Archbishop of Canterbury meets with Pope Francis at the Vatican

The Pope and Archbishop of Canterbury during their meeting at the Vatican. (Photo: Vatican Media)

The Archbishop of Canterbury and the Pope met at the Vatican over the weekend.

During the "long, private" meeting, Archbishop Justin Welby and Pope Francis discussed migration, climate change and the peacebuilding role of churches in conflict zones. 

According to details shared by the Archbishop's office after the meeting, the pair reflected on how migration "affects the poor more than any other group in the world", while the Pope said that the West is "consumed by indifference" in the face of climate change. 

The Archbishop's audience with the Pope took place at the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican on the same day that 21 new Catholic cardinals were created. 

During their meeting, the Archbishop and Pope recalled their historic joint peacemaking pilgrimage to South Sudan, undertaken in February with the former Moderator of the Church of Scotland, Dr Iain Greenshields.

Commenting on the meeting, the Archbishop said, "It's always a privilege to meet with my dear brother, Pope Francis. Today we shared our hopes for South Sudan, and discussed the impact of migration and climate change on the world's poorest. May our churches be united in bringing Christ's good news to a world in need."

Following the audience, the two Church leaders attended an ecumenical prayer vigil in St Peter's Square. 

During his time in Rome, the Archbishop also officially opened an exhibition at the John Moorman Memorial Library at the Anglican Centre in Rome.

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