Pope Leo XIV, King Charles III pray together in Sistine Chapel making history
Baku, October 23, AZERTAC
Pope Leo XIV and King Charles III, who is head of the Anglican Church, made history on Thursday by praying together in the Sistine Chapel, ANSA reported.
It is the first time a British monarch has prayed in public with a pontiff since the Church of England split from Catholicism five centuries ago.
Henry XIII formed England's Church in 1534 after Rome refused to sanction his divorce from Catherine of Aragon.
The prayer took place during an ecumenical service led by Leo and the Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell.
Queen Camilla was next to Charles during the service.
Psalms were sung by the Sistine choir with the choir of St. George's Chapel of Windsor Castle and the children's choir of the Royal Chapel of St. James Palace.
Before the service Charles, who arrived in Rome on Wednesday, had a private meeting with the head of the Catholic Church at the Apostolic Palace - their first encounter since Leo became pope this year.
The pope earlier said, in English, "welcome" to King Charles as he came into Leo's private library o his way to the Sistine Chapel, and Charles replied that he was "thrilled" by the occasion.
At the end of their meeting in the Library, Pope Leo and King Charles exchanged gifts.
King Charles presented the Pope with a large silver photograph and an icon of Saint Edward the Confessor.
The Pope presented the British monarch with a scale reproduction of the mosaic of "Christ Pantocrator" in the Norman Cathedral of Cefalù, Sicily. The mosaic was created in the Vatican.
The reading during the ecumenical service in the Sistine Chapel, with Pope Leo and Queen Charles and Queen Camilla, was taken from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans and focuses on hope, the theme of the Jubilee, the reason for this state visit of the British royals to the Vatican.
The passage was read by Yvette Cooper, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
The liturgy alternated between Latin and English.
After the conclusion of the ecumenical prayer in the Sistine Chapel, the Pope and King Charles left the Chapel together to move to the Sala Regia, where the final moments of this state visit of the British royals to the Vatican took place.
They met with representatives of organizations and companies committed to environmental protection, a topic dear to both the Holy See and the British Crown.
During the meeting between the Pope and King Charles in the Sala Regia, plants were exchanged: two white cymbidium orchids.
The one donated by the Pope to the king will be planted on one of the sovereign's estates, while the one received by Leo from Charles will be taken to Borgo Laudato Si' in Castel Gandolfo.
These are hardy plants, suited to growing both in Italy and England, despite their different climates. Sister Alessandra Smerilli introduced the event in the Sala Regia on behalf of Borgo Laudato Si'.
The exchange of plants symbolized the shared concern of the Holy See and the English Crown for creation and the environment.
After their final encounter with Leo on the environment in the Sala Regia, the royals left the Vatican.
Their next appointment will be an ecumenical ceremony in the he Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.
The location for the second joint service between Catholics and Anglicans houses the tomb of St. Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles.
At the beginning of the service, which will be presided over by the Archpriest of the Basilica, Cardinal James Harvey, and the Abbot, Dom Donato Ogliari, the King and Queen Camilla will visit the tomb, accompanied by Archbishop Stephen Cottrell of York and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, Rosemary Frew.
Other news in this section
