Pope Benedict to meet with Prince Charles and Camilla

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Pope Benedict XVI / Prince Charles

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London, England, Apr 5, 2009 / 04:40 am (CNA).- The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall will travel to Rome for their first meeting with Pope Benedict XVI and will have a private audience with him later in April, it has been announced.

"Their royal highnesses' visit to the Holy See will include an audience with Pope Benedict XVI as well as a meeting with the Cardinal secretary of state to discuss, among other things, climate change and inter-faith understanding," a spokesman said, according to the Press Association.

Following Vatican protocol, Prince Charles will meet with Pope Benedict alone. They will then be joined by the Duchess Camilla and finally members of the royal household.

Camilla will be required to dress in black with a matching veil.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has announced that he has been speaking with Buckingham Palace about reversing a ban on heirs to the throne marrying Catholics, the Press Association says. Clarence House, the official residence of the Prince of Wales, would not comment on whether the proposal would be part of the discussions between Prince Charles and the Pope.

Charles had a private audience with Pope John Paul II when he visited the Vatican in April 1985.

The royal couple were both divorcees before their civil marriage in 2005, but the Press Association says that fact is not believed to be an issue for the Vatican.

Charles and Camilla will spend two days in Italy during their official trip, after which they will travel to Germany.

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Subscriber comments:

Published by: Nigel
UK 04/07/2009 03:14 PM EST

The Duchess of Cornwall's ex-husband had already married in a Catholic Church before her marriage to Charles. Their marriage was not recognised in Catholic Canon Law because it was a mixed marriage without dispensation. The Catholic Church actually had less of a problem with the marriage of two Protestants than the Church of England.

Published by: Robert
Atlanta/GA/USA 04/06/2009 10:19 AM EST

The Duchess of Cornwall's previous marriage has not been annulled by the Catholic Church, as long as I know. Her first husband is a Roman Catholic. In fact, he is from a prominent RC family.

It's curious that, while Charles and Camilla were not allowed to be married in the Church of England (because of her status as a divorcee with a living former spouse), the Archbishop of Canterbury "blessed" their union. They could have been married in the Church of Scotland (like Princess Anne, for her second marriage)but chose a civil marriage in England, instead.

It was rumoured that Pope Paul II was going to offer Holy Communion to Charles when he attended a papal Mass in the Vatican (that was before his second marriage) but, upon advice from the Palace, the Prince declined to receive Communion.

I am pleased that the government is considering revising its ban on heirs to the throne being married to Catholics. Technically, they could marry a Muslim or a Jew and still ascend to the throne.

A number of members of the royal family have married Catholics (and a few have converted to Catholicism) with the Queen's permission, but have lost their place in the line of succession.

I believe that the Duke of Kent is still in the line because the Duchess converted after their marriage (their older son married a Catholic, the younger son converted to Catholicism and was married in the Vatican).

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