Posted on 04/24/2011 4:00:35 PM PDT by Steelfish
Church Blocks Reforms Over Royal Marriages The Church of England has blocked a Government move to scrap a centuries-old law which prevents members of the Royal family from marrying Roman Catholics, The Daily Telegraph has learnt.
If the Supreme Governor of the Church of England was a Roman Catholic, they would ultimately be answerable to a separate sovereign leader, the Pope, and the Vatican. 24 Apr 2011
Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, began work towards repealing the 1701 Act of Settlement, under which heirs to the throne must renounce their claim on marrying a Roman Catholic, in order to introduce full equality between the faiths. Talks were held with the Anglican Church as part of wider discussions on constitutional reform, which come under his remit as Deputy Prime Minister.
The reforms have also led to steps being made towards securing the agreement of the Commonwealth to end the common law principle of male primogeniture, under which the younger sons of royalty have precedence over their older sisters. However, the plan to abolish the Act of Settlement was quietly shelved after the Church raised significant objections centring on the British sovereign’s dual role as Supreme Governor.
Church leaders expressed concern that if a future heir to the throne married a Roman Catholic, their children would be required by canon law to be brought up in that faith. This would result in the constitutionally problematic situation whereby the Supreme Governor of the Church of England was a Roman Catholic, and so ultimately answerable to a separate sovereign leader, the Pope, and the Vatican. There is no similar prohibition on the Royal family marrying members of other faiths such as Islam and Judaism, or those who are openly agnostic or atheist.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Of course the simple and most logical explanation for this is that Roman Catholics do not crash planes into buildings and behead people when they get pissed off.
So Diana shagging Abu Doody Poopie is all good now.
I probably spelled his name incorrectly.
They think you can marry a Muslim and not have the kids brought up Muslim? Maybe they’d better think twice.
British anti-Catholiocism is very, very strong. And the present Archbishop of Canterbury seems to think that Muslims are admirable.
I would like to see Britain renounce all royalty and establish themselves as a capitalist republic (like America used to be). Instead of restoring the kings and queens they would devote their time and efforts to productivity and profit. They might even regain their stature in the Western World.
Anglican ping
Are marriages between a Protestant and a Catholic recognized by the Roman Catholic Church; what if performed by Protestant clergy, in a Protestant church? Just asking, I don’t know.
Unless they change the rule and allow a Catholic monarch, this will be the last generation of the monarchy. The Church of England is dying, and what will survive will be reconciled to the Catholic Church. If the Church of England dies, so does one of the reasons for the monarchy itself. It will be swept away along with the discarded church.
A quick look at the history of the British Isles from the late 1500’s through 1690 will explain why the prohibition on Roman Catholics exists. It was a long and bloody series of wars over English self government and Protestant religion.
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The purpose of this act is to prevent the Bourbon king of France from obtaining control of the English government.
State religions and monarchies are stupid anachronisms.
I have this expectation once Elizabeth II passes, Prince Charles and Rowan Williams will both state the shahadah prior to the crowning of Charles. Williams will redesignate Westminster Abbey as the Grand Mosque of Westminster, Williams will crown Charles the King of the Islamic Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and King Charles will declare Williams the Grand Imam of Canterbury, and leader of the official state church of the United Kingdom.
As for what happens with Emir William at that point, I have no idea.
You do realize that “republicans” in the UK are left wingers who want to establish a socialist republic, not a republic as we know it? Conservatives in the UK support the Crown.
Whoop. That was centuries ago. Doubt many Brits bother to attend church at all these days. That’s the real problem.
Is? Who is the current king of France?
I agree with you about chruch attendence in the UK.
The church has to give special permissions, called "dispensations"; one to allow the wedding to take place in a Protestant church, and one to allow the wedding to use the Protestant ceremony.
I'm Catholic, and was married in an Episcopal church. If I can do it, the Royal family can as well. ;-)
WRT children being brought up Catholic, the Vatican has been known to dispense from that requirement for the heirs to thrones in Protestant kingdoms. The Brits could also show a little flexibility and allow a Catholic king (if there were one) to appoint a governor over the CofE to act in his place.
Well, we dumped the UK royals and declared a republic a couple centuries ago. That must mean we’re socialists.
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