Britain’s King Charles and Pope Leo XIV participated in a historic joint prayer session at the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel, marking the first time an English monarch and a Catholic pontiff have worshipped together since King Henry VIII’s split from Rome in 1534. The solemn ceremony included Latin chants and English prayers reverberating throughout the chapel, where Leo was elected as the first U.S. pope by the Catholic cardinals amidst Michelangelo’s iconic frescoes depicting Christ’s Last Judgment.
Seated by the Pope’s side near the chapel’s altar, Charles, the supreme governor of the Church of England, joined Leo and Anglican Archbishop Stephen Cottrell in a service accompanied by the Sistine Chapel Choir and two royal choirs. While Charles had met the last three popes and hosted John Paul II and Benedict XVI in Britain, this occasion marked the first time they engaged in shared prayers.
Earlier on the same day, Charles and Queen Camilla held a private meeting with Pope Leo. The visit had initially been planned for an earlier date but was rescheduled due to Pope Francis falling ill and subsequently passing away. Charles had a strong desire to visit the Vatican during the 2025 Holy Year, a significant Christian celebration held once every 25 years. This visit symbolizes a strengthening of bonds between the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion, bridging the gap of their separation over five centuries ago.
Rev. James Hawkey, the canon theologian of Westminster Abbey, described the event as a pivotal moment signifying a healing of historical wounds in the remarkable setting of the Sistine Chapel. Cottrell, standing in for Sarah Mullally, the recently appointed Archbishop of Canterbury, led the service alongside Leo, enhancing the dialogue between the two churches over the past six decades.
Later in the day, King Charles will journey to Rome’s Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, one of Catholicism’s revered churches, where Leo will confer upon him the title of “Royal Confrater” and present him with a specially designated seat in the basilica’s apse. Buckingham Palace also announced two British honors bestowed upon Leo by Charles as a gesture of mutual commitment between the Churches.
The split between the Catholic Church and the Church of England, formalized in 1534 due to King Henry VIII’s marital dispute with Pope Clement VII, led to the establishment of the Anglican Communion as a separate entity. Despite theological differences, both churches have made strides in fostering closer relations since the 1960s, culminating in this historic moment of unity at the Vatican.