All articles tagged with #ecumenism
Pope Leo XIV, elected in May 2025, is steering the Vatican with a quiet, unity-first approach—preserving Francis-era continuity while promoting synodality, dialogue, and ecumenism—avoiding polarizing stances on hot-button issues and planning ongoing meetings and pilgrimages that emphasize peace, social justice, and engagement with bishops worldwide.
Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally’s four-day Rome visit was warmly welcomed by the Holy See, a test of ecumenical diplomacy as Pope Leo resumes audiences after an Africa voyage, with observers weighing whether the gesture signals genuine outreach or risks entrenching divisions.
Pope Leo XIV hosted Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally in a historic Vatican meeting that included a joint prayer; both leaders committed to continuing dialogue to bridge decades of division, particularly over women's ordination, as Mullally undertakes a four-day Rome visit to strengthen Anglican-Catholic relations amid internal church divisions.
Pope Leo XIV hosted Archbishop Sarah Mullally in the Vatican during Mullally’s first official visit to Rome, noting progress on some ecumenical issues but warning that new strains in Anglican-Catholic dialogue have arisen amid divisions over female ordination and same-sex blessings; Mullally emphasized hospitality amid differences, with her delegation including Catholic Westminster Archbishop Richard Moth. The visit featured shared prayer and Mullally’s upcoming leadership role in Rome, including a choral evensong where she will commission the archbishop’s representative to the Holy See.
Pope Leo XIV hosted Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally in the Vatican for a rare prayer and discussion, marking a renewed push to bridge Catholic and Anglican divisions despite disagreements over women's ordination; Leo pledged to continue dialogue while Mullally's Rome visit aims to strengthen ecumenical ties and broader collaboration.
Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally, the Anglican Communion's first female primate, travels to Rome for a four‑day visit including an audience with Pope Leo XIV, signaling warmer Anglican–Catholic relations and renewed ecumenical dialogue, while acknowledging that Catholic teaching remains the male‑only priesthood and full unity remains unlikely.
Pope Leo XIV sends a blessing-filled message to Archbishop Sarah Mullally on her Canterbury installation, urging Catholic–Anglican dialogue "in truth and love" and recalling ARCIC’s work, the 1966 Paul VI–Ramsey encounter, and the ongoing push for unity despite disagreements; the Canterbury service also highlighted the movement’s 60-year ecumenical witness.
Pope Leo XIV emphasized the importance of Christians working and praying together to witness to humanity's suffering, highlighting the historical significance of ecumenical efforts and calling for unity, reconciliation, and peace amidst global conflicts and environmental issues during the 2025 Ecumenical Week in Stockholm.
Archbishop Justin Welby celebrated an Anglican liturgy in the Catholic Basilica of St. Bartholomew in Rome, as part of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. The ceremony was included in the official calendar of activities for the week and was a gesture of fraternity between the Anglican and Catholic churches. This event follows other ecumenical activities, including a vespers with Pope Francis and a concert by an Anglican choir in St. Peter’s Basilica, all aimed at promoting Christian unity.
The Most Rev. Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, visited Rome for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, participating in an Anglican Eucharist at a Catholic basilica and being commissioned by Pope Francis to witness Christian unity alongside Catholic bishops. The joint commissioning of Anglican and Catholic bishops sparked discussion about the Catholic Church's stance on Anglican orders and the potential for change. Additionally, Anglican choral evensong was celebrated at St. Peter's Basilica, emphasizing the shared tradition of prayer between Catholics and Anglicans.
The coronation of King Charles III will feature significant ecumenical and interreligious gestures, including a procession of flags of Commonwealth nations led by the Hindu Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and a blessing pronounced by Christian leaders of various denominations, including the Catholic Archbishop of Westminster. The liturgy itself reflects the inner tension between the Protestant and Catholic traditions within Anglicanism, but the inclusion of ecumenical and interreligious elements is a tremendous achievement by the Anglican Church and the King to include the diverse elements of British society within a liturgy that is profoundly Anglican.
Pope Francis gifted two pieces of the true cross to King Charles III for his coronation, which have been inlaid into the "Cross of Wales" and will lead the procession into Westminster Abbey. The gift is seen as an ecumenical sign of goodwill, given the rocky history between the British crown and the Catholic Church. The cross will be made available for veneration to both the Anglican and Catholic churches in Wales.