What just happened at the Vatican will go down in history. King Charles and Pope Leo prayed together in the Sistine Chapel, a gesture not seen in nearly five hundred years, since Henry VIII broke with Rome and established the Church of England.
Hearing the Latin chants echo beneath Michelangelo’s frescoes, with the English monarch seated beside the pontiff, was more than a religious symbol; it was a scene charged with political, spiritual, and, above all, human meaning.
They say there was an atmosphere of reverence and respect. Pope Leo, the first American pontiff, elected just six months ago, presided over the ceremony alongside Anglican Archbishop Stephen Cottrell.
Three choirs participated, including the Sistine Chapel Choir and two British royal choirs. There were no formal speeches, but a silent message of reconciliation.
“It offers a kind of healing of history,” said Reverend James Hawkey of Westminster Abbey, describing a moment he believes would have been unthinkable just a generation ago.
During their visit, Charles and Queen Camilla also had a private audience with the Pope, and later went to the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls. There, the king received an honorary title approved by Leo: that of Royal Confrater, or “royal brother.”
Additionally, he was granted a special seat in the basilica, reserved for future British monarchs, bearing his coat of arms and the motto “Ut unum sint”—”That they may all be one.” This gesture captures the spirit of the entire gathering: building bridges between traditions that have been divided for centuries.