A Brief Commentary On Pope Leo's Letter To Sarah Mullally

Pope Leo's letter that follows was read at the installation of Sarah Mullally. Some will inevitably claim the letter as an endorsement of her ministry, yet a more careful read will show a wise pope acknowledging that relationships between Christians must necessarily be founded upon truth and love, and there can be no real love without truth.

MESSAGE OF POPE LEO XIV ON THE OCCASION OF THE INSTALLATION OF THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY

To The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Dame Sarah Mullally Archbishop of Canterbury

[Do not read too much into the use of a title. To state a title or rank that is used among a group of people is not an endorsement. Remember, the Catholic Church has her own hierarchy in England.]

Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, in truth and love. (2 Jn 1:3)

With this assurance of God’s abiding presence, I send prayerful greetings to Your Grace on the occasion of your Installation as Archbishop of Canterbury.

I know that the office for which you have been chosen is a weighty one [weighty, says the Supreme Pontiff of Christ's Church], with responsibilities not only in the Diocese of Canterbury, but throughout the Church of England as well as the Anglican Communion as a whole. Moreover, you are commencing these duties at a challenging moment in the history of the Anglican family. [Challenging indeed! A large portion of the Anglican family in Africa is on the brink of departure, continuing Anglican groups are multiplying, and a great number of Anglican parishes have dissolved and are rapidly dwindling.] In asking the Lord to strengthen you with the gift of wisdom, I pray that you may be guided by the Holy Spirit in serving your communities, and draw inspiration from the example of Mary, the Mother of God [..., the first disciple of Christ whose 'yes' to God makes her the preeminent model of faith for every disciple].

Sixty years ago, during their historic encounter in Rome, our predecessors of happy memory, Saint Paul VI and Archbishop Michael Ramsey, committed Catholics and Anglicans to “a new stage in the development of fraternal relations, based upon Christian charity” (Joint Declaration, 24 March 1966).  That fresh chapter of respectful openness has borne much fruit over the past six decades and continues to this day. ["much fruit" - the Ordinariates, for example, in full communion with the Catholic Church. Note - the DDF released a new document on 24March praising the ordinariates for their Distinctive “Ecclesial Ethos”, Evangelization Through Beauty, Direct Outreach to the Poor, Pastoral Culture, The Family and the Domestic Church, Scripture and Preaching, Spiritual Direction and the Sacrament of Penance.]

On that same occasion, Pope Paul and Archbishop Ramsey also agreed to initiate a theological dialogue. Indeed, the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) has contributed enormously to a growth in mutual understanding since its creation. The rewards of this valuable work have set us free to witness together more effectively (cf. International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission, Growing Together in Unity and Mission, 93). This is especially vital given the manifold challenges facing our human family today. I am grateful, therefore, that this important dialogue continues.

At the same time, we also know that the ecumenical journey has not always been smooth. Despite much progress, our immediate predecessors, Pope Francis and Archbishop Justin Welby, acknowledged frankly that “new circumstances have presented new disagreements among us.” [Here we have a brief but important reminder that there are real and substantial obstacles to ecumenical harmony created by developments (further departures from the Faith) within the Anglican Communion.] Nevertheless, we have continued to walk together, because differences “cannot prevent us from recognizing one another as brothers and sisters in Christ by reason of our common baptism” (Joint Declaration, 5 October 2016). For my part, I firmly believe that we need to continue to dialogue in truth and love, for it is only in truth and love that we come to know together the grace, mercy and peace of God (cf. 2 Jn 1:3), and thus can offer these precious gifts to the world. [If the Anglican Communion can reverse its attempts to ordain women and move toward the Apostolic Faith, then discussion may genuinely lead to real outcomes—true unity as Christ intended. However, that appears highly improbable given its continuous departure from the Apostolic Faith. Is the Church of England thumbing its nose at the Apostolic Churches by having a woman occupy the Chair of Saint Augustine?]

What is more, the unity which Christians seek is never an end in itself, but is directed towards the proclamation of Christ, in order that, as the Lord Jesus himself prayed, “the world may believe” (Jn 17:21). In addressing the Primates of the Anglican Communion in 2024, Pope Francis declared that “it would be a scandal if, due to our divisions, we did not fulfil our common vocation to make Christ known” (Address to Primates of the Anglican Communion, 2 May 2024). Dear sister, I willingly make these words my own, for it is through the witness of a reconciled, fraternal and united Christian community that the proclamation of the Gospel will resound most clearly (cf. Message for the 2026 World Mission Day, 2). [Let's read between the lines for a moment. The reminder of "scandal" requires a serious consideration of the status of one's alignment to the Church willed by Christ, not man's (nor any woman's) inherited conformity to a politically expedient ideology. Adherence to the Apostolic Tradition should speak for itself, though many, it seems, require an occasional refresher in the basics.]

With these fraternal sentiments, I invoke upon you the blessings of Almighty God as you take up your high responsibilities. May the Holy Spirit come down upon you and make you fruitful in the Lord’s service. [This blessing is not an endorsement of an office, otherwise it's wording would be more explicit such as "May Almighty God bless you as you take up your office as the successor of Saint Augustine." It is a blessing offered for an individual who sits at the apex of an international organization.]

From the Vatican, 20 March 2026
Memorial of Saint Cuthbert, Bishop
LEO PP. XIV