Pope Leo XIV and King Charles III of England have bestowed honorary religious titles upon each other, the first time this has happened in 500 years according to the official website of the British Royal Family.
"With the gracious approval of His Majesty the King, the Dean and Canons of Windsor are delighted to announce that His Holiness Pope Leo XIV has become Papal Confrater of the College of St. George at St. George's Chapel, Windsor," states the text published on Oct.23.
The announcement highlights that both leaders sought to underscore the ties between Christian traditions, within a global context marked by polarization and conflict.
"Mindful of the value of Christian unity, in an increasingly polarised and turbulent world, The King and The Pope have joined together in Christian brotherhood and, for the first time in half a millennium, are receiving religious titles which underscore what unites rather than what separates the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England," the text notes.
The statement adds that this gesture represents "a visible sign of spiritual fellowship, ecumenical friendship and Christian fraternity."
It also acknowledges the historical ties between the college and St. George's Chapel, Windsor, and the Holy See, as well as the progress made in relations between the Catholic Church, the Church of England, and the Anglican Communion.
The text notes that October marks one year since the "historic state visit to the Holy See" made by King Charles III and his wife, Queen Camilla. On that occasion, the British monarch was received as a "royal confrater" of the papal basilica and abbey of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome. At that time, the Holy Father had already been invited to become a "papal confrater" of St. George's at Windsor.
Just as there is already a chair for the King of England at the basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, a similar chair for the pope will soon be unveiled in St. George's Chapel at Windsor. It will be consecrated in the European autumn, alongside a "mosaic icon of Christ of Cefalù, gifted to His Majesty by His Holiness during the State Visit," the statement concluded.
The historic 2025 meeting
On Oct. 23, 2025, Pope Leo XIV and King Charles III prayed together in the Sistine Chapel, marking the first time a pope and a British monarch have prayed together during a state visit to the Vatican.
During the visit, King Charles conferred upon the pope the title of Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath, while the pontiff bestowed upon the monarch the honor of Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Vatican's Order of Pius IX, and upon Queen Camilla the distinction of Dame Grand Cross of the same order.
The connection of the King of England to the papal basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls
Following the arrival in England of Roman missionary monks such as St. Augustine of Canterbury and St. Paulinus of York during the sixth and seventh centuries, Saxon kings including Offa and Æthelwulf contributed to the upkeep of the apostles' tombs in Rome.
Toward the end of the Middle Ages, the kings of England were recognized as "protectors" of the basilica and abbey of St. Paul Outside the Walls; its coat of arms came to include the insignia of the Order of the Garter, the oldest and most prestigious order in the United Kingdom. This tradition was interrupted by the Reformation and the centuries of estrangement that followed.
A new chair, bearing the royal coat of arms and the Latin inscription Ut unum sint (That they may be one), has been placed in the basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls for King Charles and his successors to use during future visits.
This story was first published by EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
