News

The Pope, the King, and the betrayal of the gospel

The Pope, the King, and the betrayal of the gospel
The Pope greets King Charles | Vatican Media
Mike Judge
Mike Judge Mike Judge. Editor of Evangelical Times, and pastor of Chorlton Evangelical Church in Manchester.
23 October, 2025 2 min read

The news that King Charles has become the first head of the Church of England to pray with the Pope is yet another sign of just how far that institution has drifted — though in truth, it was a compromised institution from the beginning.

For all its pomp and pretence of Protestantism, the Church of England was born of political expediency, not of biblical conviction. Its compromises are woven into its DNA. The monarch’s latest gesture — joining in prayer with the Pope of Rome — simply exposes what has long been true: that Canterbury’s allegiance is not fully to Christ, but to convenience.

The King’s act is not a harmless token of goodwill, nor a mere diplomatic courtesy. It is a betrayal of the gospel itself. The Pope still presides over a system that denies the finished work of Christ, substitutes sacramentalism for faith, and exalts human authority above the Word of God.

New: the ET podcast!