In the central courtyard of the Apostolic Palace, the Cortile San Damaso, the red carpets were laid out with great precision. All was prepared for the arrival of King Charles and Queen Camilla for their State Visit to the Holy See.

The events of that day are well known: a private meeting with Pope Leo with an exchange of gifts, a ceremony of prayer in the magnificent Sistine Chapel, a time of further discussion, then another wondrous ceremony in the Basilica of St Paul’s Outside the Walls, and finally a formal reception, and the planting of a tree, in the Beda College.

I was privileged to have front row seats in the two liturgical events, making it a day I shall never forget.
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When King Charles III and his wife, Queen Consort Camila, are crowned on Saturday, the event will mark a historic juncture in Catholic-Anglican relations, as it will be the first time a Catholic bishop has participated in the ceremony in four centuries.

In a May 5 statement, the Archdiocese of Westminster in the UK, overseen by Cardinal Vincent Nichols, called Saturday’s coronation “an historic occasion for the nation, and also for the Catholic community.”

“For the first time in over 400 years, a Catholic Archbishop will take part in a Coronation in this country,” the statement said, referring to the fact that Nichols has not only been invited to attend the ceremony, but he will also give a blessing.
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The Cross of Wales, a new processional cross presented by King Charles III as a centenary gift to the Church in Wales, will lead the Coronation procession at Westminster Abbey on 6 May. In a significant ecumenical gesture, the Cross of Wales incorporates a relic of the True Cross, the personal gift of Pope Francis to the King to mark the Coronation. The relics, set into the silver cross, are two small wooden splinters from the cross on which Christ was crucified.
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Advancing reconciliation with Indigenous people will be a major test for King Charles III, prominent Canadian Anglicans say—with one bishop saying it could shape the influence of the monarchy for decades to come.

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