Pope Leo XIV welcomed King Charles III and Queen Camilla to the Vatican yesterday for a unique visit combining ceremonial flourishes and a historic moment of prayer in the Sistine Chapel. Source: CNS.
According to Buckingham Palace, it was the first time since the Reformation in the early 16th century that the Pope and a British monarch prayed together at an ecumenical service at the Vatican.
From the moment the royal couple arrived yesterday in the San Damaso Courtyard of the Apostolic Palace, the high formality of the official visit was clear as a larger-than-usual contingent of Swiss Guards welcomed the king and queen, and the Vatican police band played the Vatican anthem and God Save the King, the British national anthem.
After a private meeting, Pope Leo and King Charles exchanged gifts: a mosaic of Christ for the king and an icon of St Edward the Confessor for the Pope. They also gave each other framed, autographed photos of themselves.
The two also exchanged top honours.
King Charles conferred on Pope Leo the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath, which traditionally is given to heads of state and the Pope conferred on the King the Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Vatican Order of Pope Pius IX.
Pope Leo made Queen Camilla a dame of the same order.
Their majesties originally had planned to make the visit in April in conjunction with a formal state visit to Italy. While the Italian portion of their trip went ahead as scheduled, they only went to the Vatican briefly to greet Pope Francis, who died a few weeks later.
After the private meeting and exchange of gifts, Pope Leo and Anglican Archbishop Stephen Cottrell of York, the ranking prelate of the Church of England, led midday prayer in the Sistine Chapel with a focus on “care for creation”.
Pope Leo and Archbishop Cottrell sat in front of the altar under Michelangelo’s Last Judgment during the prayer service, while the king and queen sat slightly to one side.
Briefing reporters about the visit, Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity secretary Archbishop Flavio Pace said the moments of prayer and the exchange of honours were clear signs of the progress made in Catholic-Anglican relations since the 1960s.
FULL STORY
Pope, British king share historic prayer in Sistine Chapel (By Cindy Wooden, CNS)
RELATED COVERAGE
King Charles attends ecumenical prayer service in Sistine Chapel (Vatican Media)
King Charles III and Pope Leo XIV pray together for ‘care of creation’ (The Tablet)
