<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="http://9news.com.au/uk" rel="" target="" title="Britain"><span>Britain</span></a><span>'s </span><a href="http://9news.com.au/king-charles-iii" rel="" target="" title="King Charles III"><span>King Charles III</span></a><span> and Queen Camilla have prayed with </span><a href="http://9news.com.au/pope-leo" rel="" target="" title="Pope Leo"><span>Pope Leo</span></a><span> XIV in an historic visit to the Vatican to forge closer relations between the Church of England and the Catholic Church, a welcome spiritual respite for the royals from the turmoil at home over the </span><a href="http://9news.com.au/jeffrey-epstein" rel="" target="" title="Epstein"><span>Epstein</span></a><span> sex scandal.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Charles, who is the titular head of the Church of England, and Camilla sat in golden thrones on the raised altar of the Sistine Chapel, in front of Michelangelo's Last Judgment, while Leo and the Anglican archbishop of York presided over an ecumenical service on Thursday.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The event marked the first time since the Reformation that the heads of the two Christian churches, divided for centuries over issues that now include the ordination of female priests, have prayed together.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The accompanying music reflected a shared Anglican and Catholic musical heritage: Hymns were sung by members of both the Sistine Chapel choir and visiting members of two royal choirs: the St. George's Chapel choir of Windsor Castle and the children's choir of the Chapel Royal of St. James's Palace.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The visit comes as the British royal family is once again under intense scrutiny over Prince Andrew's ties with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The scandal that has long dogged the king's brother was reignited this week after a memoir by Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre was published.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The 65-year-old prince has said he will stop using his titles, including Duke of York, but has "vigorously" denied Giuffre's claims. Buckingham Palace and the U.K. government are under pressure to formally strip Andrew of his dukedom and princely title, and kick him out of the 30-room mansion near Windsor Castle where he lives.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Charles and Camilla's visit and exchange of titles had actually been planned for earlier this year but was rescheduled after Pope Francis got sick and then died. Charles had strongly wanted to visit the Vatican during the 2025 Holy Year, a once-every-quarter-century celebration of Christianity.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/king-charles-and-queen-camilla-pray-with-pope-leo-in-historic-step-churches-welcome-respite-jeffrey-epstein-scandal/e4e42a07-1e42-410b-957b-4b407e0cc71e" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>A visit to strengthen ties between two churches</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Anglicans split from the Catholic Church in 1534 when English King Henry VIII was refused a marriage annulment. While popes for decades have forged warm relations with the Church of England and the broader Anglican Communion on a path toward greater unity, the two churches remain divided.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Sistine Chapel service, though, marked a historic new step toward unity and included readings and prayers focused on the unifying theme of God the creator.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Later Thursday, Charles was also to formally receive a new title and recognition at a pontifical basilica that has strong, traditional ties to the Church of England, St. Paul's Outside the Walls. The title "Royal Confrater" is a sign of spiritual fellowship and was reciprocated by Charles: Leo was given the title of "Papal Confrater of St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>At the basilica, Charles will be given a special chair decorated with his coat of arms, bearing the Latin exhortation "Ut Unum Sint" (That they may be one), the mantra for Christian unity. The chair will remain in the basilica for Charles and his heirs to use, officials said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the Catholic archbishop of Westminster, said the king's visit strengthens the relationship forged by Queen Elizabeth II, who came to Rome six times during her reign, including during the 2000 Holy Year.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Pope Leo and King Charles coming together before God in prayer is an example of a genuine and profound co-operation," he told The Associated Press. He recalled that Charles accepted his constitutional role as supreme governor of the Church of England, "but also his role in protecting freedom of religion and the important role of faith in society across his kingdom."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The visit comes just weeks after the election of the first female archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally. She did not join the king and queen at the Vatican since she hasn't been formally installed as the Church of England's spiritual leader. In her place was the archbishop of York, the Most. Rev. Stephen Cottrell.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>Visit comes amid strains in Anglican Communion</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>While the king copes with tensions over the Epstein scandal at home, Mullally's election has heightened tensions within the Anglican Communion abroad. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Anglican Communion has more than 85 million members spread across 165 countries, with the archbishop of Canterbury considered the "first among equals" among its bishops. But following Mullally's appointment, a long-building schism in the Anglican Communion appears close to a final rupture.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>An organization of conservative Anglican primates — representing a majority of the communion's membership, primarily in Africa — announced it is rejecting all of the bureaucratic links that have historically connected the Anglican Communion.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, known as Gafcon, says it's forming a new structure, although it claims it represents the historic Anglican Communion in a "reordered" form.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Its statement denounced the LGBTQ-affirming stances of some parts of the Anglican Communion as precipitating the break, a reference to positions taken by the Church of England and the Episcopal Church in the United States. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But it closely followed another Gafcon statement lamenting Mullally's appointment, saying that many believe only men can be bishops and rejecting her office as a defining point of Anglican unity.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em></em><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f"><em><strong><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></strong></em></a><em><strong><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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