King Felipe VI took possession this Friday, March 20, 2026, of the title of honorary proto-canon of the papal basilica of Santa María la Mayor, in Rome, as part of his official visit to the Vatican alongside Queen Letizia.
The ceremony took place inside the Liberian Basilica and was presided over by the archpriest of the temple, Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas. The event unfolded in accordance with the chapter’s own ceremonial, including prayer, readings, and the symbolic incorporation of the monarch into this ecclesiastical body. Members of the Spanish delegation and various ecclesiastical authorities were present at the celebration,
The title of proto-canon is honorary in nature and traditionally corresponds to the King of Spain as the first canon of the basilica. This connection dates back several centuries, in the context of the historical relationship between the Spanish monarchy and Santa María la Mayor, one of the oldest and most significant Marian temples in Rome.
The taking of possession occurred after the previous audience held with Pope Leo XIV in the Apostolic Palace, in the context of institutional relations between the Holy See and the Kingdom of Spain, and on the eve of the Pontiff’s upcoming visit to Spanish territory.
During the event, the king delivered a few words in which he appealed to clarity, concord, and commitment to the common good, in line with the symbolic and representative nature of this title.
With this ceremony, Felipe VI formalizes a prerogative historically linked to the Spanish Crown and already assumed by his predecessors, in continuity with a tradition that remains alive in the institutional and ecclesiastical sphere.