During my class on the sacraments while in seminary, the professor showed us a substantial part of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. He explained to us that it was a big deal that cameras were allowed to record the celebration. Some were scandalized that such a sacred rite would be profaned with the presence of cameras. To appease the opposition, an agreement was reached that the Act of Consecration, the most sacred moment of the rite when the monarch is anointed with oil, would not be televised. During this most sacred moment which very much resembles the celebration of a sacrament in the Catholic Church (the reason we watched it), the Archbishop of Canterbury says, “Be thy head anointed with holy oil: as kings, priests, and prophets were anointed. And as Solomon was anointed king by Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet, so be you anointed, blessed and consecrated Queen over the Peoples, whom the Lord thy God hath given thee to rule and govern.”
Queen Elizabeth II reigned for a very long time. How the world has changed since 1953. It is difficult to fathom that her first prime minister was Winston Churchill and that the Pope at that time was Pope Pius XII – both people from the annals of World War II history. It appeared as if she had always existed, and would continue to live forever. May she now Rest In Peace.
Pope Francis expressed his condolences to King Charles III today with the following words:
Deeply saddened to learn of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, I offer heartfelt condolences to Your Majesty, the Members of the Royal Family, the People of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.
I willingly join all who mourn her loss in praying for the late Queen’s eternal rest, and in paying tribute to her life of unstinting service to the good of the Nation and the Commonwealth, her example of devotion to duty, her steadfast witness of faith in Jesus Christ and her firm hope in his promises.
Commending her noble soul to the merciful goodness of our Heavenly Father, I assure Your Majesty of my prayers that Almighty God will sustain you with his unfailing grace as you now take up your high responsibilities as King. Upon you and all who cherish the memory of your late mother, I invoke an abundance of divine blessings as a pledge of comfort and strength in the Lord.
From the Vatican, 8 September 2022
FRANCISCUS
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