00:00King Charles and Queen Camilla met Pope Leo XIV for the first time on Thursday here in the Vatican.
00:06We know that both the King and the Queen were here last April,
00:09but they weren't able to have a private audience with Pope Francis given his health condition.
00:14So the meeting really stands as a symbolic display of unity between the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church.
00:20The two met the Pope at his apostolic palace, his residence, for less than an hour at around 11 a.m. local time.
00:27They also got the chance to meet with the Vatican's Secretary of State, Parolin,
00:31before joining the Pope for a public prayer service held in the Sistine Chapel,
00:37led both by the Pope and the Archbishop of York in both English and Latin.
00:43And these marks the very first time in 500 years that a British monarch and the pontiff have come together for such a moment of reflection.
00:52Later on, as part of the state visit, the King was also made a royal comforter of the Abbey of St. Paul outside the Walls,
01:00one of Rome's four major papal basilicas that has a strong connection to the British monarchy.
01:08And the title acknowledges strong ties between the King and the Roman Catholic Church.
01:15And, of course, the state visit is also being carried out on behalf of the British government
01:21with the aim to foster diplomatic alignment on a number of shared issues,
01:26such as achieving peace around the world and protecting the environment.
01:31Giorgio Orlandi for Euronews in the Vatican.
Comentarios