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
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