Pope Leo and new Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally met for the first time on Monday (April 27), in a symbolic encounter at the Vatican in which the leaders of the long-separated Catholic Church and Church of England exchanged gifts and prayed together.

Mullally, the first woman to serve as spiritual leader of the world's 85 million Anglicans, was welcomed by Leo, the first U.S. leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, into his formal office at the Vatican's ornate apostolic palace.

The two, who lead Christian denominations that split from each other in acrimony in 1534, met privately before going together to a 17th century chapel where they recited prayers in unison.

In formal remarks to Leo, Mullally thanked the pope for his new, forceful speaking style, which the pontiff used on a four-nation Africa tour to sharply denounce war and despotism and which attracted the ire of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Leo told Mullally that progress had been made in drawing the Catholic Church and Church of England together but lamented that "new problems have arisen in recent decades," without specifying those problems.

"We must not allow these continuing challenges to prevent us from using every possible opportunity to proclaim Christ to the world together," said the pope.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VATICAN CITY (APRIL 27, 2026) (VATICAN MEDIA - Access all)

1. POPE LEO SHAKING HANDS WITH ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY, SARAH MULLALLY

2. MULLALLY LOOKING ON

3. POPE AND MULLALLY TAKING SEATS

4. POPE AND MULLALLY DURING TALKS

5. VARIOUS OF POPE AND MULLALLY POSING FOR PICTURES

6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY, SARAH MULLALLY, SAYING:

"Your Holiness, thank you for your gracious welcome and for your prayers and kind wishes at the time of my installation. I am deeply grateful. It is a joy and privilege to be received by you together with this delegation."

7. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE LISTENING

8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) POPE LEO SAYING:

"New problems have arisen in recent decades, rendering the pathway to full communion more difficult to discern. I know that the Anglican Communion is also facing many of these same questions at this time. Nevertheless, we must not allow these continuing challenges to prevent us from using every possible opportunity to proclaim Christ to the world together."

9. VARIOUS OF POPE AND MULLALLY EXCHANGING GIFTS

10. POPE AND MULLALLY DURING CEREMONY

11. BOOKLET

12. MULLALLY DURING CEREMONY

13. POPE TAKING SEAT

14. VARIOUS OF CEREMONY IN PROGRESS