Pope urges Anglican leaders to embrace unity and dialogue

Monday, May 6th, 2024

In a historic meeting at the Vatican, Pope Francis engaged with senior Anglican bishops, emphasising the importance of unity and dialogue within Christian communities.

The meeting, which marked the Anglican primates’ first pilgrimage to Rome, focused on shared missions and discussions on differences within the church.

Pope Francis began his address by thanking Archbishop Justin Welby for his presence, noting that he “began his service as Archbishop of Canterbury around the same time that I began mine as Bishop of Rome”.

“Since then” the Pope added, “we have had many occasions to meet, to pray together and to testify to our faith in the Lord. Dear brother Justin, thank you for this fraternal cooperation on behalf of the Gospel!”

Embrace disagreements

During the meeting, the pope emphasised the significance of mutual understanding and prayer. He urged believers to discern whether the Holy Spirit or personal preferences guided them.

“I realise” the Pope said “that the role of the Bishop of Rome is still a controversial and divisive issue among Christians.”

Quoting Pope Gregory the Great, he described the Bishop of Rome as the “servant of the servants of God”, emphasising the humility required of papal authority.

“For this reason” Francis stressed, “it is necessary to engage in ‘a patient and fraternal dialogue on this subject, a dialogue which, leaving useless controversies behind’, strives to understand how the Petrine ministry can develop as a service of love for all.”

Linda Nicholls, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, told reporters that the pope set aside time to respond to the primates’ questions. These, she said, allowed the pope to talk about “his own passions in ministry, unity in diversity, and harmony. He said in several ways that ‘war is always, always, always a defeat’.”

The meeting concluded with a reaffirmation of the importance of prayerful discernment for unity and dialogue in fostering greater communion among Christians.

The Anglican primates’ visit included pilgrimages to significant sites in Rome including St Peter’s Basilica and the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls.