The Vatican has confirmed that King Charles III and Queen Camilla will make an official visit to the Holy See on Thursday, 23 October, during Italy’s Jubilee Year. The visit will include a private audience with Pope Leo XIV and several events highlighting the shared commitment of the Catholic and Anglican Churches to environmental care and interfaith dialogue.
According to the Holy See, the royal couple will arrive in Rome on Wednesday, 22 October, but their full programme will take place the following day. King Charles will be welcomed at 10:45 a.m. in the Courtyard of San Damaso before meeting the Pope at 11 a.m. The two leaders will then take part in an ecumenical moment of prayer in the Sistine Chapel, followed by an event in the Sala Regia dedicated to the care of creation — a theme central to both their public work.
The visit comes 25 years after Queen Elizabeth II’s historic meeting with Pope John Paul II in the Holy Year of 2000. This year’s occasion is expected to further strengthen relations between the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church. Their Majesties met with Pope Francis in April on a State visit.
In the afternoon, Charles and Camilla’s programme will continue at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls and at Bede College. During the visit, a ceremonial chair, known as a stall, will be placed in the Basilica for the royal celebration. The chair will remain in the church as a symbol of the ongoing dialogue between the two faiths.
King Charles will also be awarded the title of royal confrater, an honorary distinction associated with the Basilica. During his visit, he may also pass through the Holy Door of the Jubilee, a rare privilege traditionally reserved for pilgrims marking the Holy Year.
Catholic-Anglican dialogue
Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell will represent the Church of England at the Vatican ceremonies. The newly appointed Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally — the first woman to hold the position — will not attend, as she is not due to take office until March 2026.
Addressing questions about her future role in Catholic–Anglican dialogue, Monsignor Flavio Pace, Secretary of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, said that while the issue of women’s ordination remains a point of difference between the two Churches, dialogue must continue. “It is more urgent that we stand together and that we continue to move forward,” he said. “We do not stop because there are obstacles.”
