The coronation of King Charles III takes place in Westminster Abbey on May 6, 2023.
This coronation will have major significance for Roman Catholics in the United Kingdom and throughout the Commonwealth. King Charles noted previously that he would prefer to be titled “Defender of Faith” rather than the “Defender of The Faith.” The latter title — indicating the Supreme Governor of the Church of England — has been held by every British monarch since Henry VIII.
A ROYAL PRAYER
In a major break with tradition, King Charles will pray aloud during the ceremony — we do not yet know the content of his prayer.
As he wants to “protect all Faiths, not just Christianity” he is planning for representatives from several non-Christian religions to participate in the coronation ceremony including Jewish; Sunni & Shia Muslim; Sikh; Buddhist; Hindu; Jain/Jain Dharma; Bahai and Zoroastrian communities.
His commitment to Christian ecumenism has improved also. Though “Catholic prelates were not included among 50 public figures assigned formal roles in the order of service” there is a humongous change in that “for the first time since Henry VIII and his Reformation…six [Catholic] bishops will be present, including the Vatican’s Cardinal Parolin”!
“Recent statistics show that Catholics make up around 13% of the United Kingdom’s 67 million inhabitants, with Anglicans at 14%.” His public prayer would be an opportune time to offer even an olive twig to his many Roman Catholic subjects.
CORONATION OATH
King Charles III has to swear the oath as specified by the Coronation Oath Act, 1688:
“The Arch-Bishop or Bishop shall say,
Will You solemnely Promise and Sweare to Governe the People of this Kingdome of England and the Dominions thereto belonging according to the Statutes in Parlyament Agreed on and the Laws and Customs of the same?
The King and Queene shall say,
I solemnly Promise soe to doe.
Arch Bishop or Bishop,
Will You to Your power cause Law and Justice in Mercy to be Executed in all Your Judgements.
King and Queene,
I will.
Arch Bishop or Bishop.
Will You to the utmost of Your power Maintaine the Laws of God the true Profession of the Gospell and the Protestant Reformed Religion Established by Law? And will You Preserve unto the Bishops and Clergy of this Realme and to the Churches committed to their Charge all such Rights and Priviledges as by Law doe or shall appertaine unto them or any of them.
King and Queene.
All this I Promise to doe.
After this the King and Queene laying His and Her Hand upon the Holy Gospells, shall say,
King and Queene
The things which I have here before promised I will performe and Keepe Soe help me God.
Then the King and Queene shall kisse the Booke.”
Apparently King Charles had wished to change the oath, but changes must be approved by Parliament. (There have been slight variations in the past, mostly to allow for changes in the Commonwealth.) Instead — as revealed by The Telegraph — Archbishop Welby will introduce the Coronation Oath with a carefully worded statement explaining the Church of England’s “modern understanding” of its role in protecting “all faiths.”
Great sentiment — but the traditional Coronation Oath doth reign!
OATH OF ALLEGIANCE
This is where it gets stickier for Catholics!
The Archbishop of Canterbury will call upon “all persons of goodwill in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and of the other realms and the territories to make their homage, in heart and voice, to their undoubted King, defender of all” to make an oath:
“I swear that I will pay true allegiance to Your Majesty, and to your heirs and successors according to law. So help me God.”
Roman Catholics have to assess whether this ‘true allegiance’ is akin to the former Oath of Supremacy which was required of St. Thomas More:
“I, (name) do utterly testifie and declare in my Conscience, that the Kings Highnesse is the onely Supreame Governour of this Realme, and all other his Highnesse Dominions and Countries, as well in all Spirituall or Ecclesiasticall things or causes…”
More refused to swear allegiance to Henry VIII “in all spiritual and ecclesiastical things” — so was executed for treason in 1532. As he ascended to his execution, he is reported as saying:
“I am the King’s good servant, but God’s first.”
I was brought up Roman Catholic in the British Midlands, so am aware of the many entrenched attitudes against Catholicism in the United Kingdom. Let us pray that the protections provided by King Charles III as ‘Defender of Faith’ will extend to his Roman Catholic subjects.
Kevin Hay
(You can follow Kevin on Twitter @kevinhay77)
