Vatican City: In an unprecedented act of faith and reconciliation, King Charles III will join Pope Leo XIV in a public prayer during his upcoming state visit to the Vatican, marking the first time a pope and a British monarch have prayed together openly since the Reformation. The ecumenical service, dedicated to the care of creation, will take place in the Sistine Chapel on October 23, with Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell co-leading the liturgy alongside the pontiff. Queen Camilla will also attend the service.
Later that afternoon, the royal couple will visit the Basilica and Abbey of St Paul Outside the Walls, where Cardinal James Harvey, the basilica’s archpriest, and Abbot Donato Ogliari OSB will formally induct King Charles as a “royal confrater of St Paul.” This honor carries deep historical resonance, as Anglo-Saxon kings contributed to the basilica’s upkeep in the 8th and 9th centuries, and subsequent English monarchs have served as protectors of the abbey, which retains the insignia of the Order of the Garter in the abbot’s coat of arms.
A chair specially crafted for the induction ceremony, adorned with the King’s coat of arms and inscribed with the biblical motto Ut unum sint (“That they all may be one,” John 17:21), will remain in the basilica for use by King Charles and his successors. “It is a sign of honour and spiritual communion,” said Archbishop Flavio Pace, secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity. He described the visit as “a historic moment in the journey of reconciliation between our Churches.”
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson emphasized the historic significance: “This is the first state visit since the Reformation where the Pope and the British monarch will pray together in an ecumenical service in the Sistine Chapel. It also marks the first time a reigning monarch will attend a service at St Paul’s Outside the Walls, a church with enduring links to the English crown.”
The Church of England clarified that the title of “confrater” imposes no duties or constitutional changes on the King but serves as a tribute to his long-standing efforts to foster interfaith dialogue and unity.
The Sistine Chapel liturgy, reportedly arranged at the King’s request, coincides with the tenth anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato si’. Music for the service will feature contributions from the Sistine Chapel Choir, along with choristers from the Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace and St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. Highlights will include a hymn by St Ambrose of Milan, sung in a translation by St John Henry Newman, whom Pope Leo will formally declare a Doctor of the Church on November 1.
Following the prayer service, Pope Leo XIV and King Charles III will convene privately with leaders in the Church, business, and political spheres to discuss collaborative responses to the climate crisis, including members of the Laudato Si’ Movement. “This meeting underscores the strong relationship between the Catholic and Anglican Churches on environmental issues,” noted Sr. Alessandra Smerilli, secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.
Originally scheduled for April, the state visit was postponed due to Pope Francis’ illness, during which the King and Queen held a private meeting with the late pontiff in Italy. The upcoming visit now promises a historic moment of unity and reflection, reaffirming shared commitments to spiritual dialogue and care for creation.