Pope Prays With a British Monarch for the First Time in 500 Years.
Pope Leo XIV and King Charles III prayed together at the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican marking it the first time in nearly 500 years that a reigning British monarch has joined a pope in prayer.
The joint prayer, which took place on Thursday, October 23, 2025, was part of King Charles’s state visit to the Vatican City. The service blended Latin chants and English prayers, symbolizing a spirit of unity between the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England.
However, this meeting holds deep historical significance. The last time such an encounter occurred was before King Henry VIII’s break from Rome in 1534, an event that led to the creation of the Church of England and centuries of religious division.
During the visit, King Charles was honored as a “Royal Confrater” of the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, while Pope Leo received honorary British distinctions, including being named a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath. A special chair bearing the King’s coat of arms and the Latin motto “Ut unum sint” which means (“That they may be one”) was also placed in the basilica a symbol of continued friendship and dialogue between the two churches.
In a deep reflection of unity, the meeting has been widely praised as a powerful gesture of reconciliation and unity, though it also sparked some debate among conservative Anglican groups in the UK who felt the act blurred religious boundaries.
But this was seen by many as a hopeful step toward healing old divisions and promoting mutual respect between two faith traditions that share much in common.
PHOTO CREDIT: VATICAN NEWS.