**King Charles III and Queen Camilla Pray with Pope Leo XIV in Historic Vatican Visit**
Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla prayed Thursday with Pope Leo XIV in a historic visit to the Vatican aimed at forging closer relations between the Church of England and the Catholic Church. The occasion provided a welcome spiritual respite for the royals amid the turmoil at home surrounding the Epstein sex scandal.
Charles, the titular head of the Church of England, and Camilla sat on golden thrones on the raised altar of the Sistine Chapel, in front of Michelangelo’s masterpiece *The Last Judgment*. Pope Leo XIV and the Anglican Archbishop of York presided over an ecumenical service, marking the first time since the Reformation that the heads of these two Christian churches—divided for centuries over theological issues, including the ordination of female priests—have prayed together.
The accompanying music highlighted a shared Anglican and Catholic heritage. Hymns were sung by members of the Sistine Chapel choir alongside visiting singers from two royal choirs: the St. George’s Chapel choir of Windsor Castle and the children’s choir of the Chapel Royal of St. James’s Palace.
### The Context: A Royal Visit Amidst Scandal
The visit comes at a sensitive time for the British royal family, as intense scrutiny resurfaces over Prince Andrew’s ties with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The scandal, long shadowing the king’s brother, was reignited this week after the publication of a memoir by Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre.
The 65-year-old prince has announced he will cease using his titles, including Duke of York, but has “vigorously” denied Giuffre’s allegations. Buckingham Palace and the UK government face increasing pressure to strip Prince Andrew formally of his dukedom and princely title, as well as remove him from the 30-room mansion near Windsor Castle where he currently resides.
### A Long-anticipated Visit
Charles and Camilla’s visit, including the exchange of titles, had actually been planned earlier in the year but was postponed after Pope Francis became ill and subsequently passed away. The king had expressed a strong desire to visit the Vatican during the 2025 Holy Year, a once-every-quarter-century celebration of Christianity.
### Strengthening Ties Between Churches
Anglicans split from the Catholic Church in 1534 when English King Henry VIII was denied a marriage annulment. Though popes have worked for decades to foster warm relations with the Church of England and the broader Anglican Communion, longstanding theological and doctrinal differences remain.
The Sistine Chapel service marked a historic new step toward unity, featuring readings and prayers centered on the unifying theme of God the Creator.
Later on Thursday, Charles was to receive a formal recognition and new title at St. Paul’s Outside the Walls, a pontifical basilica with strong traditional ties to the Church of England. The title of “Royal Confrater” symbolizes spiritual fellowship and was reciprocated by Pope Leo XIV, who was granted the title “Papal Confrater of St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.”
At the basilica, Charles will be presented with a special chair adorned with his coat of arms and inscribed with the Latin exhortation *“Ut Unum Sint”* (That they may be one), a mantra for Christian unity. This chair will remain in the basilica for Charles and his heirs to use.
### Endorsements and Historical Context
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, expressed that the king’s visit builds upon the relationship forged by Queen Elizabeth II, who had visited Rome six times during her reign, including during the 2000 Holy Year.
“Pope Leo and King Charles coming together before God in prayer is an example of genuine and profound cooperation,” Nichols told The Associated Press. He also noted Charles’s acceptance of his constitutional role as supreme governor of the Church of England, emphasizing his commitment to protecting religious freedom and the important role of faith in society throughout his kingdom.
### Anglican Leadership and Communion Tensions
The visit occurred just weeks after the election of the Church of England’s first female Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally. She did not accompany the king and queen at the Vatican, as she has yet to be formally installed as the Church’s spiritual leader. Instead, the Archbishop of York, the Most Rev. Stephen Cottrell, represented the Anglican leadership.
While King Charles manages tensions at home related to the Epstein scandal, Mullally’s election has intensified strains within the Anglican Communion internationally. With over 85 million members across 165 countries, the Anglican Communion regards the Archbishop of Canterbury as the “first among equals” among its bishops.
However, Mullally’s appointment seems to have brought a longstanding schism within the communion to the brink of rupture. The Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (Gafcon)—an organization of conservative Anglican primates representing the majority of members mainly in Africa—has announced it is severing bureaucratic links that have historically connected the Anglican Communion.
Gafcon claims to represent the historic Anglican Communion in a “reordered” form. Its statement denounced the LGBTQ-affirming stances of parts of the Anglican Communion, including the Church of England and the Episcopal Church in the United States, as the precipitating factor in the split.
The group’s recent statement also lamented Mullally’s appointment, asserting that many believe only men can serve as bishops and rejecting her office as a point of Anglican unity.
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King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s historic visit to the Vatican, symbolizing a step toward Christian unity, takes place amid both internal royal family challenges and increasing divisions within the global Anglican community. The visit reflects ongoing efforts to bridge centuries-old religious divides while navigating modern controversies.
https://abc7.com/post/king-charles-queen-camilla-pray-pope-leo-historic-step-churches-welcome-respite-epstein-scandal/18061174/