Story perspectives

Female Archbishop Meets Pope, Iran War Condemnation Sparks Trump Critique

4/27/2026

Summary

Story summary

The meeting marked the first time a female Archbishop of Canterbury, Archbishop Dame Sarah Mullally, visited the Vatican to pray with Pope Leo XIV.
The Pope condemned the war in Iran and warned tyrants, a stance that President Donald Trump publicly attacked.
Mullally gave the Pope a 1910 copy of The Dream of Gerontius and Lambeth Palace honey, signaling a pledge to keep dialogue on same-sex blessings and women’s ordination.

History

Historical Context

The first post-Reformation papal-archbishop dialogue occurred when Archbishop Geoffrey Fisher met Pope John XXIII in Rome in 1960, reviving contacts after centuries. Subsequent high-profile exchanges—Donald Coggan attending Pope John Paul II’s 1978 inauguration and Rowan Williams joining Pope Benedict XVI’s 2005 funeral—show a pattern of Anglican-Catholic engagement. The 2022 Lambeth Conference gathered about 660 bishops, underscoring the Communion’s size and the tradition’s endurance.

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Story summary

The meeting marked the first time a female Archbishop of Canterbury, Archbishop Dame Sarah Mullally, visited the Vatican to pray with Pope Leo XIV.
The Pope condemned the war in Iran and warned tyrants, a stance that President Donald Trump publicly attacked.
Mullally gave the Pope a 1910 copy of The Dream of Gerontius and Lambeth Palace honey, signaling a pledge to keep dialogue on same-sex blessings and women’s ordination.

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