For the first time since the 16th-century Protestant Reformation, the heads of the Catholic Church and the Church of England will join together in public prayer, marking a watershed moment in the centuries-long relationship between the two historic Christian institutions. On October 22-23, 2025, King Charles III and Queen Camilla will embark on a two-day state visit to the Vatican, culminating in a landmark ecumenical prayer service with Pope Leo XIV in the Sistine Chapel.
According to the Associated Press, this historic event will see King Charles III and Pope Leo XIV praying together beneath Michelangelo’s iconic frescoed ceiling on October 23. The service will focus on the shared commitment to the care of God’s creation—a theme that has become increasingly urgent amid global concerns about climate change and environmental stewardship. The occasion is not only symbolic in its spiritual significance but also a tangible step toward deepening the ties between the two churches, which have been divided for nearly 500 years.
Vatican officials announced that the ecumenical prayer service will be enriched by music from both traditions. The Sistine Chapel Choir will perform alongside England’s Choir of St. George’s Chapel and the Choir of His Majesty’s Chapel Royal, weaving together the musical heritage of both faiths. As reported by the National Catholic Register, Stephen Cottrell, the Anglican Archbishop of York, will participate in the service, presiding alongside Pope Leo XIV. This comes as Bishop Sarah Mullally, recently appointed as the next Archbishop of Canterbury, will not attend, as her formal installation is not scheduled until January 2026.
The significance of this event is further underscored by its historical context. The Anglican split from the Catholic Church in 1534, triggered by King Henry VIII’s break with Rome, led to centuries of estrangement and, at times, outright hostility. While the past decades have seen growing warmth and dialogue—such as the 1966 meeting between Pope Paul VI and Archbishop Michael Ramsey of Canterbury at St. Paul Outside the Walls—many theological differences remain, including the ordination of female priests, which the Catholic Church still prohibits.
Yet, as Monsignor Flavio Pace, secretary of the Vatican’s office for promoting Christian unity, remarked, past joint statements from both churches have affirmed that such differences should not prevent ongoing theological dialogue. The upcoming prayer service is a testament to that commitment. As Pace explained at a Vatican press briefing, "Without establishing a formal role for King Charles and his successors, the title of ‘Royal Confrater’ is to be understood as a gesture of hospitality and ecumenical welcome that bears witness to these historical ties and the progress that has been made since 1966."
The itinerary for King Charles and Queen Camilla’s visit was originally set for April 2025 but was postponed due to the final illness and subsequent death of Pope Francis. The couple did manage a brief visit to the Vatican during their official trip to Italy, greeting the ailing pontiff just weeks before his passing. Now, with Pope Leo XIV at the helm, the rescheduled visit carries both the weight of history and the promise of renewed cooperation.
As detailed by Catholic News Service, the royal couple’s day will begin with a private meeting with Pope Leo XIV in the Apostolic Palace. Later, they will be joined by business leaders and activists in the palace’s Sala Regia for discussions on environmental sustainability and the fight against climate change and pollution—a cause close to King Charles’s heart.
Following their time at the Vatican, King Charles and Queen Camilla will travel to the Papal Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, one of Rome’s four major basilicas and a site with deep historical ties to the English monarchy. There, King Charles will be formally recognized as a "Royal Confrater" during an ecumenical service at the tomb of St. Paul. The honor, approved by Pope Leo XIV and conferred by Cardinal James Michael Harvey and Abbot Donato Ogliari, acknowledges the king’s role as supreme governor of the Church of England and the long-standing connection between English kings and the basilica—a relationship that flourished in the Middle Ages but was interrupted by the Reformation.
A specially commissioned chair, adorned with King Charles’s coat of arms and the Latin verse "Ut unum sint" ("That they may be one") from the Gospel of John, will be installed in the basilica. This chair will remain as a symbol of spiritual fellowship for Charles and his heirs to use during future visits. The basilica’s service will be presided over by Father Donato Ogliari, with participation from Archbishop Stephen Cottrell and the Rev. Rosie Frew, moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. The service will conclude with a hymn set to a text by St. John Henry Newman, the English cardinal and convert from Anglicanism, whom Pope Leo XIV will declare a Doctor of the Church on November 1, 2025.
The presence of Cardinal Vincent Nichols, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, and Archbishop Leo Cushley of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, representing the Catholic bishops of Scotland, further highlights the ecumenical spirit of the occasion. The Rev. Rosie Frew’s participation also signals the inclusion of the Presbyterian tradition, which has played a significant role in the religious life of the United Kingdom.
Throughout the visit, the theme of unity amid diversity will be front and center. While the Catholic and Anglican churches remain divided on key theological issues, both sides have repeatedly emphasized the importance of dialogue and cooperation, especially in addressing shared moral and social concerns. The focus on care for creation is a reflection of both Pope Leo XIV’s and King Charles’s longstanding advocacy for environmental stewardship, and it offers a concrete area for collaboration that transcends doctrinal differences.
As the world watches this unprecedented gathering, many are hopeful that it will not only deepen personal ties between the monarch and the pontiff but also inspire further progress in Catholic-Anglican relations. The symbolic gestures—the shared prayers, the conferral of honorary titles, and the installation of the royal chair—are imbued with meaning, harkening back to a time when English kings were recognized as protectors of the basilica and looking forward to a future of greater unity.
The legacy of Queen Elizabeth II, who made her own historic visit to the Holy See during the 2000 Jubilee and met with three popes during her reign, looms large over her son’s visit. King Charles’s active pursuit of ecumenical engagement reflects both continuity and renewal, as he follows in his mother’s footsteps while charting a new course in an era marked by global challenges and opportunities for reconciliation.
In the end, the Vatican visit of King Charles III and Queen Camilla stands as a powerful reminder that even the deepest historical divides can be bridged by acts of humility, fellowship, and shared purpose. As the prayers rise beneath the Sistine Chapel’s soaring art, the world will witness not just a meeting of leaders, but a renewed commitment to unity in a fractured age.