- Charles and Pope Leo XIV joined in an ecumenical service
- Pope Leo named King Charles a “Royal Confrater” of St. Paul’s
- a significant step in healing the divide dating back to 1534
During a historic visit to the Vatican, King Charles III became the first British monarch in five centuries to pray publicly with a pope, marking a powerful moment in Anglican-Catholic relations.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that the event took place beneath Michelangelo’s celebrated Sistine Chapel ceiling, where Charles and Pope Leo XIV joined in an ecumenical service dedicated to the care of creation—a cause long championed by both leaders.
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The ceremony, co-led by the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, reflected a deepening spirit of unity between the two Christian traditions.
The King and Queen arrived in Rome to mark the Vatican’s holy Jubilee year, their first meeting with Pope Leo since his election in May.
Both sides view the occasion as a significant step in healing the divide dating back to 1534, when Henry VIII severed ties with Rome and founded the Church of England.
Reverend Martin Browne of the Vatican’s department for Promoting Christian Unity emphasized that this was the first royal visit with a truly ecumenical focus, uniting both faiths in shared worship within the Apostolic Palace—a gesture unseen since before the Reformation.
Later, the royal couple attended another service at the Basilica of St. Paul’s Outside the Walls, historically linked to the English Crown.
In recognition of their visit, Pope Leo named King Charles a “Royal Confrater” of St. Paul’s and commissioned a ceremonial chair engraved with the royal coat of arms and the Latin motto Ut unum sint (“That they may be one”). Mutual honors were exchanged, with the Pope receiving knighthood in the Order of the Bath.
The visit concluded with engagements highlighting education and interfaith cooperation, underscoring the modern warmth between Britain and the Holy See—relations fully restored since 1982.
As historians noted, the visit symbolizes growing goodwill and shared purpose between two once-divided Christian communities.
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