12/29/2023 0 Comments King authorThe anointing by the Archbishop fundamentally marks the body of the monarch as a special sign and for a special purpose. Like the Eucharist, anointing is an ancient sacramental practice of Christians used in baptism and confirmation. This was the one moment not televised during Elizabeth II’s coronation service. While all these symbols are important, the anointing of the monarch with holy oil (chrism) is perhaps the most significant moment of the liturgy. Saint Edward’s crown and chair (symbolising the monarch’s significance and connection to British and Christian tradition), the sceptre (an ancient biblical symbol of rule), the orb with cross (symbolising the whole world under Christ) and a ring (symbolising the monarch’s “marriage” to his or her people, in a way like Christ is said by St Paul to be married to the Church). Special instruments are used to symbolise the monarch’s sacred office. The symbols of the ceremony include the Imperial Crown, and the Orb and Sceptre with Cross. The liturgy comprises six key elements, defined by the Anglican rite as “the recognition, the oath, the anointing, the investiture (which includes the crowning), the enthronement and the homage.” In this case, God bringing together the monarch and people in commemoration of Jesus’ last supper, self-giving death and salvific resurrection. This union is celebrated in the coronation ritual, which occurs in the context of a Eucharistic liturgy.Įucharist is about communion. It presents the political-theological vision of the British state as a union of nations and peoples under God. The coronation of the British monarch is a religious event. The British coronation retains all these elements. Over time, European coronations shifted from primarily emphasising divine commissioning to responsibilities before the law and to the people. The monarch is given a divine and priestly commissioning like Israelite kings Saul, David and Solomon in the Old Testament. Other surviving monarchies have enthronement (such as Japan and Luxembourg) or inauguration (such as Spain and Sweden) ceremonies which are secular or religious in form.Ĭoronations like those still held in England are associated with a biblical theology of kingship. Coronation of Emperor Napoleon I, as painted by Jacques-Louis David and Georges Rouget.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |