When Pope Leo XIV met the first woman to lead the world's Anglican Christians, the newly enthroned Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, he said Anglicans and Catholics must continue working to overcome differences.

Pope Leo held an audience on April 27 with Dame Sarah Mullally, and prayed with her in the Urban VIII Chapel in the Apostolic Palace, Vatican News reported.

The Pope encouraged Catholics and Anglicans to proclaim Christ to the world together, working to overcome any differences and challenges.

In his greetings, Pope Leo shared his joy in receiving the Archbishop during the Easter season, recalling the historic encounter between Pope St. Paul VI and Archbishop Michael Ramsey, which took place 60 years ago.

The Archbishop of Canterbury praised Pope Leo for speaking out against injustice following their historic meeting at the Vatican, the BBC reportred.

Mullally told the pontiff he would receive a "warm welcome" if he were to visit the UK.

           - 'PRAYING FOR PEACE IN OUR WORLD'

In an address following a private discussion between the two religious leaders, she said they were united in prayer for justice and for "peace in our world".

It followed the Pope's warning earlier this month that the world is being "ravaged by a handful of tyrants" as he criticised the cost of war during a visit to Cameroon.

The papal audience at the Vatican was part of Mullally's first trip abroad since taking up her role last month as the first woman to hold the role of the Church of England's top cleric.

"While our suffering world greatly needs the peace of Christ, the divisions among Christians weaken our capacity to be effective bearers of that peace," Leo told Mullally and her delegation in an address published by the Vatican.

"If the world is to take our preaching to heart, we must, therefore, be constant in our prayers and efforts to remove any stumbling blocks that hinder the proclamation of the Gospel," he said, adding that "unity for the sake of a more fruitful evangelization" had been a recurring theme throughout his ministry.

Leo cited progress between the two churches on "historically divisive issues" but said "new problems have arisen in recent decades," without specifying further.

"Nevertheless, we must not allow these continuing challenges to prevent us from using every possible opportunity to proclaim Christ to the world together," said Leo, the 70-year-old leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.

Mullally, 63, is a former nurse who is married with two children, UCA News reported.

In the 16th century, King Henry VIII broke with the Catholic Church, creating the Church of England.

In later centuries, relations steadily improved, but in 2016, new splinters emerged, particularly over the ordination of women, which is forbidden within the Catholic Church.

Women have been allowed to become bishops within the Church of England since 2014, although the issue remains divisive within the Anglican Communion.

With approximately 85–110 million members in 2025, among its 47 member churches, Anglicans account for the third or fourth largest Christian communion of churches globally, after the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and, possibly, World Communion of Reformed Churches, according to Wikipedia.

Mullally's visit came six months after King Charles III met with Leo, becoming the first supreme governor of the Church of England to pray with a pontiff.

She said: "Your Holiness, you have spoken powerfully about the many injustices in our world today, but you have spoken even more powerfully about hope."