A Moment to Change History
The Reformation is Dead: You Won't Believe Where the King and Pope Just Prayed Together
In a landmark reconciliation, King Charles III and Pope Leo XIV prayed together in the Sistine Chapel, marking the first such meeting since the Protestant Reformation 500 years ago.
King Charles III, Supreme Governor of England, and Pope Leo XIV, head of the Roman Catholic Church, today made history by praying together publicly in the Sistine Chapel, completing a symbolic act of reconciliation that formally closes a rift stretching back nearly 500 years to the Protestant Reformation.
The joint prayer was the centerpiece of the King's state visit to the Holy See on Thursday, a moment hailed by both Buckingham Palace and the Vatican as a "landmark" in ecumenical relations between the two global Christian faiths.
The Five-Century Divide Transcended
The King's participation in the solemn ecumenical service marks the first time since the 16th-century schism, triggered by King Henry VIII’s split from Rome, that a reigning British monarch has joined a Pontiff in public worship.
The ceremony, held beneath Michelangelo’s iconic frescoes, featured a joint choir performance by the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel Choir and choristers from St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, visually and audibly symbolizing the new era of Christian unity.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson framed the visit as a vital demonstration of solidarity:
“At times of such global challenge, it has seldom been more important for Christian communities around the world to unite in faith and in fellowship... This provides a bulwark against those promoting conflict, division and tyranny.”
Shared Purpose: Climate and Creation
The service itself was dedicated to the theme of “Care for Creation,” reflecting a shared commitment between the two leaders on environmental sustainability. This focus provides a practical common ground beyond theological differences, emphasizing the King's long-standing environmental advocacy and aligning with the Pope's call for integral ecology.
Earlier in the day, King Charles and Queen Camilla were received by a ceremonial guard of honor by the Swiss Guard before a private audience with Pope Leo XIV in the Apostolic Palace, marking their first meeting with the American-born Pontiff since his election in May.
King Receives Historic Title
Later in the afternoon, the King cemented the visit’s ecumenical theme by attending a service at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls. There, he was formally conferred the title of “Royal Confrater,” an honorary designation for the abbey that underscores the long-standing, though often fraught, ties between the English Crown and the basilica. A specially commissioned chair bearing the King’s coat of arms will remain in the basilica for use by his successors.
While the gesture holds no constitutional implications for the King's role as Supreme Governor of England, the day's events are viewed by observers as a pivotal moment, shifting the focus of the monarchy from being a guardian of religious exclusivity to a convener of Christian unity.
The historical irony was not lost on analysts: a monarch descended from the king who broke from Rome over a divorce today stood and prayed alongside a Pope who had quietly blessed his own second marriage, a quiet reflection of the vast social and moral evolution that has taken place over five centuries.