The “head” of the Church of England gives the “body” of the Church of England a warning.
From BBC:
Queen gives warning to Church of England synod
The Queen has spoken of the “difficult” and “painful” choices facing the Church of England as she formally opened the Church’s general synod.
She also spoke of the “need to communicate the gospel with joy and conviction in our society”.
The Queen addressed the 476 members of the Church’s governing body as they marked the start of a five-year term.
The synod will also debate measures to keep the Church together over issues such as same-sex blessings.
And its members are preparing to discuss Prime Minister David Cameron’s “big society” idea.
Before her address, the Queen, who is supreme governor of the Church of England, attended a service of Holy Communion at Westminster Abbey, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh.
Speaking at the synod meeting, she said: “The new synod will have many issues to resolve to ensure that the Church of England remains equipped for the effective pursuit of its mission and ministry.“Some will, no doubt, involve difficult, even painful, choices.
“But Christian history suggests that times of growth and spiritual vigour have often coincided with periods of challenge and testing.
“What matters is holding firmly to the need to communicate the gospel with joy and conviction in our society.”Marriage ‘delight’
The Queen also said a “preoccupation with our welfare and comfort” were not “at the heart of our faith” but rather “the concepts of service and of sacrifice as shown in the life and teachings of the one who made himself nothing, taking the very form of a servant”.
During her address, the Queen said the place of religion had come to be a matter of “lively discussion” in a more “diverse and secular” society.
“It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue and that the well-being and prosperity of the nation depend on the contribution of individuals and groups of all faiths and none,” she said.
“Yet, as the recent visit of His Holiness the Pope reminded us, churches and the other great faith traditions retain the potential to inspire great enthusiasm, loyalty and a concern for the common good.”
There was applause at the synod meeting when the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, expressed “delight” at the forthcoming marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton.
Addressing the Queen, he said: “I am sure I speak for everyone here in expressing our delight at the family news announced last week.”
‘Casualty stations’
Also speaking at the synod meeting, Dr Williams said he wanted to avoid the worst aspects of “secular partisanship” by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
He urged members not to reject the Anglican Covenant, a proposed agreement aimed at resolving disputes within the worldwide Anglican Communion.
[…]
The Queen has spoken of the “difficult” and “painful” choices facing the Church of England as she formally opened the Church’s general synod.Read the rest there.
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It’s wrong that she holds such a false quasi-ecclesiastical office; however, the Queen of England’s Latin title is pretty nifty sounding: Gubernatrix Suprema Ecclesiae Anglicanae.
(Little does she know…another Queen has held that title since at least the Synod of Whitby in 664…)
Domina Nostra Walsinghamensis, ora pro nobis.
Blogus magnificus. Quotidie visito.
ad Jesum per Mariam,
Taylor Marshall
I frequently wonder what Her Majesty privately thinks of the direction the Church of England has taken in the last few decades. In former years she was a very pious lady, even observing a strict Lent; I don’t know what her observance is now.
I have heard rumors that her husband has privately returned to observing his original Orthodox faith, but I don’t know if this is true.
Whatever Her Majesty’s personal devotion, I remember reading an article many years ago that the Queen tends toward a more Protestant interpretation of her faith.
Sometimes I wonder if Her Majesty wouldn’t like to join another church.
Does anyone have a link for the full text of Her Majesty’s speech? (he asked lazily).
Does anyone know who wrote it, and who ‘vetted’ it and how?
The audio of the address is here:
http://audio.cofemedia.org.uk/synod/nov2010/inauguration2010.mp3. Her Majesty’s address begins about a third of the way into this recording.
I suspect Queen Elizabeth has more in common religiously with Pope Benedict than Dr. Rowan.
“I frequently wonder what Her Majesty privately thinks of the direction the Church of England has taken in the last few decades. In former years she was a very pious lady, even observing a strict Lent; I don’t know what her observance is now.
I cannot imagine that she is pleased by much of it. On a more whimsical note, while it would seem that the potential ascencion of Elizabeth’s rather odd eldest son to the throne may well be the deathknell for the British Monarchy as a serious institution, I can’t help thinking that “Daffie Prince Charlie” would be the perfect “Supreme Governor” of the C of E in its present state!
“it would seem that the potential ascension of Elizabeth’s rather odd eldest son to the throne may well be the deathknell for the British monarchy as a serious institution”
I understand a sizeable number of British subjects would just as soon skip Prince Charles and make Prince William the next king (his lovely bride to be thereby becoming Queen Catherine).
The druid looks a bit disheveled in this photo. But maybe it’s just bad photography, no?
I don’t think Charles will ever be king if his mother has anything to say about it. Prince William is far more suited to it and one hopes his marriage situation will be better than that of Prince Charles–a likely prospect since his father is/was … odd…as you say.