VATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews) — Pope Leo XIV has received the female “archbishop” of Canterbury in a private audience.

On Monday, Sarah Mullally was received by the Pope as the highlight of her visit to the Vatican.

LifeSiteNews CEO and Editor-in-Chief John-Henry Westen noted in a post on X that the Catholic Church does not recognize the ordinations of the Anglican Church as valid and that women cannot be ordained: “Catholic doctrine: Anglican orders are ‘absolutely null and utterly void’ (Pope Leo XIII, Apostolicae Curae, 1896). Women cannot be validly ordained to the priesthood or episcopate.”

Here you go, honey. 🐝
That’s Sarah Mullally — the female “Archbishop” of Canterbury — handing Leo XIV a jar of Lambeth Palace honey today.

Catholic doctrine: Anglican orders are “absolutely null and utterly void” (Pope Leo XIII, Apostolicae Curae, 1896). Women cannot be validly… pic.twitter.com/GyVRGQ1TXf

— John-Henry Westen (@JhWesten) April 27, 2026

During his address on the occasion of the visit, Pope Leo referenced the beginning of the ecumenical dialogue between the Vatican and the Anglicans: “Your visit brings to mind the memorable encounter between Saint Paul VI and Archbishop Michael Ramsey sixty years ago, the anniversary of which you marked with Cardinal Koch in Canterbury Cathedral on the morning after your installation.”

“Since then, Archbishops of Canterbury and Bishops of Rome have continued to meet to pray together, and I am glad that we are continuing this tradition today,” he continued.

“While our suffering world greatly needs the peace of Christ, the divisions among Christians weakens our capacity to be effective bearers of that peace,” the Roman Pontiff stated. “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.”

“In this regard, when Archbishop Michael Ramsey and Saint Paul VI announced the first theological dialogue between Anglicans and Catholics, they spoke of seeking the ‘restoration of complete communion in faith and sacramental life.’”

“Certainly this ecumenical journey has been complex,” Leo acknowledged. “While much progress has been made on some historically divisive issues, new problems have arisen in recent decades, rendering the pathway to full communion more difficult to discern.”

“I know that the Anglican Communion is also facing many of these same questions at this time. Nevertheless, we must not allow these continuing challenges to prevent us from using every possible opportunity to proclaim Christ to the world together,” the Pope said.

“As my beloved predecessor, Pope Francis, said to the Primates of the Anglican Communion in 2024, ‘it would be a scandal if, due to our divisions, we did not fulfill our common vocation to make Christ known’,” he added.

“For my part, I add that it would also be a scandal if we did not continue to work towards overcoming our differences, no matter how intractable they may appear,” Leo noted.

Addressing Mullally directly, the Pope said: “Your Grace, in thanking you for your visit today, I pray that the same Holy Spirit will remain with you always, making you fruitful in the service to which you have been called.”

Mullally’s visit had already caused controversy when a photo of her giving a “blessing” near the tomb of St. Peter was circulated online. In the picture, Archbishop Flavio Pace, Secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, can be seen bowing his head and making the Sign of the Cross as though receiving a real blessing from her.

Mullally has been described as “woke,” as she supports the LGBT agenda and made pro-abortion comments in the past, which she has not retracted.