Francis closed his homily encouraging both Catholics and Anglicans to work together "to become ever more faithful disciples of Jesus, always more liberated from our respective prejudices from the past and ever more desirous to pray for and with others."
After his homily, Pope Francis took three questions from the congregation on the state of Catholic-Anglican relations today, his approach to relations versus that of his direct predecessor Benedict XVI and what Catholics and Anglicans can learn from the "creativity" of Churches in the global south, specifically Africa and Asia.
In his answer to the first question, the Pope noted that despite a turbulent past, relations between Catholics and Anglicans today "are good. We see each other as brothers." He added that monasteries and the communion of Saints are two particular "strengths" the Churches have in common.
He also stressed the importance of not taking certain moments of history out of context and using them as ammo to damage current relations, saying "a historic fact must be read in the hermeneutic of that moment, not in another hermeneutic."
In the second question it was asked if Pope Francis, by emphasizing a strategy of "walking and working" together toward unity was perhaps the opposite of Benedict XVI, who at one point warned that collaboration in social action shouldn't take priority over theological matters.
Francis responded to the question with a joke told to him by Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople, that while the different Churches work together on other things, the theologians "can go to an island" and have their discussions there.
Theological questions are important, he said, noting that there are "many things in which we still don't agree."
But having this discussion "can't be done in a laboratory, it has to be done walking," he said, explaining that "we are on a journey."
It's important to have these theological discussions, "but in the meantime we help each other" though acts of charity such as serving the poor, migrants and refugees, he said, adding that "you can't have ecumenical dialogue that is stopped...you have to do it walking."
When responding to the third question, Pope Francis noted that "young Churches" in Africa and Asia do have "a different vitality because they are different and they look for ways to express themselves differently."
However, the "older Churches" in European countries, also have their own benefits, he said, noting that they have had time to "mature" and deepen in many things, including theological and ecumenical questions.
The Pope acknowledged that young Churches "have more creativity," just as the European Church did when it began, and said there is "a strong need" for the two – old and young – to collaborate together.
As an example, he revealed that he is considering a trip to South Sudan sometime this year, and explained that the idea came from a recent visit the heads of three major Christian churches in the country to Rome.
In October Archbishop Paulino Luduku Loro of the Catholic Archdiocese of Juba traveled to Rome alongside ev. Daniel Deng Bul Yak, Archbishop of the Province of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan and Sudan, and Rev. Peter Gai Lual Marrow, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of South Sudan, to explain the dire situation of their country, and their joint collaboration in working to quell the effects of the crisis.
Pope Francis noted that during his Oct. 27, 2016, meeting with the three, they invited him to come, but told him "don't do it alone," and requested that he make the trip alongside the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, Primate of the Anglican Communion.
He said the trip hasn't been confirmed since situation on the ground is so risky, but assured that it's "being studied," because each of the Churches there "have the will to work for peace" together.
The Pope ended his answer to the question with the suggestion that, given the benefits of both the "old" and "young" Churches throughout the world, there be an exchange set up where priests from Europe travel to the "younger Churches" for a pastoral experience, rather than it always being the other way around.
"It would do us well," he said, "You learn a lot."
Elise Harris was senior Rome correspondent for CNA from 2012 to 2018.