NO THEOLOGY BEHIND KING CHARLES' MEETING WITH THE POPE

According to Vatican News there is no theology behind King Charles' meeting with the Pope. Rather, the meeting focused upon the outward appearance of unity and the historical significance of the event being the first time since the Reformation that a British monarch has prayed publicly with a pontiff. 

Father Martyn Brown:“I think on both sides it's about recognizing that, even though there are remaining divisions between our churches—very serious ones on all kinds of issues that we work on in our various theological dialogues—there is a huge amount of common ground, of shared faith, of shared spiritual tradition.."1

The 16th-century Reformation in Europe began as a result of corruption within the Roman Catholic Church, particularly the practice of indulgences, which are still practiced by the RCC today. Reformers like Luther and Calvin shifted from the RC doctrine of faith plus works to justification by faith alone (Sola fide) as the basis for salvation. However, instead of replacing error with truth, the Protestant Reformers retained certain RCC heresies, including baptismal regeneration and transubstantiation. Calvin introduced the highly controversial and problematic doctrine of limited atonement, aka Calvinism/Reformed theology, as represented by the acronym TULIP. The Reformers' skewed eschatology generally followed the Roman Catholic amillenial position.  

Humberto R. Treiyer: "It has been stated that eschatology did not represent a main concern in the minds of the Reformers because soteriological and ecclesiological questions were the most pressing issues they had to face in the religious convulsions of the sixteenth century.  However, this is not totally right. It is true that the basic question underlying the theology of the Reformation was, "How shall a sinner be justified before God?" or more directly, 'What shall I do to be saved?' Nevertheless, this crucial question cannot be fully answered apart from the eschatological hope.2  

The Reformation came to England due to Pope Clement VII's refusal to grant King Henry VIII an anulment from his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. This resulted in Henry VIII declaring himself the Supreme Head of the Church of England. While this shifted the governance and structure of the Church of England, the actual doctrinal changes Henry VIII made were few. In effect, the CofE remained doctrinally Roman Catholic in all but name. From the outset, the CofE left the door wide open to ecumenism and error. We are now witnessing besetting sin and error within the CofE which many predict will ultimately destroy it. 

Enter King Charles five hundred years post-Reformation. King Charles' beliefs are based on a philosophy of "harmony" rather than biblical truth.3 King Charles embraces ecumenism, interfaith, and universalism. As such, he is completely at odds with the scriptures. 

As the so-called "Defender of the Faith", King Charles made an oath on the Bible at his Coronation, and he made a commitment to maintain "the true profession of the Gospel". 

The Coronation Roll: "The King knelt on his Faldstool and placed both hands on the Holy Bible while the Archbishop asked: 'Will you to the utmost of your power maintain the Laws of God and the true profession of the Gospel? Will you to the utmost of your power maintain in the United Kingdom the Protestant Reformed Religion established by law? Will you maintain and preserve inviolably the settlement of the Church of England, and the doctrine, worship, discipline, and government thereof, as by law established in England? And will you preserve unto the Bishops and Clergy of England, and to the Churches there committed to their charge, all such rights and privileges as by law do or shall appertain to them or any of them?'
The King answered: 'All this I promise to do', and continued with both hands still on the Holy Bible: 'The things which I have here before promised, I will perform and keep. So help me God.'
His Majesty kissed the Holy Bible."4 

King Charles' understanding of the gospel and the requirements of God is sadly wanting. Nevertheless, it is every person's responsibility to rightly grasp the meaning of the scriptures and to repent.

The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17:30-31 cf. 2 Timothy 2:15).

..for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:23-26).

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11-15).

The Roman Catholic Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) provides a detailed explanation of the alleged infallibility of the Pope.5 It states that the Pope, as the head of the Church, enjoys this infallibility when he speaks "ex cathedra", meaning from the chair of Peter, with the intent to define a doctrine for the universal Church. Scripture alone (Sola scriptura) is the foundational theological principle held by biblical Christians. Scripture alone is the supreme and final authority for doctrine and practice. The Lord Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life, the Son of God incarnate. (John 14:6). The Son of God alone has been given all power and authority in heaven and on earth. (Matthew 28:18). Christ alone (Solus Christus) has the authority to forgive sins. (Mark 2:10). Christ alone is the head of the church. (Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 1:22-23; Ephesians 5:23). For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, (1 Timothy 2:5). Any man or institution claiming infallibility is heretical.

The martyr William Tynedale was found guilty by his own admission and condemned to be executed due to his translation of the Bible into English. He "was strangled to death while tied at the stake, and then his dead body was burned". His final words, spoken "at the stake with a fervent zeal, and a loud voice", were reported later as "Lord! Open the King of England's eyes."6 I don't know if Henry VIII ever did repent, but certainly the scriptures were widely distributed in English as a result of Tynedale's direct challenge to the CofE's position and the authority of the Catholic Church. 

I am reminded of Isaiah's warning to King Ahab: If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all. (Isaiah 7:9). May God open the king of England's eyes in our time.

1. King’s visit 'confirms closeness between Catholic and Anglican Churches' - Vatican News
2. 1+(1998)+Treiyer+–+A+Brief+Introduction+to+the+Eschatology+of+the+Reformers,+Second+Coming,+Resurrection+of+the+Dead,+and+F (1).pdf
3. What Fueled King Charles's Fiery Gathering on His Beliefs? | WelshWave
4. Presentation of the Holy Bible and Oath Taking – The Coronation Roll
5. CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Infallibility
6. William Tyndale - Wikipedia