King Charles III is expected to meet with Pope Francis during a scheduled visit to the Vatican in the coming month, indicating a hopeful outlook that the pontiff will be back to his duties by then as he recuperates from a case of double pneumonia.
The 88-year-old Francis was hospitalized at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on February 14 after a period of bronchitis that lasted a week deteriorated. Initially diagnosed with a complicated infection involving viral, bacterial, and fungal components in the respiratory system, he later developed pneumonia in both lungs.
The Vatican announced on Monday its decision to discontinue daily morning updates on the pope’s health and will instead issue medical bulletins less frequently as the pontiff demonstrates gradual signs of improvement.
Buckingham Palace said Charles wrote privately to the pope when he became ill.
Pope Francis celebrating mass on Sunday, March 16, 2025, in his chapel at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome, Italy. ( Holy See Press Office)
There will be a joint flypast over Rome during Charles’ visit by the Italian Air Force aerobatic team, Frecce Tricolori, or Tricolor Arrows, and their Royal Air Force counterparts, the Red Arrows.
Charles and Queen Camilla will attend a reception in Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, to mark the 80th anniversary of the region’s liberation from the Nazis by Allied forces. The pair will also celebrate local cuisine and meet with farmers impacted by recent floods in the area.
“The visit to Italy will underscore the depth and breadth of the bilateral relationship,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
One central event during Charles’ trip to the Vatican will be a historic first in which the king will visit the Papal Basilica of St. Paul’s Outside the Walls, where reconciliation and ecumenical relations between Christian faiths are celebrated. At this event, choirs from the King’s Chapel Royal, St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle and the Sistine Chapel will perform.
Buckingham Palace said King Charles III wrote privately to the pope when he became ill. (Getty Images)
English kings had a particular link to the basilica prior to the split from Rome during the Protestant Reformation. The basilica was built over a white marble sarcophagus that, for some 2,000 years, has been believed to be the tomb of St. Paul.
Charles’ visit will happen during the Papal Jubilee, a year of forgiveness and reconciliation that is celebrated by the Catholic Church every 25 years.
“The Visit to the Holy See will be an historic visit in the year of the Papal Jubilee, and will mark a significant step forward in relations between the Catholic Church and Church of England,” Buckingham Palace said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
