Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
king of britain Charles III and queen camilla arrived at Vatican on Thursday for a historic journey to build closer ties between the Church of England and Catholic ChurchA welcome spiritual respite for the royals from the turmoil at home over the Epstein sex scandal.
Charles, who is the reigning head of the Church of England, accompanied Camilla to St Peter’s Square, which had been almost cleared by security forces. The King and Queen met with Pope Leo XIV, their first since his election in May.
The highlight of the visit was the afternoon prayer service in the Sistine Chapel, marking the first time since the Reformation that the heads of two Christian churches would pray together. The Catholic Church and the Church of England have been divided for centuries over issues involving the ordination of female priests and LGBTQ+ faithful.
During a visit to Rome, Charles was to formally receive a new title and recognition at a pontifical basilica that has strong, traditional links with the Church of England, St Paul’s Outside the Walls. The title “Royal Confessor” symbolizes spiritual communion and was reciprocated by Charles: Leo was given the title of “Papal Confessor of St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle”.
comes in the form of travel British The royal family is once again under intense scrutiny over Prince Andrew’s relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The scandal that has long dogged King’s brother resurfaced this week after the publication of a memoir by Epstein’s accuser Virginia Giuffre.
The 65-year-old prince has said he will stop using his titles, including Duke of York, but has “vehemently” denied Giuffre’s claims. Buckingham Palace and the UK government are under pressure to formally strip Andrew of his dukedom and princely title and to move him out of the 30-room mansion near Windsor Castle where he lives.
Charles and Camilla’s visit and exchange of titles was actually planned for earlier this year, but was rescheduled after Pope Francis became ill and then died. Charles wanted to visit the Vatican during the 2025 Holy Year, a celebration of Christianity once every quarter.
Anglicans split from the Catholic Church in 1534 when the English King Henry VIII was refused permission to annul a marriage. While the Pope has forged cordial relations with the Church of England and the broader Anglican Communion over decades on the path to unity, both churches remain divided on issues such as the ordination of women priests, which the Catholic Church prohibits.
,
Associated Press religion coverage is supported by the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from the Lilly Endowment Inc. AP is solely responsible for this content.