King Charles III prays with pope in historic visit, a welcome respite from royal troubles at home

VATICAN CITY (AP) — King Charles III and Queen Camilla prayed Thursday with Pope Leo 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 sexual misconduct allegations against Prince Andrew.

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.

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.

The accompanying music reflected the Catholic and Anglican 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.

The visit comes as the U.K. 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 and Andrew accuser Virginia Giuffre was published.

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.

Charles' and Camilla’s visit 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.

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.

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.

Later Thursday, Charles traveled to a pontifical basilica that has strong, traditional ties to the Church of England, St. Paul’s Outside the Walls, to receive a new formal recognition. 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.”

At the basilica, Charles sat in 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 was given to him and will remain in the basilica for Charles and his heirs to use, officials said.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the Catholic archbishop of Westminster, said that 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.

“Pope Leo and King Charles coming together before God in prayer is an example of a genuine and profound cooperation,” 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.”

The visit comes just weeks after the election of the first female archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally. She didn't 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.

While the king copes with tensions over the Epstein scandal at home, Mullally's election has heightened tensions within the Anglican Communion abroad. The archbishop of Canterbury is considered the “first among equals” in the Anglican Communion, which has more than 85 million members spread across 165 countries. But following Mullally's appointment, a long-building schism in the Anglican Communion appears close to a final rupture.

An organization of conservative Anglican primates — representing a majority of the communion’s membership, primarily in Africa — announced that it's rejecting all of the bureaucratic links that have historically connected the Anglican Communion.

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.

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. But it closely followed another Gafcon statement lamenting Mullally’s appointment, saying that many believe that only men can be bishops and rejecting her office as a defining point of Anglican unity.

Peter B. Smith contributed to this report from Pittsburgh.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Pope Leo XIV, center, cheers with Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla in the St. Damasus Courtyard at the Vatican after a state visit and pray with him in the Sistine Chapel, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope Leo XIV, center, cheers with Queen Camilla and Britain's King Charles III in the St. Damasus Courtyard at the Vatican after a state visit and pray with him in the Sistine Chapel, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope Leo XIV, center, shakes hands with Britain's Queen Camilla as King Charles III looks on, in the St. Damasus Courtyard at the Vatican after a state visit and pray with him in the Sistine Chapel, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. (Cecilia Fabiano/LaPresse via AP)

In this picture made available by Vatican media, Britain's King Charles III, second from right, and Queen Camilla, right, attend a joint prayer with Pope Leo XIV, fourth from right, and the Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, fifth from right, in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican on the theme of 'Care for Creation', Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. (Vatican Media via AP, HO)

Pope Leo XIV, center, poses flanked by Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla in the St. Damasus Courtyard at the Vatican after a state visit and pray with him in the Sistine Chapel, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope Leo XIV, center, cheers with Britain's King Charles III in the St. Damasus Courtyard at the Vatican after a state visit and pray with him in the Sistine Chapel, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Britain's Queen Camilla arrives with King Charles III in the St. Damasus Courtyard at the Vatican for a state visit, where they will meet with Pope Leo XIV and pray with him in the Sistine Chapel, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. (Cecilia Fabiano/LaPresse via AP)

Britain's King Charles III arrives with Queen Camilla in the St. Damasus Courtyard at the Vatican for a state visit, where they will meet with Pope Leo XIV and pray with him in the Sistine Chapel, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. (Cecilia Fabiano/LaPresse via AP)

Britain's Queen Camilla arrives with King Charles III in the St. Damasus Courtyard at the Vatican for a state visit, where they will meet with Pope Leo XIV and pray with him in the Sistine Chapel, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. (Cecilia Fabiano/LaPresse via AP)

Britain's Queen Camilla, foreground arrives with King Charles III in the St. Damasus Courtyard at the Vatican for a state visit, where they will meet with Pope Leo XIV and pray with him in the Sistine Chapel, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. (Cecilia Fabiano/LaPresse via AP)

In this picture made available by Vatican Media, Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla pose with Pope Leo XIV as they meet at the Vatican during a state visit, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. (Vatican Media via AP, HO)

Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrive in the St. Damasus Courtyard at the Vatican for a state visit, where they will meet with Pope Leo XIV and pray with him in the Sistine Chapel, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrive in the St. Damasus Courtyard at the Vatican for a state visit, where they will meet with Pope Leo XIV and pray with him in the Sistine Chapel, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrive in the St. Damasus Courtyard at the Vatican for a state visit, where they will meet with Pope Leo XIV and pray with him in the Sistine Chapel, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrive in the St. Damasus Courtyard at the Vatican for a state visit, where they will meet with Pope Leo XIV and pray with him in the Sistine Chapel, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrive at Ciampino 31st Wing Airport in the outskirts of Rome, Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025, a day before their state visit to the Vatican. (Cecilia Fabiano/ Lapresse via AP)

Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrive at Ciampino 31st Wing Airport in the outskirts of Rome, Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025, a day before their state visit to the Vatican. (Cecilia Fabiano/ Lapresse via AP)

Britain's King Charles III arrives at Ciampino 31st Wing Airport in the outskirts of Rome, Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025, a day before a state visit to the Vatican. (Cecilia Fabiano/ Lapresse via AP)

Swiss Guards march prior to the arrival of Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrive in the St. Damasus Courtyard at the Vatican for a state visit, where they will meet with Pope Leo XIV and pray with him in the Sistine Chapel, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrive at Ciampino 31st Wing Airport in the outskirts of Rome, Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025, a day before their state visit to the Vatican. (Cecilia Fabiano/ Lapresse via AP)

NEW YORK (AP) — Bo Bichette and the New York Mets agreed Friday to a $126 million, three-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal was subject to a successful physical and had not been announced.

A two-time All-Star at shortstop with the Toronto Blue Jays, Bichette will move to third base with the Mets, who have Francisco Lindor at shortstop. Bichette has never played a professional game at the hot corner.

Bichette can opt out of the deal after the first or second season to become a free agent again. He would receive $47 million for one year and $89 million for two years, the person said.

If he opts out, the Mets could not make him a qualifying offer, so they would not receive a draft pick as compensation if he signed elsewhere.

The deal does not contain any deferred money and Bichette gets a full no-trade provision.

Bichette batted .311 with 18 home runs, 94 RBIs and an .840 OPS in 139 games for the Blue Jays last year. He homered off Shohei Ohtani in Game 7 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Bichette sprained his left knee late last season in a Sept. 6 collision with New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells, keeping the infielder out of the lineup until the World Series. He returned for Game 1 against the Dodgers and played second base for the first time in six years.

Bichette led the American League in hits in 2021 and again in 2022. He finished second in the major leagues in batting average last season to Yankees slugger Aaron Judge.

Bichette turned down a $22,025,000 qualifying offer from the Blue Jays in November, so they would receive an extra draft pick in July after the fourth round if he completes his deal with New York.

He was one of the last remaining big-name hitters on the free agent market after Kyle Tucker agreed Thursday to a $240 million, four-year contract with the Dodgers.

Bichette, who turns 28 in March, has spent his entire career with the Blue Jays since they selected him in the second round of the 2016 amateur draft. He is a .294 career hitter with 111 home runs and an .806 OPS in 748 major league games.

He is a son of former big league slugger Dante Bichette, a four-time All-Star outfielder.

AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this report.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb

FILE - Toronto Blue Jays' Bo Bichette celebrates his three run home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the third inning in Game 7 of baseball's World Series, Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, in Toronto. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)

FILE - New York Mets President of Baseball Operations David Stearns responds to questions during a news conference about MLB trade deadline deals, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith, File)