Pope Leo and the leader of the Church of England exchange letters.
Dame Sarah Mullally, who this week became the Church of England’s first female Archbishop of Canterbury, will meet Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican during her visit to Rome on 25-28 April.
The pontiff and the new Archbishop of Canterbury – who takes the helm as the spiritual leader of 85 million Anglicans worldwide – have exchanged letters expressing their commitment to Christian unity.
In his letter, the pope said he prayed she might “be guided by the Holy Spirit” and “draw inspiration from the example of Mary, the Mother of God.”
The pope’s letter was delivered in person and read by Cardinal Kurt Koch, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, during a prayer service to mark the 60th anniversary of the Common Declaration of 24 March 1966, the first formal ecumenical statement between Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches.
Pope Leo noted the fruits of that commitment over the past six decades and praised the work of the Anglican–Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC).
Archbishop Mullally replied the same day, thanking the pontiff for his prayers and expressing her own commitment “to seek the full and visible unity to which our Lord has called us all (John 17:21).”
Referencing the 1966 Common Declaration, she said the historic meeting between Pope Paul VI and Archbishop Michael Ramsey “marked a new beginning in Anglican–Roman Catholic relations – one that continues to bear fruit in dialogue, friendship, and common witness across the world”, adding that the shared journey continues to grow, “not least through the recent state visit of His Majesty The King to Pope Leo XIV in Rome.”
Cardinal Koch’s visit to Canterbury also included a service of ecumenical Morning Prayer attended by the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop Flavio Pace, and Bishop Anthony Ball, director of the Anglican Centre in Rome.
Established following the 1966 Declaration, the Anglican Centre in Rome serves as the permanent Anglican Communion presence in Rome and the Archbishop of Canterbury’s representative office to the Holy See.
Photo courtesy Lambeth Palace
