Coronation ceremony to feature significant ecumenical elements
By Christopher Wells
Although the essential elements of the coronation of English monarchs have remained unchanged for almost 1,000 years, Saturday鈥檚 ceremony will incorporate significant ecumenical and interreligious gestures 鈥� a testament, says Abbot Christopher Jamison, of the broad and inclusive nature of the Anglican Communion.
In an interview with SA国际传媒 ahead of the ceremony, the President of the English Benedictines noted that the 鈥渉eart鈥� of the coronation ceremony 鈥渋s an Anglican liturgy which cannot really be changed.鈥� For this reason, he said, 鈥渟ignificant ecumenical elements鈥� have been added before and after the primary liturgical ritual.
A significant development
Abbot Jamison pointed to the procession of flags of Commonwealth nations that will take place at the beginning of ceremony, noting that the British flag will be borne by the Hindu Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, a blessing will be pronounced by Christian leaders of various denominations, including the Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, 鈥渨ho will become the first Cardinal to participate in a coronation since the sixteenth century.鈥�
鈥淎 Hindu prime minister leading [the procession] and a Catholic Cardinal concluding [it] is a significant development in the liturgy itself,鈥� said Abbot Jamison.
Tensions within the liturgy
At the same time, the Abbot President noted the 鈥渋nner tension within the liturgy itself鈥� between the Protestant and Catholic traditions within Anglicanism.
Although the King will swear an oath affirming his Protestant profession, the liturgy itself, said the Abbot, 鈥渋s profoundly Catholic in its style.鈥�
He pointed to the anointing of the King with oil, explaining that sacred oils are not used officially in any other Anglican liturgy.鈥�
Both the sacred oil, blessed by an Orthodox patriarch in Jerusalem; and the processional Cross which incorporates a relic of the True Cross donated by Pope Francis, add an additional ecumenical note to the coronation.
A tremendous achievement
The inclusion of ecumenical and interreligious elements into the coronation ceremony 鈥渋s a tremendous achievement by the Anglican Church and by the King to include the diverse elements of British society within a liturgy that is profoundly Anglican,鈥� said Abbot Jamison. 鈥淎nd of course, that is a very Anglican kind of achievement.鈥�
He added, 鈥淵ou see here, I think, Anglicanism at its best, in its ability to reach out to everybody and its flexibility.鈥�
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