When King Charles III and Queen Camilla step into the Vatican this October, it will be much more than a diplomatic courtesy call. Their state visit to the Holy See comes in the heart of the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year, a time set apart every 25 years for forgiveness, renewal, and fresh beginnings.
This Jubilee -- with its theme “Pilgrims of Hope” -- offers a backdrop that feels perfectly timed for a royal encounter with Pope Leo XIV.
Loading
The Jubilee began last Christmas Eve, when the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica was opened, and it will run until January 2026. Millions of pilgrims are still expected in Rome -- in addition to the millions who have already made their way through the Holy Doors -- all seeking what we long for in every generation: signs of mercy, moments of unity, and reasons to keep hope alive.
Against this spiritual setting, the image of a British monarch — the Supreme Governor of the Church of England — meeting the Pope carries a symbolism that stretches far beyond ceremony.
It is easy to underestimate the weight of such occasions. After all, relations between the monarchy and the papacy have been marked by centuries of tension and division.
Yet here we are, in 2025, watching two leaders of different traditions come together not as rivals, but as fellow Christians. There is something deeply reassuring in that simple gesture of encounter. It reminds us that dialogue is possible, reconciliation is possible, and leadership can still be rooted in respect rather than rivalry.
For King Charles, this meeting seems a natural extension of his lifelong commitment to faith and dialogue. From his earliest days as Prince of Wales, he spoke of his desire to be a defender of all faiths, recognizing the diverse spiritual life of modern Britain.
Unity across traditions
As King, he continues to embody that vision, encouraging unity across traditions. Standing alongside Pope Leo XIV during the Jubilee celebrations, he will also highlight something very specific: that Christians, though separated by history and practice, are still bound by a shared call to love, to serve, and to bring hope.
Pope Leo himself has made “Pilgrims of Hope” a central focus of his ministry, urging believers not only to walk together, but to lead with humility and courage. A papal audience with a Protestant monarch may not change centuries of theology overnight, but it does set an example. It says that leadership in the Church — and indeed in the world — is not about standing apart, but about drawing close.
And perhaps that is what makes this royal visit more than pageantry. It is a lifestyle reminder for us, too. We might not be received in the Apostolic Palace, but we all have chances to meet one another across divides. We can be “pilgrims of hope” in the schoolyard, the office, or even at the kitchen table — choosing reconciliation over stubbornness, dialogue over dismissal, and hope over cynicism.
Of course, there will be grandeur. The Vatican’s timeless splendor, the polite formalities, the sense of history echoing through marble halls — all of it matters. But beneath the pomp is something beautifully human: two leaders standing together in a fractured world and quietly saying, “Unity is possible.”
That is a message worth carrying into our own lives. The visit of King Charles and Queen Camilla to Pope Leo XIV during this Jubilee Year may be written up in the history books as a diplomatic event. But for ordinary believers, it offers something richer: a picture of Christian leadership that points us beyond division and towards hope.
And in these days, who couldn’t do with a little more of that?
