Gordon Brown promises to scrap ban on catholics occupying the throne and Male line of succession...

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/philip_johnston/blog/2008/09/25/is_it_time_to_scrap_the_act_of_settlement ^ | Telegraph

[sinsofsolarempirefan]

Gordon Brown is reportedly preparing legislation to repeal the Act of Settlement during the fourth term of a Labour government. The give away as to the likelihood of this happening is at the end of the sentence: the prospect of Labour winning a fourth term is about as great as the return of the Jacobite Pretender.

[sinsofsolarempirefan]

However, it's unlikely to go through for two reasons. A), there's a better chance of Satan selling ice-cream in hell than there is Labour being elected again in 2010, B) it would require the consent of all 16 Commonwealth Realms and C) it would neccesitate the disestablishment of the Church of England, which is still a controversial issue, even amongst non-anglicans who fear the total elimination of God from the legislative process if that was allowed to take place...

[Old Sarge]

it would neccesitate the disestablishment of the Church of England

Not to worry, the new Islamic Caliphate of Londonistan will surely allow God to be mentioned...

[mass55th]

They won’t have to worry about it anyway. They’ll be totally taken over by the Muzzies soon enough.

[Fractal Trader]

(Remotely) possible chance of disestablishment.

[muir_redwoods]

"Gordon Brown promises to scrap ban on catholics occupying the throne and Male line of succession..."

I'm glad to see that in GB all the other, bigger problems have been dealt with.

[doc1019]

He should be more worried about a muslim occupying the throne. ;-)

[Milly]

You hit the nail on the head.

[catbertz]

Hell, that’s probably his goal.

[doc1019]

Mayhap!

[sionnsar]

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[AnAmericanMother]

Don't see what the Act of Settlement has to do with the Establishment of the Church.

The Church of England existed and was the established church long before 1701. And parts of the Act have been repealed in the past.

So even if the Act were abrogated in its entirety, it would have no effect on disestablishment.

[Winniesboy]

A rather fuller description of what’s apparently being discussed here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/sep/25/anglicanism.catholicism1
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/sep/26/constitution.anglicanism

[AnAmericanMother]

If the Grauniad said the sun was rising in the east, I would go outside and check.

The idea that it would "inevitably lead" to disestablishment seems to be the opinion (and not coincidentally, the goal) of whoever the flaming Reds at the Guardian are THIS week.

[sitetest]

Dear AnAmericanMother,

Permitting Catholics to ascend to the throne or to be in the line of succession does raise some anomalous issues related to the established Church of England.

In that by British law, the Church of England is clearly distinguished from the “Roman” Catholic Church, it seems an inconsistency to permit a Catholic to be the Supreme Governor (or whatever the monarch is) of the Church of England. The monarch is the person who formally appoints bishops (although the actual selection of bishops is controlled by Parliament), and it seems an odd proposition that a Catholic would be the one who formally appoints bishops for the Church of England.

That's from the Church of England perspective. From the perspective of a Catholic monarch, what would be his or her obligation, as a faithful Catholic? Would it be an act of defection from the faith to participate formally in the administration in the Church of England, and “join in the communion with the Church of England,” as called for by the Act of Settlement? Would a Catholic monarch be obligated to use the power of his or her office to try to return the Church of England to communion with Rome?

I guess that Parliament could remove the title of Supreme Governor from the monarch. That would resolve a lot of these issues by making them moot. But in disestablishing the church from the monarchy, one is halfway to complete disestablishment, and much of the emotional argument, if not rational argument, for establishment goes up in smoke.

As well, my sense is that conversely, much of the emotional argument for the continuation for the monarchy would disappear, as well.

sitetest

[AnAmericanMother]

That's a good point, although the horse is out of the barn a long, long time ago.

Since Parliament actually appoints the bishops, the monarch would simply give his or her assent and that would be that.

I think a Catholic would fulfill any religious obligation he or she might have by ascertaining that the bishops in question were not actively anti-Catholic. And if they abolish the Act of Settlement, he won't have to join the C of E.

And it would be perfectly reasonable to work for a Concordat as a Catholic monarch.

The Charles Kingsley Wing of the Anglican Church would have kittens, though.

[sitetest]

Dear AnAmericanMother,

If you abolish the Act of Settlement, you dismantle much of the machinery of the establishment of the church.

sitetest

[AnAmericanMother]

Which leads us to the next question -- is there enough of the Established Church left to be worth saving?

I'm serious, not being snarky, it seems as though the Anglican Church is deeply troubled. Of course not being on the ground there we can't see what's going on and the newspapers are a notoriously bad (and evil-minded) filter, but it seems as though the Anglicans are in steep decline, with Average Sunday Attendance in free fall, parishes being consolidated or closed, weird priests (like that tattooed, pierced, female biker in hot pants being a curate), and the TAC threatening to bolt over the consecration of female bishops.

The analogous Episcopalians aren't doing well in this country. Many (including our family) were fed up with the political posturing and liberal theology and decamped.

[sitetest]

Dear AnAmericanMother,

“Which leads us to the next question — is there enough of the Established Church left to be worth saving?”

You want MY opinion? LOL. Remember, I'm in full agreement with Pope Leo XIII regarding Anglican orders. I generally refer to the “Church” of England as an ecclesial community. I might not be the right person of whom to ask the question.

However, the point does seem come down to this: Permitting a Catholic to sit on the English throne may not quite “inevitably” lead to disestablishment, but that is probably the likely outcome.

sitetest