Pope Leo XIV has acknowledged that relations between Catholics and Anglicans are going through a moment of new difficulties, but he has insisted on the need to persevere in ecumenical dialogue “in truth and in love.” He expressed this in the message sent to the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, on the occasion of her enthronement, celebrated on March 25 in Canterbury Cathedral.
In his message, the Pontiff emphasizes that, despite the disagreements that have arisen in recent years, Christians are called to continue walking together, remembering that differences cannot erase the fraternity that comes from our common baptism.
We reproduce below the message from Leo XIV:
To the Most Reverend and Right Honourable
Dame Sarah Mullally
Archbishop of Canterbury
“Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and in love” (2 Jn 1:3).
With this certainty of God’s constant presence, I send you my greetings and prayers on the occasion of your enthronement as Archbishop of Canterbury.
I know that the ministry for which you have been chosen is demanding and entails responsibilities not only in the Diocese of Canterbury, but also throughout the Church of England and the Anglican Communion as a whole. Moreover, you assume these responsibilities at a challenging moment in the history of the Anglican family. As I ask the Lord to strengthen you with the gift of wisdom, I pray that you may be guided by the Holy Spirit in your service to your communities and that you may find inspiration in the example of Mary, the Mother of God.
Sixty years ago, during their historic meeting in Rome, our predecessors of happy memory, St. Paul VI and Archbishop Michael Ramsey, committed Catholics and Anglicans to “a new phase in the development of fraternal relations, based on Christian charity” (Joint Declaration, March 24, 1966). That new chapter of respectful openness has borne much fruit in the last six decades and continues to this day.
On that same occasion, Pope Paul VI and Archbishop Ramsey also agreed to initiate a theological dialogue. In fact, the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) has greatly contributed to the growth of mutual understanding since its creation. The fruits of this valuable work have enabled us to give more effective joint witness (cf. Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission for Unity and Mission, Growing Together in Unity and Mission, 93). This is especially important in the face of the multiple challenges facing the human family today. For this reason, I am grateful that this important dialogue continues.
At the same time, we know that the ecumenical path has not always been easy. Despite the many advances, our immediate predecessors, Pope Francis and Archbishop Justin Welby, frankly acknowledged that “new circumstances have presented new disagreements between us.” However, we have continued to walk together, because our differences “cannot prevent us from recognizing one another as brothers and sisters in Christ by virtue of our common baptism” (Joint Declaration, October 5, 2016). For my part, I firmly believe that we must continue to dialogue in truth and in love, because only in truth and in love do we come to know together the grace, mercy, and peace of God (cf. 2 Jn 1:3), and thus we can offer these precious gifts to the world.
Moreover, the unity that Christians seek is not an end in itself, but is oriented toward the proclamation of Christ, so that, as the Lord Jesus himself prayed, “the world may believe” (Jn 17:21). Addressing the primates of the Anglican Communion in 2024, Pope Francis declared that “it would be a scandal if, because of our divisions, we failed to fulfill our common vocation to make Christ known” (Address to the Primates of the Anglican Communion, May 2, 2024). Dear sister, I make these words my own, because it is through the witness of a reconciled, fraternal, and united Christian community that the proclamation of the Gospel will resound more clearly (cf. Message for the 2026 World Mission Day, 2).
With these fraternal sentiments, I invoke upon you the blessings of Almighty God as you assume your high responsibilities. May the Holy Spirit descend upon you and make you fruitful in the service of the Lord.
From the Vatican, March 20, 2026
Memorial of St. Cuthbert, bishop
LEO PP. XIV