2024-11-13
The Church of England, originally instituted by Henry VIII when he fell out with the Pope over an inability to sire heirs with his various wives (not to mention the lure of confiscation of vast wealth from the religious institutions of the day), is now threatened with disestablishment, ie: the dissolution of the links between Church and State.
Do 500 years of tradition count for nothing?
Is the established Church not an anachronism in our modern age of anything goes, especially in view of the current state of the C of E?
Has the link not served us well in the past, but will it not inevitably become an impediment to our progress in the future?
I am of the view that this is de facto a constitutional change, and must have the explicit approval of the people before it can be instituted - a private members' bill is not an appropriate vehicle for such drastic change. Our monarch is sworn in at a religious ceremony supervised by the Church on the basis that he derives his powers from God. Anachronism or not, a mere debate in Parliament is insufficient grounds for enacting such a far-reaching change.
Is the Monarch entitled to reject such a Bill, even if passed by both Houses of Parliament? Would he have the gumption?
Principles matter.
We are not rearranging deckchairs, we are meddling with the authority of the Crown and from whence it is derived.