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So many zealous Catholics have spent the last two days in vitriolic condemnation of King Charles III coronation that it is pleasant to hear the other side.
A Catholic prelate, Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster, will participate in the coronation for the first time since the Reformation, offering a blessing after the crowning.
Father Mark Vickers, a priest of the Diocese of Westminster and a historian and author, said that despite the Protestant nature of the proceedings — including the king’s oath — Catholics can and should pray for the king and rejoice in the fact the ceremony is so explicitly Christian.
“The imagery and the symbolism and much of the language is that of the Catholic, medieval coronation service,” he said. “I think we should be very happy [about this] very explicit Christian prayer for our new head of state, and this is going to be televised to millions and millions of people across the world.”
Within the coronation liturgy, numerous symbols soaked with Christian meaning will be present, including pieces of “regalia” that may seem odd to the untrained eye but speak to the religious nature of the monarch’s role.
Here’s a guide to some of the Christian symbols you will observe during the coronation, many of which have Catholic origins.
Read on for explanation and pictures of the symbols.
A Catholic prelate, Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster, will participate in the coronation for the first time since the Reformation, offering a blessing after the crowning.
Father Mark Vickers, a priest of the Diocese of Westminster and a historian and author, said that despite the Protestant nature of the proceedings — including the king’s oath — Catholics can and should pray for the king and rejoice in the fact the ceremony is so explicitly Christian.
“The imagery and the symbolism and much of the language is that of the Catholic, medieval coronation service,” he said. “I think we should be very happy [about this] very explicit Christian prayer for our new head of state, and this is going to be televised to millions and millions of people across the world.”
Within the coronation liturgy, numerous symbols soaked with Christian meaning will be present, including pieces of “regalia” that may seem odd to the untrained eye but speak to the religious nature of the monarch’s role.
Here’s a guide to some of the Christian symbols you will observe during the coronation, many of which have Catholic origins.
Read on for explanation and pictures of the symbols.