King recalls prayers with Pope in Christmas message focusing on ‘spiritual unity’

King Charles III began his Christmas message by talking about the state visit he and Queen Camilla made to the Vatican

The King described his prayers with Pope Leo XIV during the state visit to the Vatican as “a historic moment of spiritual unity”.

“Together, we celebrated the Jubilee theme, ‘Pilgrims of Hope’. Pilgrimage is a word less used today, but it has particular significance for our modern world, and especially at Christmas. It is about journeying forward, into the future, while also journeying back to remember the past and learn from its lessons,” he said.

Referring to the 80th anniversaries of VE and VJ Day, he continued, “The end of the Second World War is now remembered by fewer and fewer of us, as the years pass. But the courage and sacrifice of our servicemen and women, and the way communities came together in the face of such great challenge, carry a timeless message for us all.

“These are the values which have shaped our country and the Commonwealth. As we hear of division, both at home and abroad, they are the values of which we must never lose sight.”

Journeying is a constant theme of the Christmas story, he continued. “The Holy Family made a journey to Bethlehem and arrived homeless without proper shelter.”

The speech was recorded in the Lady Chapel at Westminster Abbey. In the current climate of growing antisemitism, the broadcast showed images from Bondi Beach in Australia after the devastating attacks on Jewish people celebrating there, and of the King himself visiting the synagogue in Manchester after the attack there. The King commented on the “displays of spontaneous bravery” shown against the attackers in both places.

The broadcast included a Ukrainian carol, the Carol of the Bells, sung by Songs for Ukraine and the Royal Opera Chorus.

The King also spoke about how hope can be drawn from the Christmas festival.

“The wise men made a pilgrimage from the east to worship at the cradle of Christ and the shepherds journeyed from field to town in search of Jesus, the saviour of the world. In each case, they journeyed with others and relied on the companionship and kindness of others. Through physical and mental challenge, they found an inner strength.”

The great faiths provide “deep wells of hope” and resilience in the face of adversity and peace through forgiveness, he said, simply getting to know neighbours and by showing respect to one another.

“As I meet people of different faiths, I find it enormously encouraging to hear how much we have in common; a shared longing for peace and a deep respect for all life. If we can find time in our journey through life to think on these virtues we can all make the future more hopeful.”

The message was a clear indication of the King’s continuing commitment to being an advocate for the role of religion in furthering the causes of peace, unity and reconciliation.

Earlier, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, whose successor as Archbishop of Westminster Richard Moth was announced last Friday, preached the homily at Westminster Cathedral at Midnight Mass.

“In the birth of this child God longs to reach out to us, to draw us back to him again. So our prayer is full of thanksgiving for this greatest of gifts.This is the heart of our prayer tonight, a prayer of praise and thanksgiving. I hope this prayer is lodged in the heart of each one of us now,” he said.

He spoke of his concerns about contemporary events. “Every day we face stories of increasing division in our society. Here, in him, we are given the source and pathway to cohesion and unity in our human family. We fear decay and the coming of death,” he said.

“We know our lack of peace in our world. Here we stand before the Prince of Peace who is ready to give this gift, if we are humble enough to truly desire peace and to ask for it with sincerity and determination.”

In the birth of Christ, God “brings light into the darkest places of our world, places of poverty and deprivation, places where power is misused and wealth sought ruthlessly to satisfy greed and acquisitiveness.

“We praise him and thank him for coming to be our Emmanuel and for summoning us all to a more generous way of life, generous towards each other, generous towards all in need, generous towards him, Jesus, abiding in our sisters and brothers today.”

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