First female Archbishop of Canterbury to meet Pope Leo in Rome
via Punch Nigeria3 min read
Sarah Mullally, the first woman to lead the world's Anglican Christians and the new Archbishop of Canterbury, is scheduled to meet Pope Leo XIV in Rome this weekend. This four-day visit marks her first international trip since her enthronement last month as the Church of England's top cleric. The meeting occurs 60 years after a historic encounter in 1966 between Archbishop Michael Ramsey and Pope Paul VI, the first such high-level interaction since the Church of England's formation in the 16th century. While relations have generally improved, "new disagreements" were noted in 2016, particularly regarding the ordination of women, making Mullally's visit significant. The 63-year-old former nurse leads the 85-million-strong Anglican community. The Catholic Church, in contrast, has consistently rejected female priests and maintains priestly celibacy, with exceptions for married Anglican priests converting to Catholicism. Campaigners for women's rights, including Sylvaine Landrivon, spokeswoman for Catholic feminist association Magdala, expressed hope that Mullally's visit might prompt Pope Leo XIV to consider the capabilities of women within the Church. The visit also follows King Charles III's historic prayer with a pontiff six months prior. Pope Leo, who will mark one year as pope on May 8, expressed his hope for a "reconciled, fraternal and united Christian community" in a letter marking Mullally's enthronement. Bishop Anthony Ball, the archbishop's representative to the Holy
Free daily or weekly digest of the most important stories from across 18 African countries. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Punch Nigeria.
Must ReadPeter Obi, the 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, has criticized President Bola Tinubu’s administration regarding what he described as excessive borrowing and poor fiscal accountability. Obi stated that Nigeria’s total public debt has increased to approximately N200 trillion, which he attributed to "imprudent governance" under the current administration. He noted this represents an increase of over N100 trillion in three years, contrasting it with the roughly N49 trillion accumulated during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight-year tenure. Obi, the former Labour Party presidential flagbearer in the 2023 election, posted this statement on his X handle, indicating a lack of accountability and transparency in managing borrowed funds. He cited figures from the Budget Office, stating that the government borrowed N11.89 trillion in the first three quarters of 2025 January to September, exceeding its planned borrowing target of N10.34 trillion by about N1.54 trillion. Obi questioned how the remaining funds were utilized, noting that only N3.10 trillion of the borrowed funds was allocated to capital expenditure during the January–September 2025 period, representing 17.66 percent of the N17.58 trillion earmarked for capital projects, leaving a funding gap of about N14.48 trillion. Nigeria has faced increasing debt pressures since the Tinubu administration’s reforms began in mid-2023, including the removal of fuel subsidies and unification of the forei
Pope Leo arrived in Barcelona on Tuesday, the fourth day of his visit to Spain, to celebrate mass in the Sagrada Familia Basilica and bless its new tower. This new tower has made the Sagrada Familia the world's tallest church. Before arriving in Barcelona, Pope Leo was in Madrid where he delivered a speech to parliament and held an open-air mass for 1.5 million people. He also thanked thousands of volunteers who assisted with logistics and security in the capital. In Barcelona, Pope Leo is scheduled to visit the city’s Gothic cathedral and lead a prayer vigil in the Olympic Stadium later on Tuesday. On Wednesday, he is expected to meet prisoners and visit an abbey on Montserrat mountain before the mass at the Sagrada Familia. The mass will mark 100 years since the death of architect Antoni Gaudi, who designed the still-unfinished modernist masterpiece. After the mass, Pope Leo will bless the Jesus Christ tower, completed in February, which brought the basilica to its maximum height of 172.5 meters. Full completion of the Sagrada Familia is anticipated in approximately a decade. Pope Leo will then travel to the Canary Islands on Thursday and Friday to meet migrants and volunteers, and to honor those who died attempting to reach the archipelago.
The Kwara State Government has expanded its menstrual health awareness campaign to include students with special needs and other vulnerable groups across the state. This initiative, part of activities marking the 2026 World Menstrual Hygiene Day, aims to improve access to menstrual health information and encourage open conversations among young people. The Kwara State Ministry of Health, in collaboration with adolescent-friendly non-governmental organizations, organized the program. Sensitization sessions were held at the Kwara State School for Special Needs and Government Day Secondary School, Fate-Basin, involving students who are deaf, blind, have intellectual disabilities, and other vulnerable groups. Oladimeji Buhari, the Adolescent Health Desk Officer, stated that this year's commemoration emphasizes male involvement in menstrual health conversations and targets adolescents with special needs to ensure no one is left behind. The program educates adolescents on menstrual health and hygiene, creating a safe environment for discussion without fear or discrimination. A key objective is to help young girls understand menstruation as a normal biological process and to challenge cultural, religious, and social taboos by involving boys in the conversation. Rasheedat Jubril, Principal of the Kwara State School for Special Needs, commended the initiative, highlighting its importance for girls, especially those with special needs. Participants received accurate information on mens