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UK honoring Pope Leo indicates new closeness in ties, Church leaders say
Confirmed
In Short: Pope Leo XIV, in his ongoing efforts to address the Church's past and present issues, plans to meet with victims of clerical sexual abuse during his upcoming trip to South America.
The UK's royal family and the Vatican are developing closer ties, as evidenced by the recent coronation of King Charles III and his state visit to the Vatican.
During King Charles's coronation in May 2023, Anglican leaders presided, but the event was attended by England’s Cardinal Vincent Nichols and top Vatican representatives, including a processional cross donated by Pope Francis.
Catherine Pepinster, former editor of The Tablet, a London-based Catholic weekly, observed that most Catholics have welcomed these developments, seeing them as a positive shift in the relationship between the Church and the monarchy.
The Vatican's decision to honor King Charles by naming him a 'royal confrater' of Rome's papal basilica during his state visit to the Vatican in October 2025 further underscores the growing closeness between the two institutions.
Pope Leo's health has also been a focus, as he recently underwent surgery for a lung nodule and is now recovering in a hospital, where he celebrated Mass and received messages of support from well-wishers.
What this adds
The Vatican's decision to meet with abuse victims during Pope Leo's trip to South America highlights the Church's ongoing efforts to address past and present issues, a move that has been welcomed by some but criticized by others for not being transparent enough.
Background
Church leaders have condemned attacks on Christian villages in Syria, Jordan, and Ethiopia, calling for justice and protection.
What's confirmed
- Pope Leo XIV announced Sunday he will undergo surgery in the coming days to remove a nodular lesion on his lung, in the first major health event of his 17-month pontificate.
What's still developing
- Pope Leo XIV thanked the doctors, nurses and staff at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital for their care during his recent hospitalization and expressed gratitude to those who prayed for him, according to Vatican News.
- VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV will miss a planned trip to Assisi next week on doctors’ orders as he continues recovering from thoracic surgery he underwent last Tuesday, the Vatican said Friday.
- The Vatican said Leo wanted to express his closeness to participants and reaffirm his belief that the “spirit of Assisi,” dialogue and the search for words and gestures of peace remain valuable resources at a time of conflict.
- Pontiff says it was detected at an early stage and procedure will take place in the coming days Pontiff says it was detected at an early stage and procedure will take place in the coming days Pope Leo XIV has said he will undergo surgery in the coming days to remove a nodular lesion on his lung that was recently discovered during medical checks.
- The Vatican announced Tuesday that Pope Leo XIV will hold “several meetings” with victims of clerical sexual abuse during his apostolic journey to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru from Nov. 6–17.
- Concluding his remarks at the Angelus, Pope Leo said, “Now that this delicate phase has passed—as you know—I will gradually resume my activities, always with the help of God and your prayers”.
- "What we would not welcome is seeing them vetted, as was done in Spain. Victims want changes in the Catholic Church, not photo ops," the group said, referring to several survivors who accused the Spanish bishops' conference of selecting the survivors who participated in Church abuse prevention programs to meet with Pope Leo during his visit to the country in June.
- The American pope made the announcement during his Sunday noon blessing in an unusual display of transparency about his health.
- Pope Leo XIV will meet with victims of abuse by clergy and other members of the Catholic Church during his upcoming trip to South America, the Vatican said Tuesday.
- The meetings during Leo's 11-day tour of Uruguay, Argentina and Peru will "reflect the pope's desire to express his closeness to those who have suffered – and continue to suffer – as a result of this violence," it added.