Archbishop Sarah Mullally stands ‘in solidarity’ with Pope Leo as she prepares to visit him in Rome

She spoke out as Pope Leo in Cameroon doubled down on his criticisms of war and violence, stating that the world was being ‘ravaged by a handful of tyrants’.

Speaking in Bamenda, an English-speaking city in north-west Cameroon, a nation which is itself being torn apart by ongoing violence, he warned against people who “manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth”.

The “masters of war” pretend not to acknowledge that “it only takes a moment to destroy, yet often a lifetime is not enough to rebuild”, Pope Leo said, attacking those in power who turn a blind eye to the billions of dollars spent on killing and devastation while “resources needed for healing, education and restoration are nowhere to be found”.

The world is “being ravaged by a handful of tyrants, yet it is held together by a multitude of supportive brothers and sisters”, the Pope said.

He was speaking as US President Donald Trump’s attack on Pope Leo, and his posting an AI image of himself that looked as if he was trying to be a Jesus figure, appear to have crossed a line, with many of his own conservative supporters suggesting he had on this occasion gone too far.

The Archbishop of Canterbury pledged her support for Pope Leo and urged Anglicans worldwide to join with him and raise their voices “for peace and justice”.

Archbishop Mullally said, “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.”

Prayer is not an escape from the world, nor a turning away from injustice, she added. Rather, it is a turning towards God, 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 neighbour as ourselves, especially the neighbour who suffers, who is displaced, who lives in fear, and who longs for peace.”

Time spent with other Anglican primates from across the Anglican Communion at her recent installation was a reminder of how many conflicts there are still ongoing, many of which do not make international headlines.

“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’.”

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