The British Monarch Decides to Convert - What would happen?

[Cetil]

I find it interesting that Palace spokesmen are not denying Charles’ interest in Greek orthodoxy but are simply declining comment. That may speak for itself.
As to anti-Catholicism in Britain here is a catholic British journalist’s opinion:
blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/damianthompson/9306667/Browns_plan_to_amend_the_Act_of_Settlement_is_an_attempt_to_neuter_Catholics/

Gordon Brown continues with his plans to overturn the Act of Settlement:
virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=11659

C.

 

[JRKH]

That should be ‘British’ people, actually. For better or worse, the monarch is titular head of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Or the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as it should be called (but isn’t very often).

My bad - Yes I should have said “British”

Um, who would these people be?

I don’t know names, but if your country is anything like ours, there will always be someone to “Squawk”.

I think parliament probably would act, but only to rush through a law that permitted a monarch to be Roman Catholic. Provision would have to be made for the headship of the Anglican Church, and that would mean either the role passing to another royal, or the disestablishment of the church, neither of which would cause any real consequences to anyone.

After much fal-der-all I suspect.

Parliament only ever does things because of public opinion - after all, its made up of politicians and fellow travellers (and a few hereditary peers of waning significance). That’s why they’d rapidly pass a new law, because public opinion would be (overwhelmingly) that religion isn’t a relevant issue when it pertains to who gets to wave imperiously at us at film premieres and other events for the tourists.

Perhaps, but such a rapid law passage would only be required because a previous law causes a problem. A law that would require them to act, regardless of public opinion.
So all you are saying here is they would need to act to align WITH public opinion rather than contrary to it as the law now stands.

They might try (it would help if I knew who they were so as to be able to comment in greater depth ) but the nation and its politicians wouldn’t care enough to listen to them.

I’d think the Archbishop of Canterberry (sp) would be none to happy about it

Peace
James

 

[Ocarm]

My bad - Yes I should have said “British”

You’re in good company. Lots of British people make the same mistake.

I don’t know names, but if your country is anything like ours, there will always be someone to “Squawk”.

Quite possibly the small minority of genuine haters of Catholicism to whom I alluded in my post would object, but kind of by definition no-one would take them seriously.

After much fal-der-all I suspect.

Oh yes! As said above, it would a soap opera of grand proportions, and an undoubted nine-day wonder.

So all you are saying here is they would need to act to align WITH public opinion rather than contrary to it as the law now stands.

Yes, and that’s the silliness of the whole issue. There is already a fairly substantial constituency arguing that the existing law is foolish, precisely because so few people in the UK care what religion the monarch happens to be; and also because a church headed by said monarch does not thus gain any credibility, but is instead tarred by any scandal attached to them.

I’d think the Archbishop of Canterberry (sp) would be none to happy about it

‘Canterbury’ - Where I attend theological college, by the way.

Its interesting - I think you’re probably right, but there are many Anglicans who don’t like having the monarch as their head, specifically because of the possibility of the aforementioned association of scandal through them, and also because dynastic ecclesiastical rule is seen as an outdated concept…

Peace
James

And also to you.

 

[FabiusMaximus]

An article posted yesterday got me thinking about this.

Suppose the British Monarch decided that he/she could no longer remain outside the Church but must be in full communion with Rome and was prepared to renounce his/her position and authority as the supreme head of the church in England.

In the Olden days such a move would mean that the country would need to convert in toto, or go to war to overthow the monarch.

But how would England handle such a crisis today?

Any Speculation???

Peace
James

I think the monarch would be forced to abdicate the throne in favor of a successor that is a member of the Church of England.

The monarchy is steeped in tradition, as is British law in general (which is why they have no constitution), and part of it is that a monarch must be a member of the Anglican Church.

 

[Marie5890]

The Supreme Governor of the Church of England is the British monarch who wears the crown (Now Queen Elizabeth II).

If whomever wears the crown would convert to anything other than the Church of Englan, they have to abducate the throne (I believe Edward II, who was Duke of York? and in line for the throne? had to give up his rights to the crown when he converted and married a Catholic?? Not too sure about the specs on that, but some male heir did give up their rights to the crown back in the early 20th century.)

 

[ChadS]

What UK are you talking about? The only bit I recognized was where you said that Blair didn’t want to seem to be too religious - instant death for a British politician.

I don’t think I spoke out of place on what Anglicanism means to Great Britain and the following comments seem to be very much in line with my thoughts.

The laws would seem to indicate that as head of the COE it’s impossible for a monarch to also be Catholic. They would be forced to abdicate their throne in favor of a family member that remained Anglican. If the British seem complacent about this subject now I wonder how they woud react if it was really tested?

ChadS

 

[Kaninchen]

I don’t think I spoke out of place on what Anglicanism means to Great Britain and the following comments seem to be very much in line with my thoughts.

The laws would seem to indicate that as head of the COE it’s impossible for a monarch to also be Catholic. They would be forced to abdicate their throne in favor of a family member that remained Anglican. If the British seem complacent about this subject now I wonder how they woud react if it was really tested?

ChadS

Most of the ‘following comments’ that agreed with you weren’t from the UK and that, I would suggest, is rather significant.

Would there have to be a change in the law? Yes there would. Would anybody care? I’d suggest that some would and most wouldn’t - religion plays nothing like the role it plays in the US for example - there are UK posters on CAF who, while of different religions, have agreed from time to time that the problem (common to a lot of Western Europe) is indifference to religious issues of any sort and we all rather wish that it wasn’t. I expect that the Monarchy would rather like people to care about it at more than a ‘soap opera’ level as well.

I suppose that what I’ve been trying to say in this thread is that the picture that people outside the UK (or Western Europe, generally) have of life here often takes one’s breath away - it’s a picture of a kind of society that ceased to exist decades ago.

How many days would the headlines last? Rather depends on whether there’s a scandal involving one of our top football stars, or what some C-list celeb has managed to get up to, or, indeed, whether Prince Harry has been photographed up to some drunken antics.

 

[Nine_Two]

The population in general hate Catholicism so yes.

Catholics form the single largest religious group in Britain.

There was once an intense social dislike for Catholics however as far as I’m aware, outside Northern Ireland, secularism reigns and no one cares much what religion you practice.

However there is stull the issue that the law requires Catholics to abdicate the throne.

 

[Marie5890]

History of Supreme Governor of Church of England (IE the monarch on the throne)

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Governor_of_the_Church_of_England

 

[Havard]

Years ago, when I lived in England, I dated the daughter of Sir Philip Mawer, the then-Secretary General of the General Synod of the Church of England. (To my knowledge, that is the highest lay position in the Anglican Church.) The Mawer family was well aware of my Catholicism, and that I went to Mass every Sunday, as I did many times before taking the train to visit their home in Hertfordshire for Sunday dinners. Sir Philip himself was a very kind man, and showed great respect for my faith. If someone in his position would allow me to court his daughter without concern for scandal, it would seem to me that only the most traditional Anglicans would find scandal in a Royal deciding to convert.

 

[paperwight]

To the posters who spoke regarding the hatred of Catholics in the UK: I don’t experience this, and as a religious who wears a habit I think I’d be a fairly good target if people were looking for one.

There is some contempt for religion generally, sure; and perhaps the high profile abuse cases have made the church more of a target than usual in recent years; but the virulent hatred of Catholics that is sometimes found in non-Catholic countries is the province of only a small minority here. There are similar small minorities who exhibit prejudices based on race and other issues, but typically the UK doesn’t do hatred very well. It takes more energy than we’re willing to put into anything.

I quite agree. I have never encountered any anti-Catholic prejudice, certainly not here on the mainland. Generally, we live and let live, as we are an overcrowded little land, and history has taught us that tolerance is the only way we can live peacefully. Being intolerant is seen as being uneducated.

I have seen most astounding scenes in television reports from Northern Ireland, sadly, but it needs to be remembered that the situation there is many-layered, involving perceived injustices in employment and housing.

 

[Usbek_de_Perse]

Such a happening would help disestablish the Church of England, and that would be very good for it.