The coronation weekend of service
The call to serve, which echoed round Westminster Abbey through the coronation service, was heard by an estimated 19 million people in Britain. In a pageant which re-asserted the place of the Church of England at the heart of the British constitution, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, told the global audience: “We are here to crown a King, and we crown a King to serve… Service is love in action. We see active love in our care for the most vulnerable, the way we nurture and encourage the young, in the conservation of the natural world. We have seen those priorities in the life of duty lived by our King”.
At the end of the coronation weekend, Lambeth Palace issued a statement: “We give thanks for a beautiful service that was both sacred and solemn, joyful and inspiring, and suffused with the love of God. For the Church, it was a moment to reflect on the commitment that The King and Queen have made to serve God and the people. It was also an opportunity to thank all those who devote their lives others, and recommit ourselves to loving service in our communities and beyond”.
There was also a significant promise in the service. In a preface to the traditional oaths made by the King, the Church of England is now formally committed to fostering “an environment in which people of all faiths and beliefs may live freely”.
The King’s firm intent to act on this was shown by the inclusion of faith leaders representing all traditions, who processed into Westminster Abbey, with six giving the final greeting to the King as he left the Abbey. The Muslim Council of Britain commended the King’s commitment to inclusivity and unity by inviting faith communities to participate. In a statement, it paid tribute to the King’s work in improving the understanding of Islam and Muslims and in promoting interfaith dialogue.
One of the faith guests was the Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis, who was asked by The Telegraph to name the most special moment:
“I would say atmosphere. When people are creating an event, whatever the event is, you can prepare everything except for the atmosphere. Either it’s there or it’s not. In our Jewish tradition, we believe that in the presence of monarchy, there is an aura. And for us, it goes further, because we say that a monarch of flesh and blood reminds us of the grandeur of the monarch in heaven above who is God. And certainly in the Abbey there was excitement there was celebration”.
The Big Help Out
All the faith leaders who gave the greeting, backed The Big Help Out, which took place yesterday as people were encouraged to volunteer to help their local communities. An estimated six million people took part. This has been described as the lasting legacy of the coronation, acting as a springboard for volunteering in Britain. Zaki Cooper, who once worked with the royal household and helped organise the Big Help Out, told a RMC briefing that they had seen “a disproportionate interest and involvement from faith communities”. And while faith leaders had backed the idea, he said this was also about action “and that’s something that the faith communities are so brilliant at”.
The Big Lunch
Street parties and lunches were held across Britain on Sunday, to promote neighbourliness and friendship, with Buckingham Palace estimating that 65,000 events took place. Many lunches were organised in or outside churches after the morning service, such as in Glastonbury (pictured) where 100 people gathered.
Brendan Cox, Co-Founder of the Together Coalition, which organised the Big Help, said, “The UK’s faith communities excel at volunteering and bringing people together. That’s why what they can contribute to the Big Help is so exciting. Today’s intervention by senior leaders from faith and belief groups in the United Kingdom, covering the four nations, is a call to action for the faith communities to build the next generation of volunteers.”
Coronation service “ludicrous” in a country where religion is in decline
The National Secular Society says King Charles’ coronation should trigger a debate on the future relationship between church and state. It has criticised the coronation as an “unnecessary and expensive religious ritual” which is incompatible with democracy and equality between citizens of different religions and beliefs. NSS chief executive Stephen Evans said: “An exclusively Anglican ceremony is a ludicrous way to inaugurate a head of state in one of the least religious countries on earth. The inclusion of other faith representatives to carry the King’s regalia is mere tokenism. The whole event is about protecting and projecting Anglican privilege and supremacism”.
Muslim Institute fund to support education and community building
The Muslim Institute is launching a £10k Community Empowerment Fund to support grassroot organisations and individuals in neglected and overlooked communities. It will seek out and promote excellence and achievement in education and in the community. The Fund will be in memory of the late Merryl Wyn Davies, a Welsh Muslim scholar, writer, broadcaster and former director of the Muslim Institute, who died in 2021. The Institute says she was a champion for the marginalised and unapologetically working-class. This is one of many initiatives to mark the Institute’s 50th anniversary this year.
Catholic diocese in America files for bankruptcy due to sex abuse claims
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland has filed for bankruptcy due to hundreds of new child sex abuse claims, becoming the second diocese in California to do so. The Associated Press reports that the diocese faces 330 law suits dating back to the 1980s and beyond. Bishop Michael C. Barber has published a letter saying a Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization would allow claims to be evaluated in a fair and equitable process, while allowing the church to re-organise and continue its work. AP quotes a survivors’ network saying the process will allow information to be hidden and suggesting that the diocese could sell property to pay compensation instead.
More people pray in their car than in church, US survey suggests
A survey commissioned in America suggests that people pray more in their cars than in any other location. The Religion News Service reports 61 per cent of those surveyed pray in a car compared to 46 per cent in a place of worship. 50 per cent pray when they wake up, but 55 per cent pray at bedtime. The survey is of 1,700 Americans commissioned by The Radiance Foundation
