The Director of the Anglican Centre in Rome, Bishop Anthony Ball, this morning welcomed Archbishop Sarah Mullally on the first day of her pilgrimage to the city as Archbishop of Canterbury, which continues until Tuesday (28 April).

The 106th Archbishop of Canterbury was met at the Vatican this afternoon by Archbishop Flavio Pace, Secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, before being shown around St Peter’s.  Archbishop Sarah then travelled to the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls where she was welcomed by Cardinal James Harvey, the Archpriest of the Basilica.  The Common Declaration between Archbishop Michael Ramsey and Pope Paul VI was signed at this Basilica on 24 March 1966.

The Archbishop will tomorrow be the guest of All Saints’ and St Paul’s Within the Walls – the city’s Church of England and Episcopal Church congregations respectively – at their services, and is also due to visit the Archbasilica of St John Lateran and the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, ahead of her audience with Pope Leo XIV on Monday morning.

With thanks to Chris Warde-Jones for photography. Copyright: Lambeth Palace.

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