The Catholic Church and Church of England, divided for centuries over issues that now include the ordination of female priests, will take a historic step on the path to unity next week when Britain’s King Charles and Pope Leo pray together in the Sistine Chapel, officials said Friday.
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The October 23 ecumenical prayer service, drawing on the shared concern for care of God’s creation, marks the first time since the Reformation that the heads of the two Christian churches pray together.
Buckingham Palace and Vatican officials on Friday announced details of the two-day trip that Charles and Queen Camilla will undertake on October 22-23, a visit that was scheduled for April but was postponed after Pope Francis’ final illness, shortly before his death.
Charles, who is titular head of the Church of England, strongly wanted to visit the Vatican during the 2025 Holy Year, a once-every-quarter century celebration of Christianity.
In doing so, he is following in the footsteps of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth, who visited during the 2000 Jubilee, said Monsignor Flavio Pace, secretary of the Vatican’s office for promoting Christian unity.
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During the visit, Charles will be given a formal new title and recognition at a pontifical basilica that has strong, traditional ties to the Church of England, St Paul’s Outside the Walls.
The title “Royal Confrater”, is a sign of spiritual fellowship and will be given to Charles along with a special chair decorated with his coat of arms that will remain in the basilica for Charles and his heirs to use, officials said.