- Harry Farley and Sean Seddon
- BBC News
Coronation organizers say those who come to witness the ceremony will be invited to join the “choir of millions” to take an oath of allegiance to King Charles III and the heir apparent.
The oath of allegiance, revealed on Saturday, is one of several eye-catching changes to the old coronation ceremony.
In this coronation full of things that will happen for the first time, females and nuns will have a prominent role, and the king will perform and say his prayers aloud and audible.
The coronation mass will also be witnessed by religious leaders from other religions and will participate in it for the first time.
The coronation ceremony, which will take place next Saturday, will use for the first time other languages spoken in Britain, with a hymn to be sung in Welsh, Scottish Gaelic and Irish Gaelic.
Despite the changes designed to reflect other religions, the triple oath, which will be taken by the King and forms the heart and heart of the Mass, will remain unchanged, including an oath to preserve “the Protestant faith in its new form”.
Lambeth Palace have published full details of the mass, which will take place at Westminster Abbey, and whose theme is called ‘The Surf’.
The Archbishop of Canterbury said he would “recognise, acknowledge and celebrate the traditions” as well as “the new elements and things they contain that reflect the diversity of our contemporary society.”
The public will also be given a prominent role in the ceremony for the first time, as people around the world will be asked to take part in an oath of allegiance to the king.
The “people’s homage” – their participation in the oath – replaces the traditional “peer homage”, in which peers swear allegiance to the new king. Instead, everyone present at the church as well as those watching on television from their homes will be invited to take part in the oath, which Lambeth Palace has described as a “choir of millions”.
And the text of the oath will be: “All who have a desire, in the monastery and elsewhere, repeat and say together: I swear true allegiance to your majesty, and to your heirs and successors according to the law. Help me, O Lord.”
This section will be followed by the well-known cheers of joy.
The Archbishop of Canterbury will then call to “God save the King” and ask everyone to chant: “God save King Charles. Long live King Charles. May the King live forever.”
A spokesman for Lambeth Palace, the Archbishop’s office, said: “It is particularly exciting to honor people as it is something completely new.”
“This is something we can share because of the advances in technology, not just the people in the monastery, but the people who are online, in front of the TV, those who are listening, those who gather in the gardens and watch the event on the big screens and in the churches,” he added.
And he added: “We hope that at that moment, when the Archbishop invites everyone to participate, that people wherever they are, whether they are watching from home alone, or watching television, join the oath, and say aloud – this great feeling about the nation and about the world in support of the King.”
While the oath – which has remained unchanged for centuries – will retain its Protestant pledge, Lambeth Palace said the Archbishop of Canterbury would “place the pledge in the context of the oath”.
He will begin by saying that the Church of England will seek to create an environment in which “people of all faiths and beliefs live freely”.
A spokesman for Lambeth Palace said: “The religious and cultural context of the 17th century was very different from contemporary multi-faith Britain. Therefore, for the first time there will be an introduction to the department.”
The BBC’s religious affairs editor, Alim Maqbool, says that over the years there has been much speculation about whether the king would change his oath to reflect an aspiration to protect the practice of all religions and beliefs, although it was a move that would cause consternation among some. Traditionalists in the Church of England.
He added that it would seem an elegant solution for the oath to be left unaltered and for the Archbishop of Canterbury to express this forward-looking sentiment, but it would leave progressives wondering why the protection of the practice of all faiths could not be part of the “oath” verbal contract with the nation entered into by the king.
As part of the Mass, the bishop’s Muslim, Hindu, Jewish and Sikh peers will present the king with pieces of the coronation regalia, including bracelets, robes, a ring and gauntlets.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who professes Hinduism, will recite part of the Bible – the Colossians.
For the first time the blessings will be shared by leaders of different Christian denominations, including Catholic Cardinal Vincent Nichols.
After the religious service ends, the king will receive greetings from Jewish, Hindu, Sikh, Muslim and Buddhist leaders.
The move reflects King Charles’ firm belief in promoting unity between different faiths by championing interfaith dialogue and celebrating the major faiths practiced in the United Kingdom.
A spokesman for Lambeth Palace described the salute as “an unprecedented gesture that reflects the religious diversity in King Charles III’s kingdom”.
The salute will not be audible to most viewers outside Westminster Abbey because the chief rabbi of the Jewish community will be observing the Sabbath, which bans the use of electricity, including microphones.
The king will say the prayers aloud, using words inspired by the Oath Hymn, the books of Galatians and biblical proverbs.
Female nuns and nuns of the Christian denomination will participate in the Mass for the first time after the Church of England allowed women to become bishops in 2014.
The Bishop of Chelmsford, Julie Francis Dehghani, and the Bishop of Dover, Rose Hudson-Wilkin, will officiate alongside the Archbishop.
Archbishop Justin Welby said the coronation was “first and foremost a Christian act of worship”.
“I pray to the Lord that everyone who participates in this service, whether they are believers or not, will find wisdom and new hope that brings inspiration and joy,” he added.
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2023-04-30 13:13:32