On the day of her audience with Pope Leo XIV, Archbishop Sarah Mullally commissioned the Anglican Centre in Rome’s Director, Bishop Anthony Ball, as her Representative to the Holy See.  Bishop Ball was previously commissioned in his role as Director in May 2025, during the time of the vacancy in the See of Canterbury.

The Service of Choral Evensong took place on Monday evening in Chiesa Sant’ Ignazio di Loyola, which was consecrated in 1626 in honour of St Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuit Order.  The preacher was His Eminence Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Pro-Prefect in the Dicastery for Evangelization.  Worship was led by a choir drawn from All Saints’ Church and St Paul’s Within the Walls, and the New Chamber Singers.

Bishop Ball was born in Southern Africa and joined the Diplomatic Service after studying at the University of Durham. Whilst posted with the British Embassy in Damascus, he was the Archbishop of Canterbury’s representative to the Heads of the Orthodox Churches in Syria and Lebanon.  He served for a time at Lambeth Palace where he held responsibility for advising on Anglican Communion, Ecumenical, Inter Religious and International relations before serving as the Archbishop's Chaplain.  He then moved to the Chapter of Westminster Abbey as Canon Steward and Archdeacon of Westminster and as the Bishop of the Diocese of North Africa in the Province of Alexandria, having previously been an Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Egypt.

Photography provided by the Anglican Centre in Rome

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