Rishi Sunak will read the biblical book of Colossians at the coronation of King Charles III, following the recent tradition of British prime ministers giving readings on state occasions, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s office has revealed as part of the official liturgy for religious. ceremony at Westminster Abbey here on May 6.
Sunak, the first British Prime Minister of Indian origin and practicing Hindu, the reading of a Bible book will resonate with the multi-faith theme chosen for the Christian ceremony.
Lambeth Palace, the office of the Archbishop of Canterbury – the Reverend Justin Welby, said members of other faith traditions will take an active role in the service for the first time.
“The Archbishop of Canterbury has chosen a new epistle for this coronation, which will be Colossians 1:9-17. This passage was chosen to reflect the theme of service to others and the loving reign of Christ over all people and all things , which runs through this coronation liturgy,” Lambeth Palace said.
“In keeping with the recent tradition of British prime ministers giving readings on state occasions – as head of government of the host country – this will be read by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak,” he said.
The Archbishop of Canterbury authorizes a new liturgy – or the form in which public religious worship takes place – for each coronation. The three oaths of the King at the heart of the service remain unchanged, including the promise to maintain “the reformed Protestant religion”.
The general theme of the liturgy is “Called to Serve”, which aims to reflect the commitment the King will make to serve God and the people of the United Kingdom.
“I am thrilled that the service recognizes and celebrates tradition, speaking to the great history of our nation, our customs and those who came before us. At the same time, the service contains new elements that reflect the diversity of our contemporary society,” Welby said.
His office said the service was designed to reflect the changes that have taken place in the UK since the coronation of Charles’ mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in 1953, the character of Britain as it is today. today and the role of the Church of England in contemporary society. As one of the newest features, the 74-year-old monarch will pray aloud in the abbey using words specially written for the occasion which reflect ‘the sovereign’s duty and privilege to serve all communities’.
Lambeth Palace has confirmed that the presentation of the Regalia will be made by members of the House of Lords and for the first time some of the items which have no Christian meaning or symbolism will be presented by peers from different religious traditions: Judaism , Islam, Hinduism and Sikhism.
Buckingham Palace had previously confirmed that Lord Narendra Babubhai Patel, 84, would represent the Hindu faith and present the sovereign’s ring to Charles. While Lord Indrajit Singh, 90, will represent the Sikh faith and present the coronation glove, Lord Syed Kamall, 56, of Indo-Guyanese descent, will represent the Muslim faith and present the Armills or a pair of bracelets.
“At the conclusion of the procession at the end of the service, before Her Majesty proceeds to the Gold State Coach, the King will receive and acknowledge a salutation delivered in unison by representatives of the Jewish, Hindu, Sikh, Muslim and Buddhist,” Lambeth Palace said.
The thousands gathered at the abbey and the millions who are expected to watch on screens the ceremony broadcast live will be asked to say the words: “I swear that I will give true allegiance to Your Majesty, and to your heirs and successors according to law. – then help me God”.
The five elements of the historic “English Coronation Rite” will unfold in their traditional order: Recognition; The oath; The Anointing; Investiture and Coronation; and The Induction and Tribute.
These elements will take place within the traditional structure of a Holy Communion service, including prayers and Bible readings, and King Charles and Queen Camilla will receive Holy Communion during the service.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)
