First Audience Between Pope Leo XIV and Archbishop Sarah Mullally Sparks Ecumenical Debate

Pope Leo XIV meets Archbishop Sarah Mullally in Rome amid Anglican divisions and renewed tensions over ecumenism, following controversy over a blessing at St. Peter’s tomb.

Newsroom (27/04/2026 Gaudium Press ) The first official audience between Pope Leo XIV and Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally has ignited fresh debate over the limits of ecumenism, after images emerged of Mullally giving a blessing near the tomb of St. Peter.

Mullally, recently enthroned in March as the first woman to lead the Anglican Communion, met the Pope on Monday in the Apostolic Palace. The encounter, followed by joint prayer in the Chapel of Urban VIII, unfolded against a backdrop of deepening divisions both within Anglicanism and between Canterbury and Rome.

In his address, Leo XIV acknowledged that while progress has been made on historically divisive issues, “new problems have arisen in recent decades that make it more difficult to discern the path to full communion.” He also noted that the Anglican Communion itself is grappling with many of the same challenges, a clear reference to tensions between conservative Global South provinces and the more liberal Church of England.

Framing his appeal within the Easter message of peace, the Pope emphasized what he called the “unarmed” response of Christ to violence. He warned that Christian divisions weaken the Church’s ability to spread that message and urged continued prayer and dialogue to remove obstacles to unity. Quoting Pope Francis’ 2014 address to Anglican primates, Leo added: “It would be a scandal if, because of our divisions, we failed to fulfill our common vocation to make Christ known.” He went further, insisting that failing to continue working toward unity would itself be a scandal, “however irreconcilable” differences may appear.

The Pope also recalled the landmark 1966 meeting between Paul VI and Archbishop Michael Ramsey, which launched formal theological dialogue aimed at restoring full communion. Referencing his episcopal motto, In Illo uno unum (“In the One—that is, Christ—we are one”), Leo underscored his personal commitment to Christian unity.

Yet doctrinal tensions remain firmly in place. Just days before the meeting, Cardinal Kurt Koch, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, reaffirmed that the Catholic Church does not recognize Anglican ordinations. Citing Leo XIII’s 1896 apostolic letter Apostolicae curae, Koch reiterated that such ordinations are considered “absolutely null and utterly invalid,” regardless of whether the ordinand is male or female.

Controversy surrounding Mullally’s visit intensified after images circulated showing her imparting a blessing in the Clementine Chapel, located beneath the high altar of St. Peter’s Basilica. The footage appeared to show a bishop crossing himself while receiving the blessing, prompting debate in Catholic media over the theological implications of the gesture.

The visit also comes amid a deepening crisis within Anglicanism itself. Mullally’s leadership has been rejected by several Global South provinces. The conservative Gafcon movement, led by Archbishop Laurent Mbanda of Rwanda, announced in March the creation of a Global Anglican Council and formally withdrew recognition of Canterbury’s authority.

In earlier statements, Gafcon accused Mullally of advancing “unbiblical and revisionist teachings,” particularly regarding same-sex blessings in the Church of England. Claiming to represent at least half of the world’s 85 million Anglicans, the movement declared that the Archbishop of Canterbury can no longer serve as a credible global leader.

Leo XIV had already acknowledged these strains in a letter sent to Mullally upon her enthronement, noting that the ecumenical journey “has not always been smooth” and that new circumstances have produced new disagreements.

Mullally’s delegation to Rome includes Archbishop Richard Moth of Westminster and Bishop Anthony Ball, director of the Anglican Centre in Rome, whom she is expected to appoint as her representative to the Holy See—an appointment that may shape the next phase of Anglican-Catholic relations.

• Raju Hasmukh with files from Infocatholica

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