THE GUARDIAN: As pontiff prepares for visit of King Charles, the contours of his papacy are slowly becoming apparent
When King Charles meets Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican this week, the two leaders are likely to discuss pressing global issues as well as sharing a historic moment of prayer.
In the face of volatility and rising nationalism, Leo, the first North American chosen to lead the Roman Catholic church, has begun to outline the contours of his papacy after a low-key start to his five-month-old papacy.
For conservative Catholics who hoped he would represent a break with the policies and priorities of his immediate predecessor, Pope Francis, the signs are not good.
“It’s been made quite clear in recent weeks that Leo, substantively, is of the same mould as Francis,” said Christopher White, the author of Pope Leo XIV: Inside the Conclave and the Dawn of a New Papacy and a senior fellow at Georgetown University in Washington DC.
“They have very different styles. Francis was unscripted, spontaneous. Leo is cautious and careful in the way he speaks and acts. But I think they both view the church as what Francis described as a field hospital that has to tend to the most marginalised, particularly the poor in society.” » | Harriet Sherwood | Wednesday, October 22, 2025
Le roi Charles III va prier avec le pape Léon XIV au Vatican, du jamais vu depuis cinq siècles : Temps fort de la visite, un service œcuménique dans la chapelle Sixtine verra jeudi le pape et le souverain britannique prier ensemble sous les célèbres fresques de Michel-Ange. Il aura pour thème la protection de la nature, un thème cher à Charles III. »
