C
Chatter163
Guest
Agreed.
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T
TypesAndShadows
Guest
Our Bishops had chosen a different first reading for Mass today (From 1 Kings, Solomon chooses wisdom), which our priest explained before Mass started. We read a prayer for the Queen together (which I was glad about, but wish it had been less Book-of-Common-Prayery) and sang the first verse of the National Anthem, before the final hymn.
Before we read the prayer together, our priest reminded us that we are to pray for our leaders, and that the English Martyrs prayed for God to bless both the Pope and Elizabeth I, even faced with their own painful deaths for being Catholic. He was clearly heading a few parishioners off before they had an occasion of sin!
If I had my druthers, we’d have sung the first two verses of the National Anthem, because the second verse has the other half of the deal, as it were. But we were running late already, and everyone knows the words to the first verse.
I’ve spent three days running Jubilee stuff, so I’m looking forward to spending the bank holidays just enjoying stuff that other people are running! I couldn’t face walking in the rain to the civic service at the local Anglican church this evening: it’s been tipping it down. I did laugh watching footage from the end of the Flotilla on the Thames, when the cameras started to get covered in rain and the Queen started to look fed-up and tired, like a pensioner in a bus shelter on a rainy afternoon.
Before we read the prayer together, our priest reminded us that we are to pray for our leaders, and that the English Martyrs prayed for God to bless both the Pope and Elizabeth I, even faced with their own painful deaths for being Catholic. He was clearly heading a few parishioners off before they had an occasion of sin!
If I had my druthers, we’d have sung the first two verses of the National Anthem, because the second verse has the other half of the deal, as it were. But we were running late already, and everyone knows the words to the first verse.
I’ve spent three days running Jubilee stuff, so I’m looking forward to spending the bank holidays just enjoying stuff that other people are running! I couldn’t face walking in the rain to the civic service at the local Anglican church this evening: it’s been tipping it down. I did laugh watching footage from the end of the Flotilla on the Thames, when the cameras started to get covered in rain and the Queen started to look fed-up and tired, like a pensioner in a bus shelter on a rainy afternoon.
A
arkwright
Guest
Congratulations to the English Catholic bishops .
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ProVobis
Guest
It’s interesting, I think, that the British ask God to “save” the queen, while we here in American ask that God “bless” America, the queen, etc. Is it that we in America are more arrogant or am I reading too much into it?
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ProVobis
Guest
Is Charles even considered a member of good standing with his Church because of his having married a divorcee? I think at one time the Anglican Church was very strict about this.
A
arkwright
Guest
:thumbsup:Thanks . Such common sense !
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LilyM
Guest
My apologies for the tone of my posts.
I fail to see why Her Majesty should not accept that she is a representative of her office as Popes, Australian Prime Ministers and other heads of state and government have done, and in that spirit apologise for the misdoings of her predecessors as they have done for theirs.
I am very glad that she has visited Ireland, and would be very interested to see what references she made to details of the country’s history and Britain’s long involvement therein, while she was there.
As has been pointed out, I am indeed Australian, which makes her my Queen every bit as much as Queen of the UK. In regards her role relating to this country let me relate two royal episodes:
With all the faults of her predecessor George III, at least he cared deeply about what went on in his American domains, and cared about their severing ties with Britain and him.
I fail to see why Her Majesty should not accept that she is a representative of her office as Popes, Australian Prime Ministers and other heads of state and government have done, and in that spirit apologise for the misdoings of her predecessors as they have done for theirs.
I am very glad that she has visited Ireland, and would be very interested to see what references she made to details of the country’s history and Britain’s long involvement therein, while she was there.
As has been pointed out, I am indeed Australian, which makes her my Queen every bit as much as Queen of the UK. In regards her role relating to this country let me relate two royal episodes:
- In 1975, we were facing the worst governmental crisis of our history under Whitlam. Really a total mess. The Queen, through her representative in Oz (the Governor General), has the power to dismiss disfunctional governments and call elections to replace them. And there was strong opinion for and against this being done in 75.
- In 1999 Australia was holding a referendum on whether to become a republic. During this time of great importance to us, Prince Philip made a comment in the media that ‘We (meaning he was speaking on the Queen’s behalf as well) are happy to go (ie for her to no longer be Queen of Australia) whenever you like’.
With all the faults of her predecessor George III, at least he cared deeply about what went on in his American domains, and cared about their severing ties with Britain and him.
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TypesAndShadows
Guest
LilyM, I remember reading about both those events, and I remember reading them as being more about her role than “lack of interest”.
Isn’t it better that the Governor General, right there in Australia fully aware of the situation, resolved it? The Queen would support whatever decision he made. Would it have been better for London to have interfered? It would have had to be the British Government telling the Queen what to tell the Australian government to do, because she can’t actually (constitutionally) give her own political position. So it was either have the GG decide, or have the British Government decide.
In the run-up to a referendum on whether to retain the monarchy, should the monarch (who is constitutionally bound not to give her own political opinions) have argued either way? Her position had to be that she would go whenever the public wanted: would you rather she was fighting for power? I don’t see what better statement could have been made (apart from silence, which Philip is not so good at).
British Prime Ministers have apologised for British acts: for the Queen to do so, she would have to be reading a speech written for her by the government. She is not allowed to give her own view on anything political. She is a figurehead and the last safety valve against an unconscionable law: nothing more.
Isn’t it better that the Governor General, right there in Australia fully aware of the situation, resolved it? The Queen would support whatever decision he made. Would it have been better for London to have interfered? It would have had to be the British Government telling the Queen what to tell the Australian government to do, because she can’t actually (constitutionally) give her own political position. So it was either have the GG decide, or have the British Government decide.
In the run-up to a referendum on whether to retain the monarchy, should the monarch (who is constitutionally bound not to give her own political opinions) have argued either way? Her position had to be that she would go whenever the public wanted: would you rather she was fighting for power? I don’t see what better statement could have been made (apart from silence, which Philip is not so good at).
British Prime Ministers have apologised for British acts: for the Queen to do so, she would have to be reading a speech written for her by the government. She is not allowed to give her own view on anything political. She is a figurehead and the last safety valve against an unconscionable law: nothing more.
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