(LifeSiteNews) — Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò condemned Pope Leo XIV’s meeting with “heretics and schismatics,” such as the female Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury, as a continued betrayal of the “mandate” of Jesus.

“While the conciliar and synodal church continues to betray the mandate of Our Lord by associating with heretics and schismatics of every stripe and even hosting in the Vatican a heretic who passes herself off as an archbishop, in Treviso the bishop Tomasi denies a dignified place of worship for the conferral of Confirmation to faithful of the FSSPX, in open contradiction with the dialogue and welcome that it has been promoting for sixty years,” wrote Viganò in a post on his X account on Monday.

His post featured a graphic depicting a female “cleric” standing in St. Peter’s Basilica to the applause of onlooking Catholic clergy, apparently representing the recent welcome of Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally into the Vatican. This was contrasted against the portrayal of modestly dressed Catholics and a traditional bishop who are locked outside a Church, which has a sign posted on its doors that reads, “Closed to traditionalists.”

Mullally on Saturday gave a “blessing” at the tomb of St. Peter in the catacombs underneath St. Peter’s Basilica. Her visit to the Vatican culminated in a private audience with Pope Leo on Monday. The Pontiff had earlier issued a congratulatory letter to Mullally, praising her “weighty” responsibilities upon the election as Archbishop of Canterbury and invoking the Blessed Virgin Mary as a source of “inspiration” for her new role.

The Pope’s letter made no reference to the Catholic Church’s perennial teaching that Anglican orders are “absolutely null and utterly void” (Apostolicae Curae, 1896), that the ordination of women is impossible and contrary to the will of Christ, or of Mullally’s own public record promoting grave moral evils including abortion and homosexual acts.

The reported denial of a church in the Diocese of Treviso to Catholic faithful served by the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) is consistent with the Church hierarchy’s general refusal to recognize the SSPX’s legitimacy, despite the fact that the group recognizes the authority of the Pope, practices the traditional Catholic faith in its fullness, and is not in schism.

In accord with this approach, while Leo has granted a private audience to Mullally, he has refused to meet with SSPX leaders despite their request for such a meeting.

LifeSiteNews Editor-in-Chief John-Henry Westen highlighted the contrast in approach in a Sunday statement on X.

“This woman – ‘Archbishop’ Sarah – is a mockery of Holy Orders and a walking falsehood. Yet she is officially paraded into the sacred Clementine Chapel of St. Peter’s Basilica to give a blessing… and tomorrow she meets with Pope Leo XIV. This is the same Pope who refuses to meet with the legitimate bishops and priests of the SSPX. Lord, have mercy on Your Church.”