King Charles III and Pope Leo XIV prayed together, gave each other titles, and exchanged gifts in ecumenical unity moves–and a Cottrell was involved!

October 23, 2025

🇬🇧🇻🇦 KING CHARLES & POPE LEO: 500 YEARS, ONE PRAYER

King Charles III and Pope Leo XIV just prayed together in the Sistine Chapel – the 1st time a British monarch and a pope have knelt side-by-side since Henry VIII blew up the Catholic world order.

The Supreme Governor of the… https://t.co/T6dfADX36i pic.twitter.com/ZYCpHvJhZr

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) October 23, 2025

COGwriter

For the first time in 500 years, a king of England and Roman Catholic pontiff met together in ecumenical ways:

Pray together to stay together: King Charles meets Pope Leo XIV in historic public show of unity

23 October 2025

Britain’s King Charles III and Pope Leo XIV have prayed in public together in a historic moment, marking the first time in 500 years that leaders of both the Church of England and the Catholic Church have taken part in a joint service.

King Charles III has become the first head of the Anglican church to pray in public with a Pope in a move aimed at forging closer ties between the Church of England and the Catholic Church.

The historic meeting is highly significant and symbolic as it comes almost half a century since the Reformation – the Church of England’s split from the Vatican.

For centuries the two Christian churches have been divided over many issues, … In a ceremony which took place at the Sistine Chapel, the King and Queen Camilla sat in golden thrones on the raised altar in front of Michelangelo’s “Last Judgment,” while Pope Leo XIV and the Anglican archbishop of York presided over an ecumenical service. … Both churches hope however that the Sistine Chapel service will herald a new era of cooperation and solidarity … https://www.euronews.com/culture/2025/10/23/pray-together-to-stay-together-king-charles-meets-pope-leo-xiv-in-historic-public-show-of-

The king, who is the supreme governor of the Church of England, was seated at the pope’s left near the altar of the chapel, as the pope and Anglican Archbishop Stephen Cottrell led the service, that was mainly in English but featured some singing in Latin.

Clergy and choirs from both the Catholic Church and the Church of England were brought together for the service, which was seen as a symbolic display of unity. …

Before praying together, the two leaders met in the pope’s library and exchanged gifts.

King Charles gave the pope an Icon of St Edward the Confessor, a devout 11th century king of England.

Pope Leo gifted a scale version of a mosaic of Christ Pantocrator, which depicts Jesus in a Normal cathedral in Sicily. The mosaic was made in the Vatican.

Charles also met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See’s Cardinal Secretary of State.

He was the first papal representative in 500 years to attend a British monarch’s coronation when he attended King Charles’s coronation at Westminster Abbey in 2023.

The king will travel in the afternoon to Rome’s Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, where he will receive the new title of Royal Confrater, or brother, after Pope Leo approved the move.

A wooden chair will also be gifted to the monarch, which will be reserved for future use by British royalty, that has been decorated with the king’s coat of arms.

Charles approved two British honours for Pope Leo on Thursday, making him the Papal Confrater of St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, and conferring on him the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10-23/king-charles-pope-leo-historic-religious-service/105925462

Regarding the gift of the chair as well as titles, Vatican News reported the following:

A Special Honour for the King

In the afternoon, the Royals will travel to the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, which maintains historical ties with the British Crown and its adjacent Benedictine Abbey. Notably, the Abbey’s coat of arms includes the insignia of the Order of the Garter – one of Britain’s most prestigious honours.

To mark the occasion, King Charles will be formally named Royal Confrater of Saint Paul by Cardinal James Michael Harvey and Abbot Donato Ogliari, with the approval of Pope Leo XIV. “It is a sign of honour and spiritual communion,” said Archbishop Pace.

A specially designed chair bearing King Charles’s coat of arms and the Latin inscription Ut unum sint (“That they may be one” – John 17:21) will be used during the ceremony. The chair will remain in the Basilica’s apse and will be available for use by the King and his successors on future visits. …

Following the ecumenical prayer service, Pope Leo and King Charles will participate in a private meeting in the Sala Regia with Church leaders, business figures, environmental advocates, and UN experts. Representatives from the Laudato Si’ Movement will also attend. … Both Archbishop Pace and Sister Smerilli emphasised the long-term significance of this visit. “It marks a historic moment in the journey of reconciliation between our Churches,” said Archbishop Pace. “It celebrates how far we’ve come-and offers hope for the future.”10/17/25 https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2025-10/pope-to-receive-king-charles-and-queen-camilla-at-the-vatican.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NewsletterVN-EN

As I have posted here before, both King Charles III and Pope Leo XIV are ecumenical and pushing an ecumenical and globalist agenda.

Today’s events are further confirmation of that.

Yesterday, a reader sent the following with some of his views in an email:

Hello Dr. Thiel It is my understanding that that ceremony will end with a hymn composed by J.H. Newman “Lead Kindly Light”(Pillars of the Cloud). It appears that Newman composed this hymn while being ill during his return from Rome in 1833. At Rome he met with Monsignor Wiseman to “find out whether they would take us in…” (Secret History of the Oxford Movement by Walsh p. 263). During that visit he was told he would have to “swallow the Council of Trent”. The hymn was composed on that trip home. (See Wikipedia “Lead Kindly Light” history). This all led to the Oxford Movement and Tractarians. KCIII seems to be placing a “cherry on top of this cake”. His new chair to be left ,for his use and those who follow him, at St Paul’s Outside the Walls. The same church that popes are seen sitting in a white throne between two cherubim(Isa. 37:16, Rev 20:11). Will King Charles chair also be in “that” area? The book I sent to you about W/H also contains some of this related info. J. H. Newman was very important in Westcott’s loss of faith. As you know he will be made a “Doctor” on Nov 1 “All Saints Day”. Wow the connections!!.

The Apostle Paul warned the faithful:

14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

“I will dwell in them
And walk among them.
I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.”

17 Therefore

“Come out from among them
And be separate, says the Lord.
Do not touch what is unclean,
And I will receive you.” (2 Corinthians 6:14-17)

Neither Pope Leo nor King Charles seem to understand those passages.

Related to King Charles III, he even participated in a pagan-type ceremony this Summer (see Pachamama II? King Charles III participates in Amazonian ceremony).

As Prince Charles, he also had been a member and supporter of the globalist World Economic Forum (WEF). Perhaps it should be mentioned that in 2020, then Prince Charles declared that there was no alternative but to support the WEF’s ‘Great Reset’ agenda (https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/06/great-reset-launch-prince-charles-guterres-georgieva-burrow/).

Related to Charles and religion, notice the following from the past:

In 1994, Charles triggered controversy when he said he would be defender of faith rather than Defender of the Faith, in a desire to reflect Britain’s religious diversity. There were suggestions that the coronation oath might be altered.

In 2015, he clarified his position in an interview with BBC Radio 2, saying his views had been misinterpreted. He said: “As I tried to describe, I mind about the inclusion of other people’s faiths and their freedom to worship in this country. And it’s always seemed to me that, while at the same time being Defender of the Faith, you can also be protector of faiths.”

He pointed out that the Queen had said her role was “not to defend Anglicanism to the exclusion of other religions. Instead, the Church [of England] has a duty to protect the free practice of all faiths in this country. I think in that sense she was confirming what I was really trying to say – perhaps not very well – all those years ago.”

Now, as he ascends the throne almost three decades after that controversy, most people would agree that Charles should champion the right to religious belief and practice of all his subjects, not just that of the dwindling number of people in the pews of Anglican churches. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/sep/09/king-charles-to-be-defender-of-the-faith-but-also-a-defender-of-faiths#:~:text=He%20said%3A%20%E2%80%9CAs%20I%20tried,also%20be%20protector%20of%20faiths.%E2%80%9D

King Charles III … Early on, he promised to be the defender of all faiths and has followed through by regularly incorporating interreligious events into his busy diary… https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/29/uk/royal-year-in-review-intl-gbr-scli-cmd/index.html

It is his interreligious promotions and connections with groups like the World Economic Forum and other groups that have raised concerns of some.

Back in 2023, related to King Charles III and some of his globalist moves, we uploaded the following video:

14:52

King Charles Setting Prophetic Stage?

Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles III will be making his first international state visit from March 26-31, 2023 by going to France and Germany. Some believe this is intended to attempt to smooth over some relations between the United Kingdom and the European Union. Could there be any connection to the goals of the World Economic Forum? Could this visit possibly help set the stage for the UK (prophetic Ephraim) to fulfill certain prophecies related to Germany (prophetic Assyria) after the start of the Great Tribulation? Are there biblical prophecies that suggest that the United States of America and its British-descended allies may turn on each other? Did Nostradamus also seem to predict that as well as some events that now seem to be happening–such as opinions not being free? Is the USA prophesied to be destroyed by a European power? Is King Charles knowledgeable about any biblical prophecies concerning the British peoples being descendants of the Israelite tribe of Ephraim? Are the North American and British peoples prophesied to have a European king over them because they refuse to repent? What to prophecies by Hosea, Daniel, Amos, and Isaiah show? Steve Dupuie and Dr. Thiel address these matters.

Here is a link to our video: King Charles Setting Prophetic Stage?

King Charles III looks to be promoting the interfaith agenda that various globalists want.

But such an agenda is not part of the Christian faith, nor something he should be promoting.

Nor should Archbishop Cottrell have officiated over this. He looks to be an apostate from a long line of Cottrells, that were once condemned by the Church of Rome.

Let’s look at some historical items involving the Cotterells.

Although the Roman Emperor Theodosius endorsed killing the faithful in the late fourth century, in the fifth century Pope Leo I (440-461) actually decided that killing those associated with the Church of God was not appropriate (Leo I Letter to Turribius). This was confirmed by the Third Lateran Council in 1179, which apparently decided that economic blackmail was better:

As St. Leo says, though the discipline of the church should be satisfied with the judgment of the priest and should not cause the shedding of blood, yet it is helped by the laws of catholic princes so that people often seek a salutary remedy when they fear that a corporal punishment will overtake them. For this reason, since in Gascony and the regions of Albi and Toulouse and in other places the loathsome heresy of those whom some call the Cathars, others the Patarenes, others the Publicani, and others by different names, has grown so strong that they no longer practise their wickedness in secret, as others do, but proclaim their error publicly and draw the simple and weak to join them, we declare that they and their defenders and those who receive them are under anathema, and we forbid under pain of anathema that anyone should keep or support them in their houses or lands or should trade with them. If anyone dies in this sin, then neither under cover of our privileges granted to anyone, nor for any other reason, is mass to be offered for them or are they to receive burial among Christians. With regard to the Brabanters, Aragonese, Navarrese, Basques, Coterelli and Triaverdini {17 }, who practise such cruelty upon Christians that they respect neither churches nor monasteries, and spare neither widows, orphans, old or young nor any age or sex, but like pagans destroy and lay everything waste, we likewise decree that those who hire, keep or support them, in the districts where they rage around, should be denounced publicly on Sundays and other solemn days in the churches, that they should be subject in every way to the same sentence and penalty as the above-mentioned heretics and that they should not be received into the communion of the church, unless they abjure their pernicious society and heresy (Third Lateran Council, Canon 27. 1179 A.D. Translation taken from Decrees of the Ecumenical Councils, ed. Norman P. Tanner).

The Coterelli moved further north because of this persecution, and ended up changing the spelling of their name.

Another report states:

Tradition persists that the family of COTTRELL (also spelled as Cotterell, Catterell, etc.) was among the first of the Albigenses to find refuge in England, predating the Huguenot movement (Bierce, Thurber Hoffman and Cottrell, Lisle. Ancestors in the United States of Byron H. Bierce and His Wife Mary Ida Cottrell of Cortland County, New York, 1962, p. 94).

It has also been observed that some of Coterelli (spelled Cottrell when Anglicized) moved to England and were also Sabbath-keepers who came to Rhode Island in the early 17th century (Nickels R.C. Six Paper on the History of the Church of God. Giving & Sharing, Neck City (MO), 1993, pp. 160-163 ) and some descendants continued at least three centuries longer than that with COG doctrines. Thus, it would seem that a succession through the laying on of hands has to have occurred, in at least one continuous family with Church of God doctrines, from 12th to the 19th centuries (Nickels, Six Paper on the History of the Church of God. pp.41, 161-163; Spalding , Arthur Whitefield. Captains of the Host: A History of the Seventh Day Adventists. Published by Kessinger Publishing, 2005, p. 198; The Memorial: Portraits of William Bliss [and others]. G.B. & J.H. Utter, 1874. Original from the New York Public Library, Digitized Mar 3, 2009, p. 127).

I have personally spoken with retired Seventh-day Adventist minister, Stanley Cottrell (who often lectures on church history), several times (7/29/08, 7/30/08 and in June of 2020). Stanley Cottrell specifically confirmed Richard Nickels’ account that his family came from the Albigenses in France, moved to England, Anglicized their name, came to Rhode Island in 1638, and were seventh-day Sabbath-keepers–though he was not sure if they we were in Italy, France, or England. I have also spoken to other Sabbath-keeping Cottrells who were related to Stanley Cottrell.

Some of the Cottrells, which seemed to be Church of God, arrived in North America from the British Isles in the 17th century. No later than 1692, we see a report that some were attending a Sabbath-keeping church (Leonard O. HISTORICAL SKETCH OF SEVENTH DAY BAPTISTS OF NEW JERSEY in Griffiths TS. A History of Baptists in New Jersey. Barr Press Pub. Co., 1904, p. 518).

I also personally saw Nicholas Cottrell’s name in a list of male, mainly, immigrants who settled in New England (mainly Rhode Island) and were Sabbath-keepers in what appears to be the late 17th and early 18th centuries (Dedication of Minsters’ Monument, Aug. 28, 1899. By Hopkinton (R.I. : Town). First Hopkinton Cemetery Association, First Hopkinton Cemetery Association, Hopkinton, R.I. First Hopkinton cemetery association. Published by Printed for the Association by the American Sabbath tract society, 1899, pp. 6,22).

A Sabbath-keeper in the 17th century, William Hiscox, endorsed the laying on of hands and mentioned one of the Cottrells (who apparently he had issues with) as he wrote:

The general meeting of the church at Westerly, Sept the 17th, 1698, being the Sabbath; Samuel Beebee and MaryCrandall submitted to the ordinance of hands, and were added to the church … John Cottrell, for some time stood as a brother in this congregation, and having for a long time neglected his duties in the church, … and having withdrawn his communion from us, the church do take themselves discharged, from their watch and care over him … (The Memorial: Portraits of William Bliss [and others]. G.B. & J.H. Utter, 1874, p. 127)

In the early 1800s, there arose another John Cottrell. Though considered to be a Seventh Day Baptist, he was not one in doctrine. Here is a report about him:

At Wende Station we found our aged Bro. Cottrell … Cottrell is nearly eighty years of age, remembers the dark day of 1780, and has been a Sabbath-keeper more than thirty years. He was formerly united with the Seventh-Day Baptists; but on some points of doctrine has differed from that body. He rejected the doctrine of the trinity, also the doctrine of man’s consciousness between death and the resurrection, and the punishment of the wicked in eternal consciousness. He believed that the wicked would be destroyed. Bro. Cottrell buried his wife not long since, who, it is said, was one of the excellent of the earth. Not long since, this aged pilgrim received a letter from friends in Wisconsin, purporting to be from M. Cottrell, his wife, who sleeps in Jesus. But he, believing that the dead know not anything, was prepared to reject at once the heresy that the spirits of the dead, knowing everything, come back and converse with the living. Thus truth is a staff in his old age. He has three sons in Mill Grove, who, with their families are Sabbath-keepers. (White J. Western Tour. The Review and Herald, June 9, 1853, p. 12,13)

The above are Church of God, not Seventh Day Baptist, doctrines–and he seemed to separate from the Sabbatarians who declared themselves SDBs and started to push, officially, for non-COG doctrines.

Let me add that John Cottrell is on the apostolic succession list of the Continuing Church of God for the period 1820 – 1850 John Cottrell–but he lost succession.

John Cottrell, based on a comment from his son Roswell, would have considered himself part of the “Church of God.” He did not have association with the organization known as Seventh Day Baptist for a number of years (presumably decades) because of differences of doctrine (Nickels R. Six Paper on the History of the Church of God. pp.41, 161-162). However, when he was elderly and influenced by his son Roswell, he fell to become a Seventh Day Adventist, so lost whatever succession he may have had by 1851 when he and Roswell both became SDAs. Note the SDAs were not trinitarian at that time, but well before then the Seventh Day Baptist organization was. Furthermore, it is not clear that the elderly John Cotterell understood various matters related to Ellen White, but perhaps mainly felt that James White’s idea to get Sabbatarian non-SDBs to cooperate was a good one.

There was also a Sabbatarian named S.G. Cottrell from Mill Grove NY that was NOT an SDA as he wrote in favor of the anti-SDA publication called The Hope of Israel (Cottrell SG. From Bro. Cottrell. The Hope of Israel, February 22, 1865, p. 5)–and he may have been John Cottrell’s son.

I would also add that, from another source in the 21st century, I was told that some Cottrels/Cottrells were in the old Worldwide Church of God in Canada in the 2oth century.

In the 21st century, a book came out by a woman with the name Cottrell that covered Sabbath-keepers in England in the 1600s, etc. (Cottrell-Boyce A. Jewish Christians in Puritan England. Pickwick Publications, 2021, p. 119). She reported on Sabbath-keepers like John Traske, who is on the apostolic succession list of the Continuing Church of God. She reported that John Traske claimed to get one or more dreams from God, was considered as some type of a prophet, kept the seventh-day Sabbath, opposed rote recitation of prayer, supported the poor, and stood for biblical literalism. She pointed out that some suggested that he had ties to the Lollards. Hence, that Cottrell pointed out that John Traske had many doctrines consistent with those of the Continuing Church of God.

Also in the 21st century, the Continuing Church of God has sent literature to people with the name Cottrell who requested it.

So, why mention the Cottrells?

Several reasons:

They were condemned by the Vatican in 1179.
They went to France, then England, and some ended up in North America in the 17th century.
Some had the laying on of hands.
Some were Church of God.
Some apostatized.
We see a family that has had Sabbath-keepers from prior to 1179 through present.
One Cottrell, who came from the apostates, Anglican Archbishop Stephen Cottrell, is now promoting unity between Protestants and Roman Catholics.

That said, more and more in the world are promoting the globalist ecumenical agenda.

When this happened in 1179, the Coterellis and others, resisted that.

We in the Continuing Church of God continue to resist that to this day.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession? Did the original “catholic church” have doctrines held by the Continuing Church of God? Did Church of God leaders uses the term “catholic church” to ever describe the church they were part of? Here are links to related sermons: Original Catholic Church of God?, Original Catholic Doctrine: Creed, Liturgy, Baptism, Passover, What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?, Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy, Early Heresies and Heretics, Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats, Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more, Saturday or Sunday?, The Godhead, Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession, Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List, Holy Mother Church and Heresies, and Lying Wonders and Original Beliefs. Here is a link to that book in the Spanish language: Creencias de la iglesia Católica original.