King Charles III and Queen Camilla will visit Vatican City next month, Buckingham Palace has confirmed. As they commemorate the Jubilee Year, which is customarily observed every 25 years, the royal couple will meet with Pope Leo XIV. In keeping with this year’s theme, “Pilgrims of Hope,” the royal couple will also commemorate the ecumenical efforts of the Catholic Church and the Church of England.
When the late Pope Francis called for the most recent Catholic Jubilee, which took place in 2015 and 2016, it was considered unusual because the customary 25 years had not yet elapsed. During a journey of eastern Africa, Francis opened the first holy door in Bangui, the Central African Republic, marking the jubilee that was celebrated globally. After the sacred door at St. Peter’s Basilica was closed, the jubilee came to an end on Nov 20, 2016.
The late Pope John Paul II dubbed the most recent scheduled jubilee the Great Jubilee, which took place in 2000. Celebrities like Bono and Bob Geldof used the occasion to draw attention to impoverished countries that had accumulated foreign debt that was probably not payable, while holy doors were opened throughout the Vatican.
During their April visit to Vatican City, Charles and Camilla had a private meeting with the late Pope Francis. “Their Majesties were delighted the Pope was well enough to host them for a private meeting and to have had the opportunity to share their best wishes in person,” a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said.
“My wife and I were most deeply saddened to learn of the death of Pope Francis. Our heavy hearts have been somewhat eased, however, to know that His Holiness was able to share an Easter Greeting with the Church and the world he served with such devotion throughout his life and ministry,” the royal couple said in a statement after Francis died on April 21.
“The Queen and I remember with particular affection our meetings with His Holiness over the years and we were greatly moved to have been able to visit him earlier in the month. We end our most heartfelt condolences and profound sympathy to the Church he served with such resolve and to the countless people around the world who, inspired by his life, will be mourning the devastating loss of this faithful follower of Jesus Christ.”
The rescheduled visit will highlight the cordial ties between the Catholic Church and the Church of England, of which the King is the supreme governor.
Prince Edward, the British monarch’s younger brother, attended Pope Leo’s inauguration on his behalf, marking Charles and Camilla’s first meeting with the new pope since his election. After Pope Leo was elected, Charles conveyed his “warmest wishes” and recognised his “lifelong dedication to service, compassion, and spiritual leadership”.