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King Charles III and Pope Leo XIV Share First Public Prayer Since the Reformation

The ecumenical outreach centered on joint commitments to environmental stewardship, marked by reciprocal honors that signal deepening Anglican–Catholic ties.

Overview

  • Vatican Media broadcast a 30‑minute service in the Sistine Chapel that blended Catholic and Anglican liturgy with a focus on care for creation.
  • Before the ceremony, Charles and Queen Camilla met Leo XIV in a private audience lasting about 45–50 minutes, with Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell serving as the senior Anglican cleric at the rite.
  • Following the prayer, the Pope and the King moved to the Sala Regia to engage climate and business leaders connected to Charles’s Sustainable Markets Initiative.
  • At St Paul Outside the Walls, Charles was installed as Royal Confrater and received a permanent seat bearing his arms, while Leo XIV accepted honorary membership of Windsor’s St George’s Chapel and the parties exchanged Vatican honors including the Order of Pius IX.
  • Coverage notes the symbolic diplomacy comes as the monarchy seeks to emphasize its institutional role during ongoing scrutiny related to Prince Andrew.