King Charles III to Pray with Pope — First in 500 Years

Vatican City, Wednesday — King Charles III is set to embark on a historic state visit to the Vatican, where he will meet Pope Leo XIV and become the first head of the Church of England to pray publicly with a pontiff since the 16th-century schism that split the Anglican and Catholic Churches.

According to Buckingham Palace, the visit represents “a significant moment in relations between the Catholic Church and the Church of England, of which His Majesty is Supreme Governor.”

Charles and Queen Camilla will meet Pope Leo XIV for the first time since his election in May 2025, following the death of Pope Francis.

The highlight of the visit will occur on Thursday, when the King and the Pope will pray together in the Sistine Chapel — beneath Michelangelo’s magnificent frescoed ceiling — marking the first such shared act of worship since Henry VIII severed ties with Rome in the 1530s after the Pope’s refusal to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon.

The two-day programme includes an ecumenical service that will bring together Catholic and Anglican choirs, with music provided jointly by the Sistine Chapel Choir and Saint George’s Chapel Choir, Windsor Castle.

The service’s principal theme — “Conservation and Protecting the Environment” — reflects the King’s long-standing global advocacy for environmental sustainability and climate responsibility.

During the visit, the King will also be formally appointed as a “Royal Confrater” of the Abbey adjoining the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls — a symbolic title underscoring a “spiritual communion” between the two Churches. A special seat for Charles III will be installed and preserved for future British monarchs.

Professor William Gibson, a theologian at Oxford Brookes University, described the occasion as: “A historic event principally because the King is Supreme Governor of the Church of England and required by law to be a Protestant. For centuries, such an encounter was unthinkable.”

The Vatican visit coincides with preparations for the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year, celebrated every 25 years, drawing millions of pilgrims from around the world.

The visit also comes amid challenging personal and political circumstances for the monarch.

Recent revelations surrounding Prince Andrew and the late Jeffrey Epstein have resurfaced, particularly following the publication of Virginia Giuffre’s posthumous memoir, which includes new allegations.

Andrew, who has already stepped back from royal duties, announced last Friday that he would relinquish his title as Duke of York, reportedly at the urging of King Charles.

Meanwhile, the 76-year-old King continues to undergo cancer treatment, publicly revealed in early 2024.

As King Charles and Pope Leo XIV prepare to stand side by side in prayer, the encounter symbolises more than a gesture of faith — it represents a reconciliation between two historic traditions, and a renewed commitment to global unity, compassion, and environmental preservation.

In the words of Buckingham Palace, the occasion embodies “a message of shared humanity, common purpose, and enduring hope.”