When a Pope dies, much of the work of the Roman Curia pauses. The Curia is the administrative and bureaucratic apparatus that supports the Pope’s ministry. When a Pope dies, things go into a holding pattern and only routine work is done pending the election of his successor. For some Curia departments – called ‘Dicasteries’ – it is a calm and quiet time. However, this was not so where I work, the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity. Being the Vatican office responsible for relations with other Christian churches, we were anything but idle, as we communicated with the many ecumenical partners who wished to express their sympathies on the death of Pope Francis. Many of them also came to his funeral. It was similarly busy a few weeks later, as ecumenical colleagues responded to the election of Pope Leo XIV. For this too, many of them came for the liturgical celebration in Rome.
In the midst of all the emotion surrounding the passing of Pope Francis and the election of Pope Leo, the interest and solidarity of the leaders of so many of our ecumenical partners was profoundly moving. Almost every major strand of Christianity was represented at the funeral of Pope Francis. Guests, including the Ecumenical Patriarch, came from fifteen Eastern Orthodox patriarchates or churches, and from eight Oriental Orthodox churches – including the heads of the Syrian Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic Churches and the Assyrian Church of the East. From the Western confessions, there were delegations from the international Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Reformed, Methodist and Salvation Army bodies, as well as representatives of multilateral organisations like the World Council of Churches and the Global Christian Forum. All of these churches and communions were present again for Pope Leo’s inauguration, along with delegations from the international representative bodies of the Baptist, Disciples of Christ, Pentecostal, Mennonite, Moravian and Quaker traditions and the World Evangelical Alliance.
Since my first draft of this reflection, another memorable visit to Rome has taken place – that of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla. The number of heads of state and government who have had meetings with Pope Leo since his election is quite staggering, but this visit had additional significance, since the King is Supreme Governor of the Church of England. The Pope and the King shared in an act of worship, and later, an ancient link between the Crown and the Basilica of St Paul outside the Walls was revived, when the King was welcomed as a Royal Confrater (a brother). Neither the King nor the Pope made any speeches during the visit. They didn’t need to. The visit spoke for itself.
The role and authority of the Bishop of Rome have long been points of division between the Catholic Church and the other Christian traditions. Nevertheless, this year, in God’s providence, we have seen how Christians were united in mourning Pope Francis and in praying for Pope Leo: In doing so, they bore witness to a unity in the Gospel that transcends those differences. Their coming, just like the royal visit, underlined how significant the office of Pope is, not just for Catholics, but for all Christians. We know that our guests did not come to Rome in order to make statements about primacy or jurisdiction. The King is very clear about the commitments he undertook in his accession and coronation oaths. Nevertheless, their presence showed what a blessing the ministry of a universal pastor can be for all Christians. We need to continue praying in the words of Pope John Paul II: ‘I insistently pray the Holy Spirit to shine his light upon us, enlightening all the pastors and theologians of our Churches, that we may seek—together, of course—the forms in which this ministry may accomplish a service of love recognized by all concerned’ [Ut unum sint, §95].
Fr Martin Browne is a Benedictine monk of Glenstal Abbey in Ireland. He studied History and Political Science at Trinity College Dublin, and Theology at Durham University. Since 2022, he has been an official of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, in Rome. He has particular responsibility for relations with the Anglican Communion, the World Methodist Council and the Salvation Army.
Pope Leo XIV, Archbishop Stephen Cottrell and Fr Martin Browne. Photo credit: Vatican Media