A Tapestry of Faith: The Pope, the King, and the Sistine Chapel’s Living Theology.
Today’s service in the Sistine Chapel marked a moment of profound historic and theological significance. Led by Pope Leo XIV, joined by King Charles III, and co-presided over by Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York, it signaled a deep ecumenical gesture between the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England - the first such public act of shared worship by a British monarch and a pope in nearly five centuries. Beneath the awe-inspiring frescoes of the chapel - a space that has witnessed popes’ conclaves since its consecration in 1483 - this encounter unfolded in a setting laden with theological depth, artistic grandeur and ecclesial memory. It drew together the themes of creation, reconciliation and shared responsibility, reflecting both the patrimony of the Christian tradition and the urgency of our common vocation in today’s world. Moreover, the conferral of the honor on King Charles at the Basilica of Saint-Paul-Outside-the-Walls as Royal Confrater underscores the longstanding ...
