It is thrilling to see things done quite with quite such splendid perfection. It occurred to me too that gazillions of people, including most of the population of a Britain, beaten down by whinging secular killjoys, spent at least a little part of today following a religious service and listening to good sacred music, being inspired by it, and not feeling that their rights had been infringed or that they had been offended.
To be perfectly honest, I have been rather busy and have several funerals coming up, so I actually forgot about it all this morning until phoning the Vicar General about something and having to be reminded that it was a "Bank Holiday". (Not having a telly does at least release you from the obligation of national hysteria.) Looking at the coverage later, I was impressed by the sheer excellence of the Liturgy, and the procession from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace. I agree with Damian Thompson about the music and we should, I think, take our hats off to the dear old Church of England for the ceremony. Perhaps some advocates of happy-clappy liturgy might just join the dots after seeing what really inspires the general public?
As a priest, I do lament that the happy couple have been living together for some time before their marriage, and therefore have set a bad example to others. Nevertheless, the pastoral aim is always to encourage cohabiting couples to marry, and to celebrate when they do, so I think that is the right thing to do today. I will certainly be remembering them in my prayers. Ad multos annos!
You may remember from this blog before, that I take a keen interest in the cars that are used at weddings. Prince Charles was a good egg to lend his son a vintage Aston Martin to drive off in.
8 comments:
Nice positive post Fr Tim. Well said..
While I’m happy to live in a republic (USA), I must admit there is something about having a non-political “national family” as one’s principal symbol of state that is easier to relate to than a bird, flag, revolution or even constitutional document.
Yes, watching from the Antipodes, the ceremonial, and it must be said the text of the ceremony, were very edifying. Indeed were this to be substituted for the banal ICEL rituals of the OF's last 40 years ...
I hope that hearing those texts and the very good sermon of the Bishop of London will touch some hearts to embrace or reembrace the truth.
I had read that the couple had been living together/having sex before they were married but I thought that this was just media gossip. If true it makes the whole white dress big ceremony thing a bit of a farce.
With all the pageantry, one can easily overlook the fact that Archbishop Rowan is really a layman in need of conversion, as well as most of the others at the wedding. Call me a spoiled sport, but that is the bottom line, and quite the serious one at that.
A nice post Father, well said. Even though living in the solidly anti-monarchical Irish Republic, I must admit being slightly jealous of yout monarchy. Apart from the links to the past, the pagentary and so on, it is nice to have a head of state which appears to be a-political. In Ireland we are about to set into a most unsavoury presidential election, with a variety of political has beens clamouring nominations, including David Norris, the champion of gay rights, who views his possible election as some sort watershed for 'modern Ireland'. I really see the benefits of having a royal family to behave with dignity. I'm sure others disagree. Let me tell you though a republic is far from being some sort of heavenly paradise.
"... one can easily overlook the fact that Archbishop Rowan is really a layman in need of conversion."
Call you a spoilsport? I can think of far worse names than that.
Prof. Simon Schama made some great observations as a pundit on the Beeb's coverage, about how ceremony and solemnity aren't just for the elite, but are things which inspire everyone, including the man in the street. Now, if only he could call all those people wringing their hands about the new translation...
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