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Archbishop of Canterbury issues statement supporting Pope Leo XIV’s calls for peace

April 16, 2026

[Episcopal News Service] Pope Leo XIV has opened about his faith-based opposition to war, particularly the U.S.-Israel war on Iran, and the American-born pontiff has said Christians are called to follow Jesus’ model in advocating for peace. U.S. President Donald Trump and others in his administration have criticized Leo for expressing those views. On April 16, Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally, the spiritual leader of the global Anglican Communion, issued a statement saying she stands behind Leo in his calls for peace. The following is the text of Mullally’s statement. I stand with my brother in Christ, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, in his courageous call for a kingdom of peace. As innocent people are killed and displaced, families torn apart, and futures destroyed, the human cost of war is incalculable. It is the calling of every Christian – and of all people of faith and goodwill – to work and pray for peace. We must also urge all those entrusted with political authority to pursue every possible peaceful and just means of resolving conflict. As I prepare to visit Rome later this month to meet and pray with Pope Leo, I am mindful of his call to keep our eyes open to the suffering of the world, and our gaze fixed on our crucified and risen Lord Jesus Christ – the image of the invisible God, in whose image and likeness every human being is made. In him, we recognize that we are children of the one Father and members of a single human family. Prayer is not an escape from the world, nor a turning away from injustice; rather, it is a turning towards God in the midst of it, confronting evil, seeking God’s will, and becoming instruments of transformation and peace. As Christians, we are called to stand in solidarity with all who suffer, and to respond with compassion and love. Christ’s self-giving life, lived for the sake of others, reminds us that the command to love God with all our heart is inseparable from the call to love our neighbor as ourselves, especially the neighbor who suffers, who is displaced, who lives in fear, and who longs for peace. Time spent with Anglican Primates from across the Communion at my installation in Canterbury was a reminder of how many conflicts continue beyond the front pages of our news, yet demand no less our concern and prayer. Our shared humanity has long inspired peacemakers across generations, whether Christian or not. That vision gave rise to the United Nations, founded amidst the ashes of the Second World War. Many decades on, our generation must recommit itself to its Charter, upholding human rights, international law, and the dignity and worth of every human life. As the Pope has recalled, we echo the words of Pope Paul VI on his first visit to the United Nations: “No more war.” I therefore urge Anglicans across the Church of England and the Anglican Communion to join with His Holiness in raising our voices for peace and justice throughout the world. Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, blesses the peacemakers and calls them children of God. In a time marked by hatred, division, and violence, may we be steadfast in that calling – witnesses to hope, agents of reconciliation, and bearers of God’s peace in a wounded world.