baldysblog.co.uk

The Arch Bishop of Canterbury has been “at it again” by saying in an interview concerning disestablishing the Church of England: “I can see that it’s by no means the end of the world if the establishment disappears. There is a certain integrity to that.”

Of course from a purely theological perspective he is quite right but this is not just a theological situation and like it or not, the rather odd position of the C of E as in most things to do with the British Constitution has a broad social and historical perspective. Of course the Vandals and Visigoths that sit on the Labour backbenches being incapable of making an effective contribution to the governance of the British Isles have seized upon this topic…

The 1701 Act of Settlement

The Church since 1534, when King Henry VIII broke from Rome in order to get an annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon so he could marry Anne Boleyn has been tightly connected to the Monarchy. Henry, although really a Catholic at heart, took the position of Supreme Head of the Church of England to ensure the annulment and was excommunicated by Pope Paul III.

The bloodiest consequences of this were to be the martyrdom of both Catholics and Protestants under Mary and Elizabeth, his daughters. Of course, following the English Civil War whilst all Executive Power was gradually removed from the Monarch, the “Governorship” remained with the Monarch though in terms of appointments, controlled by Parliament.

In 1701 the Act of Settlement was passed to settle the succession to the English throne of Sophia of Hanover, a granddaughter of James I, and her protestant heirs. It barred those who were Roman Catholic, and those who married a Roman Catholic, from ascending the throne.

The problem is that it is not an easy thing to disentangle and most likely, is not worth the effort.

Labour Smoke and Mirrors…

In the Middle Ages, whenever trouble was brewing at home, the English King would mount a campaign to fight for the “English Possessions” in France. For today’s Labour Party, whenever the wheels are coming off their wagon, again, they will come up with some Constitutional vandalism to distract people from looking at the economic mess they have made. So for now, the fact that a Catholic cannot ascend the Throne, is “unfair and must be rectified”.

My Personal View

Although I am a Catholic, I do not under any circumstances want to see the current situation changed because in effect, this has less to do with religion than the history and accumulated Constitution of these islands.

We are a secular society with freedom of worship for all and including the freedom not to either. There are public occasions – a Coronation, Services of Remembrance being good examples, where a “spiritual context” is appropriate. We have the Church of England for this let us not have other denominations clamouring for “equal representation” and other such nonsense, our society is enough of a porridge as it is.

The Established Church and “Defender of the Faith” on our coins is a subtle reminder of our often, bloody history and a warning never to let any “isim” become paramount in these islands ever again. As for the lick spittle cowards on the Labour backbenches who voted the whole of this Country into EU bondage without thought, I am not convinced they care anything for Catholics or the odd one who may catch the eye of a future Monarch.

Labour Members of Parliament wouldn’t know a vote of conscience if it bit them on their fat arses, all they care about is clinging on to their seats with its salary, pension, expenses and the John Lewis List, they are a load of bums so, let us be shot of the lot of them at the earliest possible moment.