King Charles and Pope Leo to Pray Together in Historic Vatican Visit

Next week, history will be made inside the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel. King Charles and Pope Leo XIV are set to pray together in a joint service — something no British monarch and pope have done publicly since the Reformation nearly 500 years ago.

The moment will take place during a two-day state visit by King Charles and Queen Camilla on October 22nd and 23rd, marking a major step forward in relations between the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church.

Held under Michelangelo’s famous ceiling, the ecumenical service in the Sistine Chapel will bring together clergy and choirs from both churches. The theme of the service, “Care for Creation,” reflects a shared concern for the environment — a cause both the King and Pope are passionate about.

“This will be the first state visit, since the Reformation, where the pope and the monarch will pray together in an ecumenical service in the Sistine Chapel,” said a Buckingham Palace spokesperson, adding that it was a “significant moment” in Christian unity.

The visit is packed with symbolic gestures. In another historic first, King Charles will become a “royal confrater” of the Papal Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls — a spiritual title that honours centuries-old ties between the English crown and the basilica. Kings as far back as Offa and Æthelwulf once supported the church, which holds the tomb of St Paul.

To mark the new title, a custom seat bearing the King’s coat of arms has been placed in the basilica. The King will use it during the service and it will remain there permanently for him and his successors.

According to a Church of England spokesperson, the title carries no constitutional or ecclesiastical changes to the King’s role as Supreme Governor of the Church of England. “It is a tribute to his majesty and to his own work over many decades to find common ground between faiths and to bring people together.”

The royal visit comes during the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year, themed “Pilgrims of Hope,” and was originally planned earlier this year but postponed due to the ill health of Pope Francis. Charles and Camilla had a private meeting with Pope Francis in April, one of the last before his death.

Pope Leo and King Charles are said to have been closely involved in shaping the visit and choosing its themes. In addition to the ecumenical services, both leaders will participate in meetings focused on sustainability and the environment.

The UK Foreign Office noted the wider importance of the visit, calling the Holy See “a crucial and influential global partner.” A spokesperson added, “At a time of growing instability and conflict, the UK’s relationship with the Holy See is more important than ever.”

Queen Elizabeth II was the first British monarch to visit the Vatican since the Reformation when she made an official trip in 1961. But even then, she didn’t pray alongside the Pope. Now, with King Charles and Pope Leo XIV coming together in prayer, centuries of religious division give way — at least symbolically — to unity, dialogue, and a shared hope for the future.