Return to Tradition says Pope Leo accepted a blessing from the Archbishop of Canterbury. The record shows a shared prayer he led
Anthony Stine says Pope Leo XIV “accepted a blessing” from Archbishop Sarah Mullally. Accounts of their April meeting describe a moment of prayer that the Pope presided over, ending with a prayer said together; none reports her blessing him. His point about Leo XIII and Anglican orders is accurate.
By TradWatch™ staff
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Verdicts at a glance
- Unsupported
Pope Leo XIV accepted a blessing from Archbishop Sarah Mullally. · Anthony Stine
- Accurate
Leo XIII declared Anglican orders null and void. · Anthony Stine
In this brief · 7 sections
In a Return to Tradition episode published on 15 October 2026 about a split in the Anglican Communion, Anthony Stine says Pope Leo XIV accepted a blessing from the Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, during her visit to the Vatican. The two met on 27 April 2026.
What was said
Statement 1: Anthony Stine
Return to Tradition · October 15, 2026
he accepted a blessing from her and treated her as if her office was valid
In brief: Pope Leo XIV accepted a blessing from Archbishop Sarah Mullally.
Our verdict: UnsupportedNo evidence was offered, and we found none to support it.
See the recordThis content is embedded for purposes of commentary, criticism, and news reporting. TradWatch is not affiliated with Return to Tradition. Views quoted are those of the speaker.
Statement 2: Anthony Stine
Return to Tradition · October 15, 2026
The Anglican Holy Orders have been generally considered null and utterly void ever since Leo XIII declared them as such
In brief: Leo XIII declared Anglican orders null and void.
Our verdict: AccurateThe record supports the claim as stated.
See the recordThis content is embedded for purposes of commentary, criticism, and news reporting. TradWatch is not affiliated with Return to Tradition. Views quoted are those of the speaker.
Context
Most of the episode reports the GAFCON movement’s new structure in Abuja and Stine’s view that it is a real schism, unlike the SSPX’s position. Those parts are commentary and are not rated here.
The record
What the sources show, statement by statement.
Verifiable factcan be checked against the sources cited.TradWatch analysisis our interpretation, clearly labelled.Statement 1 · Anthony Stine
Pope Leo XIV accepted a blessing from Archbishop Sarah Mullally.
Verifiable fact What the accounts of the meeting say
Vatican News reports that the Pope received the Archbishop in audience on 27 April 2026 and “prayed with her in the Urban VIII Chapel” (Vatican News). According to the Associated Press, the Vatican called it a “moment of prayer”, and the Archbishop’s office said Leo presided but that they both “said the grace together” (AP via PBS). Neither account says that the Archbishop blessed the Pope.
TradWatch analysis Praying together is not receiving a blessing
“The grace” is the short prayer from 2 Corinthians 13:14 often said together at the end of Anglican and ecumenical worship. Saying it together with the Pope presiding is different from the Pope receiving a blessing from her. Whether the joint prayer itself was appropriate is a fair debate; the claim that he accepted her blessing is not supported by the published accounts.
Statement 2 · Anthony Stine
Leo XIII declared Anglican orders null and void.
Verifiable fact Apostolicae Curae (1896)
Leo XIII declared “that ordinations carried out according to the Anglican rite have been, and are, absolutely null and utterly void” (Apostolicae Curae, n. 36, text).
Source
- 4
Official Church source
Apostolicae Curae: on the nullity of Anglican orders
Leo XIII (Papal Encyclicals Online) · September 13, 1896
- 4
Bottom line
Stine’s point about Leo XIII is accurate. But the published accounts of the April meeting describe a prayer Pope Leo presided over, ending with the grace said together; none reports him receiving the Archbishop’s blessing.
The original
This content is embedded for purposes of commentary, criticism, and news reporting. TradWatch is not affiliated with Return to Tradition. Views quoted are those of the speaker.
Open on YouTubeSources
- 1.Primary sourceCited in statement 1
Synodality! The Anglican Church Goes Into Schism With Itself
Return to Tradition · October 15, 2026
podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/anthony-stine/episodes/Synodality--The-Anglican…
- 2.Official Church sourceCited in statement 1
Pope: Anglicans and Catholics must continue working to overcome differences
Vatican News · April 27, 2026
vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-04/pope-leo-xiv-audience-archbishop-sarah-mull…
- 4.Official Church sourceCited in statement 2
Apostolicae Curae: on the nullity of Anglican orders
Leo XIII (Papal Encyclicals Online) · September 13, 1896
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