Updates/Clarification on the Coronation Oath Issues, Etc

When I talked to Anna Mitchell on the Son Rise Morning Show Thursday, May 4th, she had just read the news at the bottom of the hour (6:30 a.m. my time) that Vincent Nichols, the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster would be the first Catholic prelate to be present at a Coronation since the English Reformation to offer this benediction: “May God pour upon you the riches of his grace, keep you in his holy fear, prepare you for a happy eternity, and receive you at the last into his immortal glory.” (Note that the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales also issued a special prayer card for the occasion, urging Catholics to pray for the new King and Queen.)

So we had a brief discussion about who had been the last Catholic bishop at a Coronation and she was a little surprised to hear that the last Catholic Coronation had been that of Queen Elizabeth I. Owen Oglethorpe, the Bishop of Carlisle, presided over her Coronation on January 15, 1559 and celebrated the Catholic Mass too, of course.

Elizabeth I did not have many choices: her Reformation Parliament had not met yet; Reginald Cardinal Pole, the Archbishop of Canterbury had died the same day as Mary I, and other prelates either refused or were not to her liking. As Oglethorpe's entry in the Dictionary of National Biography explains:

He showed some firmness when called upon to say mass before the queen in the first days of her reign. Elizabeth forbade him to elevate the Host, which, according to a Roman authority, he insisted on doing (Strype, Annals, vol. i. pt. i. p. 73). The coronation soon followed. In the vacancy of the see of Canterbury, it naturally fell to the Archbishop of York to perform the ceremony; but Heath, alarmed by ominous presages of a change in religion, refused to officiate. Tunstall of Durham was too old, and perhaps shared in Heath's objection. It devolved, therefore, on Oglethorpe, as his suffragan, to take his metropolitan's place, and on 16 Jan. 1559, the other diocesan bishops attending, with the exception of Bonner, who, however, lent him his robes for the function, he placed the crown on the head of Elizabeth, but it is asserted that he never forgave himself for an act the momentous consequences of which he hardly foresaw, and remorse for his unfaithfulness to the church is said to have hastened his end. The same month he attended Elizabeth's first parliament, when he expressed his dissent from the bills for restoring the first-fruits and tenths to the crown, and the royal supremacy, the iniquitous forced exchange of bishops' lands for impropriate tithes, and other measures (Strype, Annals, vol. i. pt. i. pp. 82-7). He was also present at the opening of the disputation on religion at Westminster in March 1559, and was one of those who were fined for declining to enter on the dispute when they saw which way things were tending. The fine imposed on him amounted to 250l., and he had to give recognisances for good behaviour (ib. pp. 129, 137-9). On 15 May, together with Archbishop Heath and the other bishops who adhered to the old faith, he was summoned before the queen, and, on their unanimous refusal to take the oath of supremacy, they were all deprived (ib. pp. 206, 210). He only survived his deprivation a few months. He died suddenly of apoplexy on the last day of that year.

That same entry by Edmund Venables explains that this was a change in character for Oglethorpe, for with the accession of young King Edward VI, "His conduct shows him to have being a man of no strength of character, with little love for the series of religious changes through which the clergy were being hustled, but reluctantly accepting them rather than forego the dignity and emoluments of office."

More detail about Elizabeth I's coronation here from a 1953 article by A.L. Rowse.

Also, just before we went on the air, I added the detail (via a Facebook message) that the Oath Charles III is taking today is a drastic revision of the the Oath as written after the Glorious Revolution. That oath contained several anti-Catholic statements. King Edward VII, Queen Victoria's son, had not wanted to profess those promises, but could not get the changes made; his son George V (Charles' great-grandfather) refused to open the next Parliament unless the oath was revised as it is now and was for King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II. The Coronation Oath before 1910 was this:

"I, A. B., by the grace of God King (or Queen) of England, Scotland and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, do solemnly and sincerely in the presence of God, profess, testify, and declare, that I do believe that in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper there is not any Transubstantiation of the elements of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ at or after the consecration thereof by any person whatsoever: and that the invocation or adoration of the Virgin Mary or any other Saint, and the Sacrifice of the Mass, as they are now used in the Church of Rome, are superstitious and idolatrous. And I do solemnly in the presence of God profess, testify, and declare that I do make this declaration, and every part thereof, in the plain and ordinary sense of the words read unto me, as they are commonly understood by English Protestants, without any such dispensation from any person or authority or person whatsoever, or without thinking that I am or can be acquitted before God or man, or absolved of this declaration or any part thereof, although the Pope, or any other person or persons, or power whatsoever, should dispense with or annul the same or declare that it was null and void from the beginning."

Since the Glorious Revolution had overthrown the last Catholic King of England, James II and he was in France and his sons and grandsons would remain Pretenders to the throne, such an Anti-Catholic Oath was thought necessary.

See page 19 of the May issue of The Portal, the magazine of the Anglican Ordinariate in England for more background!

Preview: The Coronation Oaths and the King's Prayer, Etc.

Tomorrow morning, I'll be on the Son Rise Morning Show at my usual time, a little after 6:45 a.m. Central/7:45 a.m. Eastern to talk about the upcoming Coronation of King Charles III on Saturday, May 6th. Specifically, Anna Mitchell or Matt Swaim and I will discuss the promises King Charles will make regarding religion in the Coronation Oath. 

How appropriate to discuss this on the Feast of the Catholic Martyrs of England and Wales!! This is why I love to study the history of the Catholic Church in England because that Coronation Oath is a symbol of the lasting effects of the English Reformation, no matter how much the practice of the Christian faith has changed in England during the past few centuries. The purpose of our conversation is just to highlight how the establishment of an official state religion affects the celebration of a national event such as a Coronation. 

The person in charge of coordinating this event (as he was for the Queen's funeral last year) is the Earl Marshal of England, the 18th Duke of Norfolk, Edward Fitzalan-Howard, who just happens to be the most senior lay member of the Catholic church, and the most senior peer in the land. The Howard family claims two of the martyrs being celebrated on May 4: Saint Philip Howard and Blessed William Howard.

Please listen live here or find the podcast later that day here.

You might remember that many years ago, Charles, the Prince of Wales, spoke about being called the "Defender of Faith" in general, instead of  the "Defender of The (Protestant) Faith." This article cites that 1994 comment and discusses other aspects of the Coronation ceremony touching on the matter of the diversity of religions practiced in England and the Commonwealth in contrast to the very Anglican Christian ceremonies that comprise the anointing and coronation of the monarch in England--including Holy Communion, according to the Common Worship of the Church of England (not the Book of Common Prayer).

You might remember also that the Kings and Queens Regnant of England have been called the "Defender of the Faith" because Henry VIII was granted that title by Pope Leo X. The British Library's Medieval Manuscripts blog reminds us why he received that title:

Henry was given the title Defender of the Faith in recognition for his Assertio Septem Sacramentorum (Defence of the Seven Sacraments). Possibly written in consultation with Thomas More (b. 1478, d. 1535) and Cardinal Wolsey (b. c. 1473, d. 1530), Henry’s principal statesmen at this point in his reign, this theological treatise acted as a response to the pronouncements of the German theologian Martin Luther (b. 1483, d. 1546), whose ideas helped to shape the Protestant Reformation movement during the 16th century. . . .

After his excommunication, of course, Henry was stripped of that title by the Pope. But as the British Library's Medieval Manuscripts blog further explains (in 2020):

towards the end of Henry’s reign, in 1543, the English Parliament passed an act that restored the title for him and his successors. Since then, it has continued to be used as part of the styling of British monarchs (including the reigning Elizabeth II) to indicate their role as Head of the Church of England. It even features on coins of the realm, with the Latin Fidei defensor appearing in its abbreviated form F.D beside the Queen’s portrait.

New Charles III coins are in circulation of course, with the F.D. beside the King's portrait.

Dr. Francis Young has posted this comparison of the Coronation Rituals of 1953 and 2023 on his blog including some commentary. Here are some pertinent portions:

THE OATH:

Archbishop of Canterbury: Your Majesty, the Church established by law, whose settlement you will swear to maintain, is committed to the true profession of the Gospel, and, in so doing, will seek to foster an environment in which people of all faiths and beliefs may live freely. The Coronation Oath has stood for centuries* and is enshrined in law. Are you willing to take the Oath? 

COMMENTARY: These words spoken by the Archbishop before asking the King if he is willing to take the oath are new: ‘Your Majesty, the Church established by law, whose settlement you will swear to maintain, is committed to the true profession of the Gospel, and, in so doing, will seek to foster an environment in which people of all faiths and beliefs may live freely. The Coronation Oath has stood for centuries and is enshrined in law.’ The new words would seem calculated to explain that the Coronation Oath need not compromise the King’s commitment to a multifaith society, as well as explaining why the King is still required to take the oath – because it is legally required. The words of the oath to govern his realms and dominions according to their respective laws and customs is unchanged from 1953, apart from the omission of those Commonwealth realms over which the King no longer reigns as monarch. The words of the King’s ecclesiastical oath remain entirely unchanged.

Archbishop of Canterbury: 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: All this I promise to do. The things which I have here before promised I will perform and keep. So help me God.

Archbishop of Canterbury: Your Majesty, are you willing to make, subscribe and declare to the statutory Accession Declaration Oath?

The King: I am willing. The King: I Charles do solemnly and sincerely in the presence of God profess, testify, and declare that I am a faithful Protestant, and that I will, according to the true intent of the enactments which secure the Protestant succession to the Throne, uphold and maintain the said enactments to the best of my powers according to law.

COMMENTARY: There was no Accession Oath in 1953 because Elizabeth II took the oath at the State Opening of Parliament on 4 November 1952, before her Coronation; because there has been no State Opening of Parliament since the King’s accession, it is necessary for him to take the Accession Oath at his Coronation.

THE KING'S PRAYER:

The King: God of compassion and mercy whose Son was sent not to be served but to serve, give grace that I may find in thy service perfect freedom and in that freedom knowledge of thy truth. Grant that I may be a blessing to all thy children, of every faith and conviction, that together we may discover the ways of gentleness and be led into the paths of peace. through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

COMMENTARY: The King’s Prayer is entirely an innovation in 2023 and represents a significant departure from previous practice, since it seems calculated to allow the King to express his personal spiritual convictions.

Please see the rest there. Young also comments on the uses of languages spoken on the British Isles as the Veni, Creator Spiritus/Come, Creator Spirit will be recited in English, Welsh, Irish Gaelic, and Scots Gaelic. The Gloria will be sung in Latin in one of William Byrd's settings (not sure if it's from the Mass for Three Voices, or for Four Voices, or for Five Voices!). 

Six new liturgical anthems and what we Catholics call parts of the Mass (the Kyrie, the Sanctus, the Agnus Dei) have been specially commissioned, but "Zadok the Priest" in Handel's setting and Walton's "Te Deum" will be included, along with some other familiar Anglican hymns.

The Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed will NOT be sung as it was in 1953. Is this another way for King Charles III to acknowledge religious diversity in Great Britain?

The Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster and other Christian leaders will offer benedictions. 

The BBC News website has provided a guide to the events of the day and the Church of England has also published a guide to the liturgy. I presume it will be broadcast here in the USA starting quite early in the morning.

I'll be getting ready to attend First Saturday Mass and devotions, so I doubt I'll see much of it! May God bless them all as He sees fit!

Holy Catholic Martyrs of England and Wales, pray for us!

*UPDATE: The Oath that King Charles III will swear on Saturday has not really "stood for centuries": this form of the Oath dates from 1910 and the Coronation of his great-grandfather King George V, who wanted (like his own father King Edward VII had) the anti-Catholic language taken out of the Oath as it was written after the Glorious Revolution of 1688:

"I, A. B., by the grace of God King (or Queen) of England, Scotland and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, do solemnly and sincerely in the presence of God, profess, testify, and declare, that I do believe that in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper there is not any Transubstantiation of the elements of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ at or after the consecration thereof by any person whatsoever: and that the invocation or adoration of the Virgin Mary or any other Saint, and the Sacrifice of the Mass, as they are now used in the Church of Rome, are superstitious and idolatrous. And I do solemnly in the presence of God profess, testify, and declare that I do make this declaration, and every part thereof, in the plain and ordinary sense of the words read unto me, as they are commonly understood by English Protestants, without any such dispensation from any person or authority or person whatsoever, or without thinking that I am or can be acquitted before God or man, or absolved of this declaration or any part thereof, although the Pope, or any other person or persons, or power whatsoever, should dispense with or annul the same or declare that it was null and void from the beginning"

See page 19 of The Portal, the magazine of the Anglican Ordinariate in England!