally participated in a meeting and common prayer with Cardinal Kurt Koch, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity and a high-level Catholic delegation. The occasion also saw Cardinal Koch deliver the letter from the Pope.

A statement released by Lambeth Palace said the Archbishop thanked the Pope for his prayers and assured him of her own.

“I very much look forward to meeting Your Holiness in the near future and to continuing to strengthen the bonds of friendship and our shared commitment,” she stated.

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Anglican Archbishop Sarah Mullally to meet Pope Leo in April (Agence France-Presse/Herald Malaysia)

Pope assures Archbishop of Canterbury of dialogue ‘in truth and love’ (Vatican News)