King Charles and Pope Leo Make Historic Step Toward Unity with Joint Prayer at the Vatican

Britain’s King Charles III and Pope Leo XIV made history on Thursday, October 23, 2025, when they prayed together inside the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel. The event marked the first joint act of worship between an English monarch and a Catholic pontiff since King Henry VIII’s separation from Rome in 1534.

The solemn service included hymns and prayers recited in both Latin and English, with the Anglican Archbishop Stephen Cottrell among those in attendance. The gathering has been widely described as a powerful gesture of reconciliation, symbolizing the growing unity between the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church after nearly five centuries of division.

During his visit to the Vatican, King Charles was also bestowed the honorary title of “Royal Confrater” at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. In recognition of the occasion, he was presented with a specially crafted chair adorned with his royal coat of arms and the Latin inscription *Ut unum sint* — meaning “That they may be one” — which will remain reserved for future British monarchs.

This historic encounter between King Charles and Pope Leo is seen as a reaffirmation of shared Christian values and mutual respect, highlighting a renewed commitment to unity, faith, and environmental stewardship between the British monarchy and the Vatican.