Archbishop of Canterbury expresses solidarity with Pope Leo XIV in calling for peace in Iran

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LONDON (AP) — The Archbishop of Canterbury on Thursday expressed solidarity with Pope Leo XIV in calling for peace in the Middle East.

Archbishop Sarah Mullally, who assumed her role as head of the Church of England in January, said she stood with the pope in his “courageous call for peace.” Leo’s comments have drawn the ire of U.S. President Donald Trump, who last weekend criticized the pope for being “terrible for foreign policy.”

“As innocent people are killed and displaced, families torn apart, and futures destroyed, the human cost of war is incalculable,” Mullally said in a statement. “It is the calling of every Christian – and of all people of faith and goodwill – to work and pray for peace.”

Though she didn’t mention Trump by name, Mullally said that Christians must “urge all those entrusted with political authority to pursue every possible peaceful and just means of resolving conflict.’’

In addition to heading the Church of England, the Archbishop of Canterbury is the spiritual leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The communion is an association of Christian churches, including the Episcopal Church in the United States, that together have more than 100 million members.