**King Charles III and Queen Camilla Pray with Pope Leo XIV in Historic Vatican Visit to Strengthen Anglican-Catholic Ties**
*Vatican City (AP)* — Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla joined Pope Leo XIV for an ecumenical prayer service Thursday at the Vatican, marking a historic step toward closer relations between the Church of England and the Catholic Church. The visit offered a much-needed spiritual respite for the royals amid the ongoing fallout from the Epstein sex scandal in the UK.
Seated on golden thrones atop the raised altar of the Sistine Chapel, in front of Michelangelo’s famous “Last Judgment,” Charles—titular head of the Church of England—and Camilla participated in the service presided over by Pope Leo and the Anglican Archbishop of York, the Most Reverend Stephen Cottrell.
This was the first time since the Reformation that the leaders of these two Christian churches, divided for centuries over theological and social issues—including the ordination of female priests—have prayed together. The accompanying music showcased a shared Anglican and Catholic heritage, with hymns performed by the Sistine Chapel Choir alongside visiting choirs from St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, and the Chapel Royal of St. James’s Palace.
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### Visit Amid Royal Turmoil
The royal visit comes as Prince Andrew faces renewed public scrutiny over his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The scandal resurfaced this week following the release of a memoir by Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre. Though the 65-year-old prince has announced he will cease using his titles, including Duke of York, he continues to vigorously deny the allegations against him.
Pressure has mounted on Buckingham Palace and the UK government to formally revoke Andrew’s dukedom and princely title, as well as to evict him from his 30-room Windsor mansion.
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### A Delayed but Momentous Visit
Charles and Camilla’s Vatican visit was originally planned earlier in the year but postponed due to Pope Francis’ illness and subsequent passing. The King was keen to make the journey during the 2025 Holy Year—a once-a-quarter-century celebration of Christianity.
The visit symbolizes an effort to strengthen ties between the two churches, which split in 1534 when King Henry VIII broke from the Catholic Church over a denied marriage annulment. While papal efforts over recent decades have warmed relations with the Church of England and the wider Anglican Communion, divisions remain.
Thursday’s Sistine Chapel service marked a hopeful new chapter, featuring readings and prayers emphasizing God the Creator as a unifying theme.
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### Exchange of Titles at St. Paul’s Outside the Walls
Later on Thursday, King Charles was formally bestowed the title of “Royal Confrater” at the pontifical basilica of St. Paul’s Outside the Walls—a site with strong historical ties to the Church of England. In a reciprocal gesture, Pope Leo was named “Papal Confrater of St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.”
At the basilica, Charles was presented with a special chair inscribed with his coat of arms and the Latin phrase *“Ut Unum Sint”* (“That they may be one”), the motto advocating Christian unity. This chair will remain at the basilica for use by Charles and his heirs.
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### Endorsements and Reflections
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, remarked that the King’s visit builds upon the foundation laid by Queen Elizabeth II, who traveled to Rome six times during her reign, including the 2000 Holy Year.
“Pope Leo and King Charles coming together before God in prayer exemplifies genuine and profound cooperation,” Cardinal Nichols said. He also highlighted Charles’ constitutional role as Supreme Governor of the Church of England and his dedication to protecting religious freedom throughout his kingdom.
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### Leadership Changes and Anglican Communion Strains
The visit occurred shortly after the election of Sarah Mullally as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury. Mullally did not attend the Vatican service since she has yet to be formally installed as the Church of England’s spiritual leader. The Archbishop of York represented the Anglican Communion at the event in her stead.
However, Mullally’s appointment has intensified longstanding divisions within the global Anglican Communion, which encompasses more than 85 million members across 165 countries. The archbishop of Canterbury is considered “first among equals” among Anglican bishops worldwide.
A conservative group of Anglican primates, primarily from Africa, has announced its rejection of longstanding bureaucratic ties within the Anglican Communion. The Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (GAFCON) is establishing a parallel structure it claims represents a reordered form of historic Anglicanism.
GAFCON’s statements have criticized the progressive stances on LGBTQ issues adopted by parts of the Anglican Communion, including the Church of England and the Episcopal Church in the United States. The group also opposed Mullally’s appointment, asserting that episcopal leadership should be limited to men and characterizing her leadership as a critical fracture point for Anglican unity.
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King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s historic Vatican visit signals a hopeful moment of prayerful unity amid complex religious and political challenges both within the UK and worldwide Anglicanism. The path toward greater reconciliation between the Anglican and Catholic Churches remains a work in progress, but Thursday’s event represents significant progress centuries in the making.
https://whdh.com/news/british-royals-pray-with-pope-in-historic-step-for-churches-and-welcome-respite-from-epstein-scandal/