Pope meets Archbishop of Canterbury, vows to overcome historical divisions
Pope Leo XIV held a historic meeting with Archbishop Sarah Mullally in the Vatican. Both exchanged gifts, prayed together, and pledged to work towards overcoming their historical differences, marking a significant step in improving relations between the Catholic Church and the Church of England.
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- 📰 Published: April 27, 2026 at 22:44
- 🔍 Collected: April 27, 2026 at 23:02 (17 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 28, 2026 at 00:02 (1h 0m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency, Vatican City, April 27, Comprehensive Foreign Report) Pope Leo XIV today met with Archbishop Sarah Mullally in the Vatican, marking a historic meeting between the leader of the Catholic Church and the first female spiritual leader of the Church of England. The two exchanged gifts and prayed together, with the Pope vowing to strive to overcome their historical divisions.
Reuters reported that Pope Leo XIV, the head of 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide, and Mullally (Sarah Mullally), the spiritual leader of about 85 million Anglican Communion followers worldwide, held a private conversation before heading to a 17th-century chapel to pray together.
The Church of England separated from the Roman Catholic Church in 1534.
The Pope recently concluded a four-nation tour of Africa, where his speeches harshly condemned war and tyranny, displeasing U.S. President Donald Trump. In her formal address, Mullally thanked Leo XIV for his recently displayed, uncharacteristically strong speaking style.
She stated: "The world needs this message now, thank you. It reminds us that despite the suffering we face, people still yearn for a beautiful and fulfilling life, and countless people tirelessly work every day to realize this vision of common well-being."
Leo XIV said that the Catholic Church and the Church of England have made progress in improving their relationship, while also lamenting that "new problems have continued to emerge over the past few decades," but did not elaborate on the details. He pointed out: "We must never allow the challenges that follow to hinder every potential opportunity for us to proclaim Christ to the world together."
Before meeting the Pope, Mullally was interviewed by British ITV News, where she stated she was "humbled and very honored" to meet the Pope. "The Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church have a long-standing relationship and fellowship... we will continue to deepen our connections on this foundation."
She also said: "We receive from each other gifts that we cannot create by ourselves, namely deep prayer, the courage of witness, perseverance in adversity, and faithful service." (Compiled by: Hong Qi-Yuan) 1150427
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(Central News Agency, Vatican City, April 27, Comprehensive Foreign Report) Pope Leo XIV today met with Archbishop Sarah Mullally in the Vatican, marking a historic meeting between the leader of the Catholic Church and the first female spiritual leader of the Church of England. The two exchanged gifts and prayed together, with the Pope vowing to strive to overcome their historical divisions.
Reuters reported that Pope Leo XIV, the head of 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide, and Mullally (Sarah Mullally), the spiritual leader of about 85 million Anglican Communion followers worldwide, held a private conversation before heading to a 17th-century chapel to pray together.
The Church of England separated from the Roman Catholic Church in 1534.
The Pope recently concluded a four-nation tour of Africa, where his speeches harshly condemned war and tyranny, displeasing U.S. President Donald Trump. In her formal address, Mullally thanked Leo XIV for his recently displayed, uncharacteristically strong speaking style.
She stated: "The world needs this message now, thank you. It reminds us that despite the suffering we face, people still yearn for a beautiful and fulfilling life, and countless people tirelessly work every day to realize this vision of common well-being."
Leo XIV said that the Catholic Church and the Church of England have made progress in improving their relationship, while also lamenting that "new problems have continued to emerge over the past few decades," but did not elaborate on the details. He pointed out: "We must never allow the challenges that follow to hinder every potential opportunity for us to proclaim Christ to the world together."
Before meeting the Pope, Mullally was interviewed by British ITV News, where she stated she was "humbled and very honored" to meet the Pope. "The Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church have a long-standing relationship and fellowship... we will continue to deepen our connections on this foundation."
She also said: "We receive from each other gifts that we cannot create by ourselves, namely deep prayer, the courage of witness, perseverance in adversity, and faithful service." (Compiled by: Hong Qi-Yuan) 1150427
Choose to stand with facts. Every sponsorship of yours is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency "First-hand News" APP to grasp the latest news instantly.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.