May 14, 2025 from the Office of Public Affairs
A delegation of leaders from the Anglican Communion—including Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe—will attend the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV on May 18 in St. Peter’s Square in Rome, Italy.
Anglican delegation will be led by the Most Rev. Leonard Dawea, the archbishop of the Anglican Church of Melanesia. In addition to Bishop Rowe, other primates will include the Most Rev. and Rt. Hon. Stephen Cottrell, archbishop of York and primate of England; the Most Rev. John McDowell, primate of the Church of All Ireland; and the Most Rev. Thabo Makgoba, archbishop of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa.
The Anglican Communion consists of 42 member churches in more than 165 countries, supported by the “Instruments of Communion,” which help to articulate and sustain the faith, order, and shared mission of Anglicans, in collaboration with all Christians.
The delegation will seek to represent the prayers and support of Anglicans around the world as Pope Leo is inaugurated. The delegation will embody the commitment of the Anglican Communion to walk in friendship and partnership with the Catholic Church.
The Anglican Centre in Rome is the permanent Anglican Communion presence in Rome. It embodies the Anglican Communion’s commitment to the full visible unity of the church, with a particular focus on building relationships with the Roman Catholic Church.