Under the scrutinising eyes of Michelangelo’s Last Judgment, when Pope Leo said “let us pray”, it meant everyone, including the King, closing a gap that stretched back to the Reformation in the 16th Century.

With music and prayers about nature that would bridge any theological divide, the service offered the King and Queen some calm amid scrutiny over Prince Andrew during their Vatican visit.

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But despite the significance of the state visit, there was no escaping the media – with questions about Andrew’s links to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein that show no sign of abating.

Even here, as he met the Pope inside the Vatican, the King commented that the cameras were a “constant hazard”.

Rather laconically the Pope said: “You get used to it”, as he too has faced a rapid lesson in the unrelenting attention that comes with such a high-profile role, although it still seems a surprise to hear a Pope speaking in such relaxed American tones.

There might be irritation at the media during such moments, but without the press such state visits wouldn’t really exist.

It’s all about big images for the media to capture, because no members of the public are allowed past the security barriers to watch.

It’s the intruding lenses of the cameras and the words rushed out for news websites that give such moments shape and impact. Otherwise they could do a state visit on Zoom.

There were many such elegantly choreographed moments in this whistle-stop visit to the Vatican, a city state where every corner could be a postcard, creaking under the weight of its own history and architectural splendour.

In the Sistine Chapel the Catholic and Anglican choirs literally sang from the same hymn sheet. The images of harmony and unity were there in abundance. Once hostile churches were now the closest friends.

Surrounded by Renaissance masterpieces, this was a meeting in one of the great cradles of Western civilisation. A lover of art, music and religion, this must have been a big occasion for King Charles.

But actually later in the day there seemed to be a more intense moment, something that gave the King and Queen a chance to pause for more private prayer and reflection.

At the church of St Paul Outside the Walls they walked down some steps to the tomb of St Paul, one of Christ’s apostles. It was like walking down to the roots of Christianity. They waited there a moment and there were some prayers recited.

The King and Queen, who had switched to a white outfit after wearing black to meet the Pope, walked back up the main body of the church, where another congregation were waiting. Maybe they could have done with a few more minutes in such a simple and sacred place.

But they returned to the huge and gorgeously embellished basilica above. Even by the epic standards of churches in Rome, this was remarkably massive, with choirs once again to fill the operatically high ceilings.

As the day ended, the King and Queen and Vatican will have seen this visit as fulfilling its historic purpose, binding the Catholic and Anglican churches together at the top in a knot of friendship, as they often already can be at the grassroots.

There were exchanges of gifts, including an icon given to Pope Leo, reflecting the King’s fascination with the Orthodox Church and its images.

There were also knighthoods exchanged between King Charles and Pope Leo, but at the moment there might be a question about the value of honours.

For Buckingham Palace, it will have been the completion of a state visit that had previously been postponed by the ill-health of Pope Francis. And it might have been a welcome pause from the growing pressure for answers about Prince Andrew.

Maybe the message was about reconciliation, even if it takes centuries. In the Sistine Chapel there was a serene moment with the singing of a piece by the English Catholic composer Thomas Tallis.

He lived in south London during the some of the vicious and violent religious conflicts of the 16th Century, making his music against this troubled background.

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Five centuries later, his music was being played for a King and a Pope, who were no longer fighting but were on same side.

Source: BBC

Speaking the day after he was elected as the 267th Pope and first US leader of the Church, he warned that people were turning away from faith and instead to “technology, money, success, power, or pleasure”.

Leo said he had been elected to be a “faithful administrator” of a Church that would act as a “beacon that illuminates the dark nights of this world”.

The ascension of Robert Francis Prevost has been celebrated by the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, with joyous outbursts in his US homeland and in Peru, where he served for 20 years.

In his sermon on Friday, the new Pope said there were many settings where the Christian faith was considered “absurd” – with power, wealth, and technology dominating – but it was precisely there that missionary outreach was needed.

“A lack of faith is often tragically accompanied by the loss of meaning in life, the neglect of mercy, appalling violations of human dignity, the crisis of the family and so many other wounds that afflict our society,” he said in the address delivered in Italian.

Pope Leo, 69, wore a white papal robe trimmed in gold as he addressed the seated cardinals in the Sistine Chapel, an event broadcast live by the Vatican administration.

In an unscripted introduction before the homily, Leo also called on Church unity from his cardinals, telling them in American-accented English: “I know I can rely on each and every one of you to walk with me”.

Following weeks of anticipation, the previously-unknown Prevost was introduced as the new Pope to the world on Thursday evening in St Peter’s Square.

Tens of thousands of worshippers in the square burst into cheers when white smoke curled out of the Vatican’s chimney on the second day of the conclave’s voting.

Shortly after, the Chicago-born Prevost appeared on the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica. In his first words to the crowds he outlined a vision of a “missionary” Church which “builds bridges, which holds dialogues, which is always open”.

He echoed his predecessor, the late Pope Francis, in calling for peace.

“Help us, and each other, to build bridges through dialogue, through encounter, to come together as one people, always in peace,” he said.

World leaders have rushed to congratulate Prevost on his election, pledging to work with him on global issues amid uncertain times. US President Donald Trump called it a “great honour” to have the first American pope.

Prevost, who had previously been the Bishop of Chiclayo in Peru, was only made an archbishop and then cardinal in 2023. He was elected by his fellow cardinals in what is believed to be four rounds of voting in the secret conclave that took place two weeks after Francis died.

He is seen as being aligned with the progressive late Pope, who was viewed as a champion of human rights and the poor and celebrated for his charismatic style that sought to make the Catholic Church more outward-facing.

Vatican watchers have noted that Francis appeared to have brought Prevost to Rome in recent years, perhaps to set him up as a potential successor.

The Augustinian missionary worked for decades with the poor and marginalised in Peru, where he obtained nationality in 2015.

In his previous role as Cardinal Prevost, he had also expressed or amplified criticism of the US administration under President Trump, including its anti-immigration policies.

On his X account in February, he had criticised Vice President JD Vance’s argument that Christians should love their family, neighbours, community and fellow citizens in that order, saying: “JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others”.

As Pope he faces a momentous task in leading the Church in a time of significant global conflicts. Observers have expressed hope that he can offer a counterpoint to more divisive voices on the world stage.

His upcoming remarks, which include Sunday’s midday Regina Coeli prayer in St Peter’s Basilica and a Monday news conference with journalists, will be closely watched for signs as to which direction he intends to lead the Church and what kind of Pope he will be.