Prince Chuck has long professed that when (if?) he is crowned King he would prefer to be known as "Defender of Faith" rather than "Defender of the Faith." Now any half competent Latin scholar knows that this is a perfectly legitimate understanding of the title "Fidei Defensor" from a linguistic perspective. What is much more questionable is whether any English monarch can legitimately claim this title given that it was bestowed on Henry VIII by the Pope after his defense of the Roman understanding of 7 Sacraments in the face of Luther et al, prior to the same king throwing his rattle out of the pram because the Pope wouldn't grant him a divorce... But I'm thinking about this question today not because of the origins of the breakdown in relations between the Churches of Rome and England, which are currently being "repaired" by the current Pope's "generous invitation" to disaffected Anglicans to come back to the one true church, but by an event I was at in London yesterday launching the first Inter-Faith Week in England and Wales (though Wales, typically, never got a mention from the platform...). I may blog further on this over the next few days (if I can summon up the enthusiasm)... but what got me typing today was the introductory letter in the day's programme, written by our esteemed Prince of Wales...
This is what the defender of faith had to say:
'I have long believed that we are all united by a common bond of faith - faith in a sacred dimension beyond ourselves [Are you listening, Richard Dawkins?]; faith in, for want of a better description, a divine "essence" to the meaning of existence; faith in the integrity of life itself.'
An understanding of faith like that certainly NEEDS a defender... because it is so feeble that it certainly couldn't defend itself!
Comments
"A defender of the faith, a big plaster is more likely needed.
The faith is losing approx 30,000 persons per year. In 1968 1,606,000 persons attended church of England in 2006 approx 871,000, a loss of 30,000 per year. "WHAT" and they have yet to find their way out of a "cul-de-sac" of scientific materialism.
Thank goodness for scientists at least you can understand what they say and with evidence to boot.
Many have left the Roman Church with all Its baggage of child molesting, homosexuality within the clergy, you would be hard pressed to find such a place of decadence elsewhere.
Will the doctrine of transubstantiation,eating real flesh and drinking real blood be acceptable,yuk. will Methodism and Pres's have to eventually follow suite?
Iv'e heard it said that this is the Popes only way of maintaining staff within the Catholic Church. Again the C of E Priests have such a bad name, few want to join or belong anymore.
One good point is visable.If the churches join... will priest be able to marry. could this stop molesting of children within RC's.
With their pensons intact if all else fails, at least the church will have somebody to brush the corridors and close the door until the expire.
I have to say that religion is on a bumpy wicket at present, is the game nearly over? or will bad light stop play, when you can no longer see what you're doing or which way you are facing.
Lift the bails."
SNAUZER