The Revd Timothy Meadows, Moderator of the General Assembly of the United Reformed Church (URC), has offered greetings and prayers to Pope Leo XIV, following his election as Pope.
In an official message, Revd Meadows said: “On behalf of the General Assembly of the United Reformed Church, I extend our warmest greetings to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, and assure His Holiness, along with our Catholic sisters and brothers, of our continued prayers and support at this significant juncture in the life of the Church world-wide.
“The United Reformed Church joins with His Holiness in the call to peace and in the sacred endeavour to build bridges of compassion and justice.”
Pope Leo XIV’s election as the 267th pontiff has drawn attention from Christian leaders around the world, many of whom have echoed calls for unity and peace in the Church and wider society. The Pope’s early remarks have highlighted the importance of reconciliation and collaboration across Christian traditions.
In March, pilgrims from the URC travelled to Rome to share resources on inter-church collaboration with the Roman Catholic church.
The URC's prayer reads:
"Eternal One,
whose limitless love reaches all humanity,
bless Pope Leo in his new role,
grant him wisdom and patience as he takes up the heavy burden of office,
strengthen him in his ministry of encouragement and oversight,
that we may all be Jesus’ disciples in a world desperately needing Your light,
and signs of hope that evil will not have the last word.
Amen."