History Made: It Took More Than 500 Years, But The King Kneels Again In Rome

It’s not each time that a British monarch kneels beside nan Pope successful prayer. In fact, it hasn’t happened successful astir half a millennium. 

But connected October 23, King Charles III and Pope Leo XIV knelt together successful nan Sistine Chapel astatine Vatican for an ecumenical work that marked a milestone: it was nan first clip successful astir 500 years a British monarch has publically prayed pinch a pope.

A royal sojourn pinch humanities weight

Charles, who sits “in nan bid of nan Supreme Governor of nan Church of England,” entered nan chapel pinch Queen Camilla by his side. The enactment held immoderate heavy symbolism. Going back, since 1534, erstwhile King Henry VIII collapsed from Rome, British-Vatican relations person been defined much by region than devotion.

Latin chants and English prayers filled nan chapel arsenic nan King took his spot beside nan Pope and Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York.

When religion meets diplomacy

For centuries, nan British crown and nan Vatican person had an awkward relationship, a combo of politeness, distance, and quiet diplomacy. Charles, however, has ever been much unfastened to bridging that gap.

After nan prayers, Charles was moreover made Royal Confrater of nan Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, a first for a British monarch. And that’s beardown grounds of nan displacement successful tone.

A caller section began

The infinitesimal is huge. It signals a thaw successful a narration erstwhile stiff by separation. Church attendance successful Britain declines and belief institutions hunt for relevance, but there’s a but. Seeing monarchy and papacy kneel together could beryllium a reminder that religion still carries weight successful a world craving unity. 

This royal-pontiff brushwood matters for respective reasons. First, it reinforces nan UK’s negotiated narration pinch nan Holy See astatine a clip of world uncertainty. Then, there’s a visible motion of advancement betwixt Anglicanism and Catholicism. And, possibly conscionable arsenic important, it’s an illustration of really accepted institutions tin accommodate and find relevance successful modern issues.

Charles’s sojourn will agelong beryllium remembered. Half a millennium of section met a infinitesimal of prayer. And successful that silence, possibly a caller section began.

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