VATICAN CITY (AP) – Archbishop Sarah Mullally of Canterbury arrived at the Vatican on Monday for a meeting with Pope Leo XIV. This visit marks her first international trip since being appointed as the first woman to lead the Church of England and the spiritual leader for millions of Anglicans globally.
Mullally’s visit comes at a time of division within the Anglican Communion. Upon her arrival, she met with Pope Leo in his library, followed by a moment of prayer scheduled in the Urban VIII Chapel at the Apostolic Palace, as noted by the Vatican.
During her four-day pilgrimage in Rome, Mullally attended services at key pontifical basilicas, prayed at the tombs of Saints Peter and Paul, and held discussions with senior Vatican officials. The mission of her visit, as indicated by Lambeth Palace, is to strengthen relationships between Anglicans and Roman Catholics through prayer, personal encounters, and formal theological discussions. The objective is to enhance bonds of communion, affirm shared beliefs, and promote collaboration at both local and global levels.
The Anglican Church's split from Rome occurred in 1534 when King Henry VIII of England was denied an annulment for his marriage. Despite attempts at formal theological dialogue that began in the 1960s, significant differences remain today, particularly regarding the ordination of women. The Roman Catholic Church retains a male-only priesthood, while the Anglican Church ordained its first female priests in 1994, followed by the appointment of its first female bishop in 2015 and now the first female archbishop of Canterbury.
Mullally’s appointment has triggered a schism within the Anglican Communion, which encompasses around 100 million members across 165 countries. There are notable divisions over contemporary issues like women’s roles and the treatment of LGBTQ+ individuals. Many in Western nations hailed Mullally’s installment as a historic achievement, breaking through a “stained-glass ceiling.” However, conservative factions in Africa, represented by the Global Anglican Future Conference (Gafcon), have voiced strong opposition to her leadership and even threatened a potential split from the Communion. In the United States, the conservative Anglican Church in North America has distanced itself from the more liberal U.S. and Canadian Episcopal churches, aligning with Gafcon in opposing Mullally's position.
Pope Leo XIV has already extended his congratulations to Mullally, recognizing her appointment coincides with a “challenging” period and acknowledging ongoing differences between the Anglican and Catholic Churches. In his correspondence, Leo noted the complex nature of the ecumenical journey, emphasizing that despite progress, new disagreements have arisen, as acknowledged by his predecessors, Pope Francis and Archbishop Justin Welby.
Despite these challenges, Pope Leo reaffirmed his commitment to dialogue. He recently welcomed King Charles III, who is the ceremonial head of the Church of England, along with Queen Camilla to the Vatican on October 25, marking a significant moment—the first shared prayer between the heads of the Anglican and Catholic Churches since the Reformation.
This year also commemorates the 60th anniversary of the first formal ecumenical statement between the Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches. This historic agreement was signed in 1966 at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls by Archbishop Michael Ramsey and Pope Paul VI.
In a show of diplomatic unity, Mullally expressed her support for Pope Leo’s calls for peace, especially regarding conflict in Iran, and navigated between longstanding theological disputes and contemporary social issues facing both denominations.
