The Archbishop of Canterbury meets and prays with Pope Leo XIV during four day pilgrimage to Rome
The Archbishop of Canterbury met and prayed with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV at the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City on the morning of Monday April 27, during her pilgrimage to Rome.
Archbishop Sarah had a private meeting with the Pope, after which the Pope and Archbishop each gave an address. Archbishop Sarah also introduced the Pope to her delegation and exchanged gifts with His Holiness.
Today’s meeting with Pope Leo was part of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s four-day pilgrimage which began on Saturday April 25. The purpose of the visit is to strengthen Anglican–Roman Catholic relations through prayer, personal encounter, and formal theological dialogue. It aims to deepen bonds of communion, affirm a shared witness, and encourage ongoing collaboration at both global and local levels.
Archbishop Sarah was joined at the papal audience by the Most Revd Richard Moth, Archbishop of Westminster; the Rt Revd Anthony Ball, Director of the Anglican Centre in Rome; the Revd Dr Matthias Grebe, National Adviser for Ecumenical Relations; and Canon Margaret Cave, Director for Episcopal Ministry.
Pope Leo's Address to The Archbishop of Canterbury
In his address to Archbishop Sarah, Pope Leo XIV remarked that the Archbishop's visit: '...brings to mind the memorable encounter between Saint Paul VI and Archbishop Michael Ramsey sixty years ago, the anniversary of which you marked with Cardinal Koch in Canterbury Cathedral on the morning after your installation. Since then, Archbishops of Canterbury and Bishops of Rome have continued to meet to pray together, and I am glad that we are continuing this tradition today.'
He also encouraged the work of the Church in sharing peace: 'Throughout these days of Eastertide, the first words spoken by the risen Christ resound throughout the Church: “Peace be with you” (Jn 20:19). This greeting invites us not only to accept the Lord’s gift of peace, but also to be messengers of his peace. I have often mentioned that the peace of the risen Lord is “unarmed.” This is because he always responded to violence and aggression in an unarmed way, inviting us to do likewise. Moreover, I believe that Christians must bear prophetic and humble witness to this profound reality together (cf. Message for the LIX World Day of Peace, 1 January 2026).'
Pope Leo also stressed the importance of Christian Unity, and referenced the meeting of Anglican Primates with Pope Francis in 2024, saying: 'As my beloved predecessor, Pope Francis, said to the Primates of the Anglican Communion in 2024, “it would be a scandal if, due to our divisions, we did not fulfil our common vocation to make Christ known” (Read the Pope's Address to Primates of the Anglican Communion, 2 May 2024). For my part, I add that it would also be a scandal if we did not continue to work towards overcoming our differences, no matter how intractable they may appear.
'As we continue to journey together in friendship and dialogue, let us pray that the Holy Spirit, whom the Lord breathed on the disciples on the evening after his resurrection, will guide our steps as we prayerfully and humbly seek the unity which is the Lord’s will for all his disciples.'
The Archbishop of Canterbury's Address to Pope Leo
In her address to Pope Leo, Archbishop Sarah emphasised the importance of hope saying: ‘in the face of inhuman violence, deep division, and rapid societal change, we must keep telling a more hopeful story: that every human life has infinite value because we are precious children of God; that the human family is called to live as sisters and brothers; that we must therefore work together for the common good – always building bridges, never walls.’
She gave thanks for Pope Leo saying: ‘Your Holiness, you have spoken powerfully about the many injustices in our world today, but you have spoken even more powerfully about hope.'
Following her audience, Archbishop Sarah joined the Pope at a service of Daytime Prayer in the Chapel of Urban VIII. The Pope presided at the Office, and the Pope and Archbishop said the grace together.
Anticipating this time of prayer, Archbishop Sarah’s address said: ‘Your Holiness, I am grateful that we are able to join in prayer this morning. In the years to come, I will remain united with you in prayer: prayer for peace in our world; prayer for justice; and prayer that every person may come to discover the fullness of life that God offers. We are united in prayer because we pray to the Father, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Your Holiness, dear brother in Christ, in all this, we are sustained by hope – a hope grounded in Christ himself, who calls us forward, even when the way is not yet fully clear. May we continue to walk together in that hope, trusting that the one who has begun this good work among us will bring it to completion.’
Celebrating Ecumenical Relations
The Archbishop of Canterbury’s visit takes place within the context of the long-standing ecumenical relationship between the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church, rooted in the historic 1966 meeting between Archbishop Michael Ramsey and Pope Paul VI.
That encounter inaugurated a renewed commitment to visible unity, which continues to be expressed today through the work of the Anglican–Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC), the International Anglican–Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission (IARCCUM), and the ministry of the Anglican Centre in Rome.
In Archbishop Sarah’s address to Pope Leo, she gave thanks for the important ecumenical work of the Anglican Centre in Rome, which is the is the permanent Anglican Communion presence in Rome. The centre supports liaison between Pope Leo and the Archbishop of Canterbury and works with Anglican Communion and Vatican bodies on joint projects for education, ecumenism, and shared mission.
The Archbishop of Canterbury's Pilgrimage
Archbishop Sarah’s pilgrimage over the weekend has visited a number of Holy sites in Rome. On Saturday 25, Archbishop Sarah prayed at the Tomb of St Peter in the Papal Basilica of St Peter, before praying at the Tomb of St Paul in the Papal Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls.
On the morning of Sunday 26 April, Archbishop Sarah presided at Sung Eucharist with Holy Baptism at All Saints’, Anglican Church Rome, the Church of England congregation in the city, before preaching at Evensong at St Paul’s Within the Walls, a part of the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe, later in the afternoon. During the day, she also made pilgrim visits to pray at the Papal Basilica and Cathedral of St John Lateran and the Papal Basilica of St Mary Major.
On Monday evening, Archbishop Sarah will officiate at Choral Evensong at the Chiesa di Sant’Ignazio di Loyola, during which she will commission Bishop Anthony Ball, Director of the Anglican Centre in Rome, as the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Representative to the Holy See. The preacher will be His Eminence Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, a Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelisation.
The pilgrimage will conclude on Tuesday with visits to the Joel Nafuma Refugee Centre (JNRC) at St Paul’s Within the Walls and to projects run by the Sant’Egidio Community.
Speaking about the pilgrimage ahead of the visit, The Archbishop of Canterbury said: ‘I know that I follow in the footsteps of those who have come before me, and I give thanks for the deepening dialogue and fellowship between Anglicans and Catholics over the last sixty years. It is a joy and privilege to meet and pray with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, and I look forward to our time of conversation and prayer.
‘I also look forward to meeting and worshipping with the Anglican community in Rome, and to seeing the work of Anglicans and Catholics supporting those in need across the city. I ask that Anglicans across the Church of England and around the Anglican Communion join and journey with me in prayer. Our world needs the peace, justice, and hope that Jesus Christ brings, and I give thanks that our churches can walk together as we share that good news with the world.’
അഭിപ്രായങ്ങളൊന്നുമില്ല:
ഒരു അഭിപ്രായം പോസ്റ്റ് ചെയ്യൂ