King Charles III and Queen Camilla joined Pope Leo XIV in the Sistine Chapel for Midday Prayer as part of their official state visit to the Vatican – marking a historic moment in Anglican-Catholic relations.
After a meeting in the Apostolic Palace earlier in the morning, Pope Leo XIV, King Charles III and Queen Camilla of England gathered together for an ecumenical prayer service in the Sistine Chapel. They were joined by the Most Reverend Stephen Cottrell, the 98th Archbishop of York and the Primate of England – the second-most senior bishop in the Church of England.
The Pope and Archbishop led a midday prayer comprising psalms and a Gospel reading. Michaelangelo’s frescoed chapel was filled with a number of ecumenical guests, including the Archbishop of Westminster and President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, and the Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, Leo Cushley, representing the Scottish episcopate.
This visit marked a historic moment in Anglican-Catholic relations-one that has not occurred in 500 years. Two themes marked the journey: Christian unity and care for the environment.
Independent Catholic News (2025). “King Charles prays with Pope at ecumenical prayer service in Sistine Chapel + video.”: https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/53534
Post expires on November 30th, 2025
