King Charles Attends the Ecumenical Prayer Service in the Sistine Chapel

Ecumenical prayer in the Sistine Chapel

On the morning of the 12th of May in the year 1300, after having participated in the morning Mass, Pope Leo XIV held a prayer service with King Charles III and Queen Camilla of Great Britain. The service was held at the Catholic Church's most famous place of worship, the Sistine Chapel, and was attended by the Most Reverend Stephen Cottrell, the 98th Archbishop of York and Primate of England, who is also the second most senior bishop of England within the Church of England.

Pope Benedict and the Archbishop offered up a Midday Prayer that included both psalms and a Gospel reading. This beautiful Chapel featuring Michelangelo's incredible artwork (the frescoes in the chapel) was filled with guests from many theological positions; there were also representatives from other Christian denominations. Cardinal Vincent Nichols (Archbishop of Westminster and President of all of the Catholic Bishops in England and Wales) and Leo Cushley (Archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh) represented the Scottish Bishops at this service.

A visit of significant historical importance

This visit marked an important moment in Anglican-Catholic relations; the first of its kind in half a millennia. Two themes defined these visits to date: 1) Working together toward the pursuit of unity among Christians and 2) Leadership commitment to taking care of our planet through responsible environmental stewardship.

Originally planned for April, Pope Francis' health issues led to the cancellation of his trip to London. This trip was designed to highlight the King of the UK, Charles III, and Pope Francis' commitment to the stewardship of God's Creation, ten years after the publication of the encyclical Laudato si'.

The Universal Prayer Service helps improve relations between the UK and the Holy See and achieved one of King Charles's long-standing aspirations as Supreme Governor of the Church of England to build interfaith relations.

A connection between two belief systems

An insistent message of Christian unity and ecumenism was made visible from the first hymn of the prayer service. The hymn, originally composed by St. Ambrose of Milan, a Doctor of the Church, was translated by St. John Henry Newman, a man who was Anglican for half of his life before converting to Catholicism.

In 2019, King Charles participated in the canonization ceremony of the English theologian. On 1 November, St. John Henry Newman is scheduled to be proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope Leo.

Three choirs singing in joyful harmony

The Lay Clerks (music providers in a chapel) at St George's Chapel, Windsor, had been invited by King Charles and Queen Camilla to participate in providing hymns and psalms during this service. In the same spirit of cooperation the Children of the Chapel Royal (music providers from St James' Palace), were also invited to take part in providing hymns and psalms during this service. During the service the Sistine Chapel Choir joined together with both the Lay Clerks and the Children of the Chapel Royal creating the wonderful sound of all three choirs singing together in joyful harmony throughout the entire chapel.

As the organ marked the conclusion of the prayer service, Pope Leo departed the Sistine Chapel alongside King Charles.