A moment of great spiritual and political significance lived this morning in the Vatican, marking a turning point in the journey of dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Anglican Church. The British rulers, King Charles III and Queen Camilla, participated in an ecumenical prayer in the Sistine Chapel, an event that, for the first time in over 500 years, saw together representatives of these two great Christian realities.
The context of the visit and anticipations
The meeting, which took place at 10.50, began with the solemn entrance of the sovereigns in the Apostolic Palace, welcomed by the Swiss guards and the English national anthem, God Save the King. Before the liturgical assembly, the king and the queen had a private conversation with Pope Leo XIV in the Sala Regia, a moment that strengthened the bonds of friendship between the parties. Later, Camilla visited the Pauline Chapel, while Charles entertained himself with Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Secretary for Relations with States, Monsignor Paul Richard Gallagher, addressing topics of close relevance such as the environment, poverty and peace.
The symbolic value of ecumenical prayer
At 12.20, the liturgy began, a moment of profound spiritual sharing that saw the participation of choirs from the Royal Chapel of St James’s Palace, Windsor Castle and the Pontifical Sistine Chapel. The celebration took place in Latin and English, with a text introduced by the hymn of St. Ambrose, translated into English by St. John Henry Newman, the central figure of English Catholicism and the next doctor of the Church. The choice of Newman, converted to Catholic orthodoxy and canonized in 2019, underlines the importance of dialogue between the two Christian denominations.
Readings, including Psalm 8 and Psalm 64, have had hope and praise as a guiding thread to the greatness of God the Creator. Before the conclusion, the Inno If ye love me by Thomas Tallis, composer and gentleman of the Royal Chapel, wrote music for both the Roman liturgy and the Book of the Common English Prayer. Prayer ended with a shared collection, pronounced by the Pope and the Archbishop of York, a symbol of a possible unity among the Churches.
Symbols and shared commitments
The event represented not only a moment of prayer, but also of concrete commitments. The exchange of two specimens of Cymbidium orchids between the Pope and the king has symbolized the common responsibility to protect the Creation, a theme that Leo XIV wanted to raise strongly, in continuity with the encyclical Laudato si’ by Pope Francis. The plant, symbol of resilience and hope, has emphasized the desire to build a sustainable future in harmony with nature.
In the afternoon, the Pope and the sovereigns participated in a meeting on environmental sustainability, introduced by Sister Alessandra Smerilli, who highlighted the shared commitment to the care of the “common home”. The day will end with a visit to the Basilica of St. Paul outside the Walls, where King Charles will receive the title of Royal Confrater of St. Paul, a recognition that strengthens the historical links between the British Crown and the Church of Rome, and that brings with it the message of unity “Ut unum sint” – “May they be one”.
L’articolo A historical day in the Vatican: the ecumenical prayer of Leo XIV and the Reals of England in the Sistine Chapel comes from IlNewyorkese.
