After all, it is the King, during his long apprenticeship as Prince of Wales, who on occasion publicly questioned the desirability of a too-close connection between the monarch and one branch of Christianity.
#UTALK LOGIN FREE#
It could sound an odd note at a service that – in another new addition – begins with a procession of Jewish, Sunni and Shia Muslim, Sikh, Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, Bahá’í and Zoroastrian representatives and continues later at the blessing with the Most Rev Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York, joined by Catholic, Orthodox and free church leaders of all Christian denominations.Īccusing Welby of wanting it both ways over this, however, may be misdirected. Multi-faith Britain is surely about all faiths being equal, not one taking the lead. Seventy years on, though, the Archbishop has felt the need to offer an introduction before the King’s Oath that is anything but woke, since it underlines the pole position of the Church of England as “the Church established by law, whose settlement you will swear to maintain”.Įven having to spell it out might be taken as a sign of weakness, especially when, in almost the same breath, more fresh words will claim a new role for the Church of England because “ will seek to foster an environment in which people of all faiths and beliefs may live freely”. So will they, as Welby’s formula of words in the order of service demands, join in with swearing allegiance not just to the King, but to Princes William and George – in effect guaranteeing the future of the monarchy? He isn’t hedging his bets here.Īgain in 1953, when support for both the monarchy and the Church of England was more of a given in society, the status of the Church required no extra words to be added to the service to buttress it. While there may still be majority support for the monarchy, a sizeable minority favour a republic – especially younger people. It is certainly much less fervent and chivalrous than the words used by princes and lords in 1953, but woke? Surely including God is a misstep in the opposite direction when society is not just less interested in class but also increasingly secular and sceptical. This time round, after the Prince of Wales and just a handful of Anglican bishops have stepped forward, the rebranded Homage of the People will see lords, ladies and minor royals remain seated as the Archbishop instead invites people in the Abbey and at home to say aloud a scripted pledge of allegiance: “I swear that I will pay true allegiance to Your Majesty, and to your heirs and successors according to law. It was Prince Philip, as Duke of Edinburgh, who was the first to do so, swearing – as did all who followed him – to “become your liege man of life and limb, and of earthly worship”. In 1953, as for centuries before that, this was a moment for royalty and aristocracy in a deferential society to pay homage to the newly crowned sovereign. Take the Homage, always one of the core elements of the service, which will happen this time between the Enthronement of King Charles III and the Coronation of Queen Camilla. But already, complaints have been heard that he has, in places, strayed over the line, preferring ‘wokery’ over the cherished traditions and continuity that underpin both monarch and Church. The real test of his efforts will come on the day with how the 1,000-year-old reworked Coronation ritual goes down, notably with the millions watching it around the country and the world. With the Coronation service, the Archbishop faced a choice between a once-in-a-career opportunity to reassert the continuing place of the established Church at the very heart of our nation, and shaping a service that will reach the more than 50 per cent of the population who did not call themselves Christian in the last census. And Welby risks being accused of trying to be everything to everyone and ending up pleasing no one – a charge that has been levelled at him throughout his nearly 11 years at Lambeth Palace. So the innovations that will be seen, when compared with the order of service at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II almost 70 years ago, tell us as much about the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury as they do about our King. There has been much talk of how the King, one who makes his views known, wants a more modern, more inclusive ceremony.īut since this is, ultimately, a religious service – the Coronation sits within an Anglican Communion service – the final responsibility for what happens lies with the Archbishop of Canterbury, on this occasion the Most Rev Justin Welby. The order of service for the Coronation is, by tradition, the work of many hands – Church, state and monarch.
0 kommentar(er)
