Pope Leo XIV met on Monday with Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally, urging unity to evangelize more effectively.
The papal audience at the Vatican was part of Mullally’s first trip abroad since taking up her position last month as the first woman to serve as the Church of England’s top cleric and the symbolic leader of the Worldwide Anglican Communion.
In an address published by the Vatican, Leo told Mullally and her delegation:
“While our suffering world greatly needs the peace of Christ, the divisions among Christians weaken our capacity to be effective bearers of that peace.”
Leo cited progress between the two churches on “historically divisive issues” but noted that “new problems have arisen in recent decades,” without specifying further.
