The bishops of England and Wales have urged parishes to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II at Masses on Trinity Sunday.
In a statement released at the end of their plenary meeting at Hinsley Hall in Leeds, the bishops said: “The Bishops’ Conference requests that on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, Sunday June 3 2012, each parish will celebrate a Mass with prayers to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II."
“During this Mass, the first reading is replaced by 1 Kings 3:11–14 and the Prayer for the Queen, which has been approved by the bishops, is used after the post-Communion prayer and before the final blessing.”
The Prayer for the Queen reads:
V. O Lord, save Elizabeth, our Queen.
R. And hear us on the day we call upon you.
R. And hear us on the day we call upon you.
V. O Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come before you.
R. And let my cry come before you.
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with your spirit.
R. And with your spirit.
Almighty God, we pray, that your servant Elizabeth, our Queen, who, by your providence has received the governance of this realm, may continue to grow in every virtue, that, imbued with your heavenly grace, she may be preserved from all that is harmful and evil and, being blessed with your favour may, with her consort and the royal family, come at last into your presence, through Christ who is the way, the truth and the life and who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
"Almighty God, we pray, that your servant Elizabeth, our Queen, who, by your providence has received the governance of this realm, ..."
ReplyDeleteThis showboating by the bishops is an appalling abuse of the Mass. It is sacriledge, that is, 'the act or an instance of taking anything sacred for secular use'.
This so-called prayer isn't really addressed to God at all. It is solely designed to curry favour with the British Establishment.
The bishops know that the Queen does not govern any realm far less receive such governance from God. But they want this drivel to be prayed during the Mass! Is nothing sacred to these bishops?
They should have restricted themselves to issuing a statement, laden with as much flowery nonsense as they wanted, to the nice old lady instead of abusing the Mass and the Laity in this way.
"My words fly up, my thoughts remain below:
Words without thoughts never to heaven go."