OIC. Then, why did those families request him if they didn’t want a Christian funeral in the first place? The law doesn’t require that those services have to be performed solely by CoE clergies, does it?
When Cranmer constituted the Church in this way, like yourself he could not conceive of people who had no professed faith wanting to use the Churches ministrations. the world to day would have made no sense to him (and increasingly less to me)
There is a lovely quote from Cranmer on infant baptism which he supported on covenant grounds. When it was pointed out to him that lots of babies would grow into heathens he waved the point away with, “So we wet a few goats, what does that matter”
You gotta love those guys.
Anyway, it means the Anglicans have some of the most awesome(9th to 15th Century) buildings in the world.
Good for Photos.
I would think these families request the local C of E in much the same way as non church goers in the USA get married in a local church or baptise their babies there. It is part of the tradition. Many churches are refusing to perform these ceremonies knowing full well that they will never hear from these people again. But human nature is such that when a ritual milestone has been reached, it is usual to give it a religious overtone. It is interesting. The Bible states that God has put knowlege of Him in our hearts, but many reject choose to reject Him. These people have a vague notion of God which is why they cling to their rites, but have clearly departed from the truth.