After 500 Years, King Charles and Pope Pray Together in Vatican

After a 500-year religious division, King Charles III of the United Kingdom and Pope Leo XIV raised a prayer together in the Vatican's Sistine Chapel. This is the first time an English monarch and the head of the Catholic Church have participated in a joint public prayer since King Henry VIII broke relations with Rome in 1534. The historic ceremony, which took place under Michelangelo's "The Last Judgment" fresco, was accompanied by Latin hymns and English prayers, uniting the choirs of both churches. King Charles, who is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, sat to the left of the Pope, demonstrating the strengthening of ties between the two churches.

This visit, which coincides with the 2025 Jubilee Year celebrated by the Catholic Church, is focused on the themes of Christian unity and environmental protection. In their speeches, both leaders emphasized the need to confront global challenges through faith and cooperation, whether it be conflict or nature conservation.

Representatives of the Anglican Church described this event as a "healing of history," noting that just a generation ago, such a thing would have been impossible to imagine. During the visit, King Charles was also awarded the honorary title of "Royal Confrater" of the abbey attached to the Basilica of Saint Paul, which symbolizes spiritual friendship.

This historic step is seen as the culmination of decades of dialogue between the two churches, which began with the 20th-century ecumenical movement. Although King Charles had previously met three different popes, their meetings never included a joint prayer.