Pope Leo XIV and King Charles III make history since Reformation History was made in the Sistine Chapel on Thursday as Pope Leo XIV and King Charles III prayed side by side, marking the first time since the Protestant Reformation that a reigning British monarch and a pope have prayed together during a royal state visit to the Vatican. Pope Leo XIV led the midday prayer of the Divine Office, standing beneath Michelangelo\u2019s fresco of \u201cThe Last Judgment\u201d and flanked by Anglican Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, King Charles, and Queen Camilla. The ecumenical prayer service featured the Sistine Chapel Choir along with the choirs from St. George\u2019s Chapel at Windsor Castle and His Majesty\u2019s Chapel Royal. The choirs sang \u201cCome, Holy Ghost, Who Ever One,\u201d a hymn by St. Ambrose translated into English by St. John Henry Newman. Pope Leo will declare Newman, the 19th-century English cardinal and Anglican convert, a doctor of the Church on Nov. 1. King Charles attended Newman\u2019s canonization in 2019 and recently became the first British monarch to visit the Birmingham Oratory, which Newman founded in 1848. During the prayer, the choirs sang verses of Psalms 8 and 64 in Latin and English. A reading from St. Paul\u2019s Letter to the Romans (8:22\u201327) was read aloud before Pope Leo and Cottrell offered the closing prayer together in English. Cardinals, bishops, and Anglican representatives attended the prayer service, which was the highlight of the king\u2019s first state visit to the Holy See since his accession in 2022. A historic moment took place on Thursday: for the first time in 500 years, the Pope prayed alongside the King of England. Pope Leo XIV led an Ecumenical Prayer for the Care of Creation with the Royal Family in the Sistine Chapel at midday. The prayer service marked the conclusion\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/LFK6mvLFoI As part of the state visit, Pope Leo approved the conferral of a new title on the monarch: \u201cRoyal Confrater\u201d of the Papal Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. Cardinal James Michael Harvey, the basilica\u2019s archpriest, will formally bestow the honor during an afternoon ecumenical service at the tomb of St. Paul. In return, Pope Leo XIV was offered the title of \u201cPapal Confrater\u201d of St. George\u2019s Chapel in Windsor Castle, an invitation Pope Leo accepted. \u201cThese mutual gifts of \u2018confraternity\u2019 are recognitions of spiritual fellowship and are deeply symbolic of the journey the Church of England (of which His Majesty is Supreme Governor) and the Roman Catholic Church have traveled over the past 500 years,\u201d the British Embassy to the Holy See said in a statement. Before the prayer service, King Charles and Queen Camilla met privately with Pope Leo in the Apostolic Palace. The king also met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, and Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Vatican\u2019s foreign minister. The Vatican said discussions focused on environmental protection, fighting poverty, and promoting ecumenical dialogue. \u201cParticular attention was given to the shared commitment to promoting peace and security in the face of global challenges,\u201d the Holy See Press Office said. King Charles also conferred on the pope the honor of Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Bath, while the pope conferred on the king the honor of Knight Grand Cross with the Collar of the Vatican Order of Pope Pius IX and on Queen Camilla the honor of Dame Grand Cross of the same order. The royal visit comes as King Charles continues treatment for cancer, first diagnosed in early 2024. Buckingham Palace said that the king\u2019s state visit \u2014 postponed earlier this year due to the poor health of Pope Francis \u2014 celebrates both the Church\u2019s 2025 Jubilee Year and \u201cthe ecumenical work between the Church of England and the Catholic Church, reflecting the jubilee year\u2019s theme of walking together as \u2018Pilgrims of Hope.\u2019\u201d Following the Sistine Chapel service, Pope Leo and King Charles met business and church leaders in the Apostolic Palace\u2019s Sala Regia for a discussion on environmental sustainability and care for creation. After the Vatican meetings, King Charles is scheduled to visit the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, reviving the historic ties between England and the papal basilica. After the arrival in England of Roman monk-missionaries such as St. Augustine of Canterbury and St. Paulinus of York in the sixth and seventh centuries, Saxon rulers including Kings Offa and \u00c6thelwulf contributed to the upkeep of the apostles\u2019 tombs in Rome. By the late Middle Ages, the kings of England were recognized as \u201cprotectors\u201d of the Basilica of St. Paul and abbey, and its heraldic shield came to include the insignia of the Order of the Garter. That tradition was interrupted by the Reformation and the ensuing centuries of estrangement. A newly commissioned chair bearing the royal coat of arms and the Latin phrase \u201cUt unum sint\u201d (\u201cThat they may be one\u201d) has been installed in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls for King Charles and his successors to use during future visits. King Charles visited the Vatican several times as Prince of Wales, including for the funeral of John Paul II and for Newman\u2019s canonization. His last papal audience was with Pope Francis in April, shortly before Francis\u2019 death, though that was not an official state visit. Queen Elizabeth II, Charles\u2019 mother, met five popes during her 70-year reign but never participated in a public prayer with any of them. Receive the most important news from EWTN Vatican via WhatsApp. It has become increasingly difficult to see Catholic news on social media. Subscribe to our free channel today EWTN Vatican on WhatsApp Courtney Mares Would you like to receive the latest updates on the Pope and the Vatican Receive articles and updates from our EWTN Newsletter. More news related to this article Why Did the Order of the Holy Sepulchre Choose Four Seasons to Manage Historic Landmark in Rome? Pope Leo XIV on AI: \u2018All of us are concerned for children and young people\u2019 Pope Leo XIV visits emblematic Turkish mosque in sign of fraternity with Muslims Vatican’s New Saints: Carlo Acutis And Others & No Female Deacons in the Catholic Church? Goretti Art: Siblings Paint Carlo Acutis Pope Leo XIV visits new health clinic for the poor under St. Peter\u2019s colonnade<\/p>\n