By Lorena Leonardi and Edoardo Giribaldi
Ut unum sint – “That they may they one.” A horizon of “hope” for the future characterized the atmosphere in the Papal Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, during the ceremony conferring the title of Royal Confrater on King Charles III of England took place at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, during his state visit to the Vatican alongside Queen Camilla. The ecumenical celebration was presided over by Abbot Donato Ogliari, in the presence of Cardinal Archpriest of the Papal Basilica James Michael Harvey; the Archbishop of York and Primate of England, Stephen Cottrell; and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, Rosie Frew.
The ecumenical celebration
The Royals entered the basilica through the Holy Door, then were accompanied down the aisle by Cardinal Harvey, Abbot Ogliari, Archbishop Cottrell, and Moderator Frew while the congregation sang Hosanna to the Son of David in the version of Orlando Gibbons, Gentleman of the Chapel Royal from 1605 to 1625. The music was performed by the Schola of the Abbey of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, the lay clerks of St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, and the children of St James’s Royal Chapel in London; at the organ was Christian Almada, Titular Organist of the Papal Basilica.
After a brief stop in front of the altar, Cardinal Harvey and Abbot Ogliari led the monarchs in a moment of prayer at the tomb of the Apostle Paul. Here, Archbishop Cottrell prayed that the congregation may bear witness to the Gospel “in the darkness of our time.” King Charles and Queen Camilla then took their seats as the choir sang Sing Joyfully by William Byrd, also a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
The ties between the Basilica and England
After the introductory rites, Cardinal Harvey took the floor, recalling the strong historical ties that unite the Papal Basilica with the kingdom of England. This dialogue reached a decisive stage in the 1966 meeting between Paul VI and the Archbishop of Canterbury Michael Ramsey, which led to official dialogue between the two communions “for the first time since the Reformation.” On that occasion, the Pontiff memorably placed his episcopal ring on the archbishop’s finger.
The honorary title of Royal Confrater of the basilica and abbey—offered with the approval of Pope Leo XIV—is therefore a sign of “hope”, explained the cardinal, and a gesture of welcome not only to a sovereign but to a “brother.”
“That they may be one”
King Charles sat on a throne created for the occasion, bearing the royal coat of arms and the Latin inscription from the Gospel of John, Ut unum sint – “That they may they one.” The throne will remain in the apse of the Basilica and will be used in the future by the king himself and his heirs and successors.
A prayer for Creation
After Abbot Ogliari read the formal declaration of confraternity — invoking the “common ecumenical journey” and “fraternal task” — the Benedictine and the Cardinal exchanged the sign of peace with King Charles. This was followed by the singing of Excelsam Pauli gloriam by St Peter Damian. Moderator Rosie Frew proclaimed the First Reading from the Letter to the Ephesians; after which the Schola intoned the chant Ecce quam bonum, which quotes Psalm 133 and expresses the main theme of the service: “Behold, how good and joyful a thing it is brethren, to dwell together in unity!” Archbishop Cottrell then read a passage from the Gospel of John (chapter 17), containing the phrase inscribed on the English sovereign’s stall. The hymn In God’s word will I rejoice, composed by Henry Purcell, another Gentleman of the Chapel Royal, was then sung.
The Prayer of the Faithful, read by Cardinal Vincent Nichols, archbishop of Westminster, included prayers for the pastors of the Church of God “throughout the world,” especially Pope Leo XIV and “the rulers of nations,” particularly King Charles. In keeping with the theme of the royal visit, the Cardinal also prayed for Creation, so that its “cry” may be heard and protected for the benefit of future generations.
A visit to the monastery
Before the final prayer, the motet Exultate Deo, by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, was performed, in honour of the 500th anniversary of the composer’s birth this year. The celebration concluded with the hymn Praise to the Holiest in the Height, the text of which is taken from Saint John Henry Newman’s poem, The Dream of Gerontius. The British cardinal will be proclaimed a Doctor of the Church on Nov 1. At the end of the service, Almada played the first movement of Edward Elgar’s Organ Sonata in G major. Elgar, a Catholic, served as Master of the King’s Music from 1924 to 1934. Afterward, the Royals paid a brief private visit to the monumental library of the abbey attached to the basilica. – Vatican News
