For all of the vicissitudes of her reign, God bless Queen Elizabeth II for her Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Platinum Jubilee.
My prayer.
May she do God’s will in the time given to her and come to the bliss of Heaven by whatever means God designs.
I have lovely memories of being the celebrant at parishes in England on a Sunday and reciting the prayer for the Queen after Mass, which – American as I am – I could do with a warm heart. We want everyone to be saved, right?
Think of the weight of that over the years.
BTW… for an absolutely fascinating explanation of the coronation rites, check out a book by Fr. Aidan… UK HERE
To all my priest friends in England, I raise a glass. Right now, as a matter of fact.
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Small “r” republicanism, as we think of it in our time, is really an aberration and not in line with our human nature. Monarchy is a system we always end up reverting to one way or another, sooner or later, even if we don’t call it that. A president is just a rent-a-king who accepts supreme rule in installments. In times of turmoil and chaos, which we are swiftly approaching now, a Strong Man generally rises up to put an end to the crisis, for better or for worse.
As subjects of Christ the King, under His Vicar, we Catholics are inherently monarchist. The Catholic Church, when free to act, preserves both the authority of kings and the (legitimate) freedom of subjects. The apostasy of Henry VIII and his spoliation of the monasteries in his bid to consolidate power led straight to the amoral, tyrannical oligarchy that rules Britain and her Commonwealth today, with the sovereign as a figurehead who is powerless to protect the people from their politicians.
But at least Britain has retained the forms and traditions of the monarchy. It is far better to have them than not have them, so that they can stand as a reminder of her Catholic, chivalric past, and be re-animated once more by the Catholic spirit whenever God chooses to grant such a grace. God save the Queen, who has served so long, and as faithfully as she has known how to do according to her lights.
Beautiful. Bought the book already. Reminds of Fr. Raymond de Souza’s Walsingham crusade; he believes (like many saints) that England will be re-converted and be the change leading Europe as well.
https://vdocuments.net/walsingham-projectpdf-by-raymond-and-theresa-de-souza-note-our-lady-of-walsingham.html
I have always had an affection for the British Monarch partly because she was born the same year as my late mother (God rest her soul) and having been born in the UK. Hard to believe she is still going strong at 96. The British are always moaning about the cost of the monarchy but when you consider the number of tourists who come over to see the crown jewels, Buckingham Palace and the changing of the guard, Windsor Castle, etc. I’m sure it pays for itself in the end.
I agree with what Anita has to say about monarchies in general. Especially now when we have this cabal running our country with a figurehead President who was elected under very dubious circumstances.
I am curious about the nifty calendar that Fr. Z uses, the daily pull off with all the neat information, in Italian. If one were looking to purchase it, where would one look, shop, buy? Thanks for your help on this. And, May the Lord of all Goodness continue to bless Fr. Z.
I have the prayers for english Monarch in my Missal. Father Fahey wrote how the perfect form of government is a Catholic Monarchy. That would explain why satan has done his best to destroy them. Blessed Karl of Austria was everything a Catholic Monarch should be.
Here is another site for the Walsingham Project, easier to print, with prayers for the conversion of England. Very timely this weekend.
http://keysofpeter.org/w.project/Walsingham-Project.htm
Thank you for this!
And thank you for setting me pondering and searching concerning “the prayer for the Queen after Mass” on a Sunday!
“Domine salvum fac regem [nostrum/regina nostram]
et exaudi nos in die qua invocaverimus te.”
The first five words of that prayer have brief Wikipedia articles in English and Italian and an extensive one in French. Sadly, my French is execrable… The English one suggests “Following the conquest of Quebec, the Catholic population began to sing the prayer for the British monarch, and from there it spread to Catholics in England where it was sung at the end of the principal Mass on Sunday until the liturgical reforms of 1969 (a custom still done in communities that celebrate the Tridentine Mass).” But it would be good to know how widespread this has been – and is – in the Missals of countries having monarchs. Under correction, I think the Britannic is the only current annointed monarch, but, for example, the Dutch pray “Domine salvum fac regem nostrum” – who else does as well, I wonder?
May God send her continued good health, and fortitude for the USA’s great ally, Britain.
Elizabeth has made some progress in the last couple of decades – somewhat less remote and more accessible, without losing reserve – and I hope she continues to progress. She still shapes what her heirs become and receive.
She is indeed largely powerless, being head of state and not government, but she has done or (more often) abetted great damage by going along with “the way things are”. She might be powerless to take most actions (and in couple of cases obliged to bear witness and rubber-stamp the government), but if she has recognized wrongs (and that is a substantial “if”), she has not used the power she does have to address them in public ways, even if obliquely.
I have a copy of the Small Roman Missal, which I found in a Salvation Army second-hand shop. It contains a Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur for 1951, but must have been issued the following year, as it contains a prayer for the Queen (not King or King /Queen), to be said in England after High Mass on Sunday.)
70 years later, and the Mass contained in the Missal has disappeared from 99% of parishes, its Holy Week ceremonies are even scarcer- but the same Queen still reigns! My Queen too, as I am a Kiwi.
I went back in my time machine to 1953 to view the Queen’s Coronation. I encountered a Catholic priest in the street. He was in a philosophic mood.
“Monarchs come and go” he said, “but the Immemorial Mass endures down the centuries, fiercely safe-guarded by Rome.”
“About that… ” I said.
Thank God these United States fought and won two wars for me not to have to care at all about some old rich lady in England. God bless America!
Colm:
Up until 1955, our Catholic liturgy included obligatory prayers for the Emperor. Monarchy is deeply tied to our historic Catholic identity. Unfortunately, the British monarch is no longer Catholic, but the rite of anointing and cornonation they use is still the medieval Catholic rite…
I’m with Colm.
“Warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do.” 1 Samuel 8
Jesus Christ is our King. We need no other.