History echoed through the Sistine Chapel, as Pope Leo XIV and King Charles III knelt side by side in prayer, an encounter unseen since the days of Henry VIII. Queen Camilla joined her husband for what Vatican officials described as “a moment of profound spiritual reconciliation.” It was the first time since the Reformation in England that the two spiritual leaders met to pray together. 

Nearly five centuries have passed since Henry VIII’s dramatic break with Rome, when his defiance of papal authority reshaped the religious landscape of England. On this autumn morning, however, that centuries-old division seemed to fade, replaced by a shared call to care for the planet, a cause close to both the Bishop of Rome and the British monarch.

The joint prayer, led by Pope Leo XIV and the Anglican Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, brought together the papal and royal choirs in a rare harmony of voices and traditions. The setting of Michelangelo’s frescoed masterpiece lent both grandeur and intimacy to a gesture rich in symbolism.

A hymn by Saint Ambrose, translated by Cardinal John Henry Newman, the 19th-century convert to Catholicism and soon-to-be-proclaimed Doctor of the Church, captured the spirit of unity and renewal.

Observers called the occasion “historic” and “deeply moving,” marking a new chapter in the long and often turbulent relationship between Rome and Canterbury. As one Vatican official put it: “This was more than a meeting of faiths, it was a meeting of histories.”

The next day, King Charles III was welcomed to one of Rome’s most revered basilicas, where he and Queen Camilla took part in an ecumenical ceremony rich in symbolism and history.

The King, who serves as Supreme Governor of the Church of England, was conferred the title of Royal Confrater at the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls, which is a rare distinction, especially for the head of a protestant church.

Inside the vast basilica, the King and Queen paused in reflection before the tomb of Saint Paul, guided by the Archpriest, Cardinal James Harvey. The service, marked by solemn music and readings, included prayers for the Pope, the King, and leaders worldwide.

In an act of reciprocity, Pope Leo XIV accepted the honorary title of Papal Confrater of St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. Vatican observers hailed the exchange as “a graceful sign of mutual respect” and “a landmark in modern ecumenism.”

Photo: X @VaticanNews

Tomasz Modrzejewski