After becoming King of England, Charles III also assumed the post of High Governor of the Church of England. Thus, in theory, the monarch heads the official Christian church of the English state. But what does this mean in practice?
The Church of England and the Anglican Communion
First, it is important to say that Charles III will not be head of the Anglican Church as a whole, as many believe. This is because, unlike the Roman Catholic Church, which is the same in every corner of the world, Anglicanism is a religion formed by many national churches and they are all united through Anglican Communion.
The Church of England is considered the main church of the Anglican Communion, but this does not mean that it exercises power over others.
“It’s a relationship of partnership and horizontality. For example, we share liturgical and doctrinal practices with the Church of England,” said Bishop Cézar Fernandes Alves of the Anglican Diocese of São Paulo, part of the Anglican Episcopal Church of Brazil.
Therefore, Charles is now the special governor of that Church. However, it has no religious or religious influence on him. The Bishop Primate of the Church of England is the Archbishop of Canterbury, now Justin Portal Welby. In fact, it is he who exercises spiritual leadership over the Church of England.
“This is somewhat contradictory. You go to churches and everybody prays for monarchs. The bishops of the Church of England are chosen by a commission of the clergy, the secular and the prime minister. But this bishopric appointment is made by the king,” he said. Bishop Cézar, Fernandes Alves. “Therefore, the king’s office is more symbolic than real. His authority is symbolic. It is the synod, the administrative organ of the church, that makes the decisions of the church,” he added.
The Church of England also enjoys some state leadership as a bishop-primate member of the House of Lords, as royalty and power go hand in hand. He is also the spiritual leader of the entire Anglican Communion, but has limited authority over the national churches.
Bishop Cézar Fernandes Alves said: “We are in communication with the Archbishop of Canterbury, but he does not have the authority (in Catholicism) like that of the pope. He can advise, he can propose, but he has no jurisdiction here in Brazil.” .
Does the king make an impact among Brazilian Anglicans?
Admittedly, many Anglicans around the world sympathize with British royalty, even because they share the same religion. For example, the Anglican Episcopal Church of Brazil, on its social networks Queen II. He expressed his sadness at Elizabeth’s death. However, the British monarch does not have any influence over the Church in Brazil.
The Anglican Episcopal Church of Brazil is the 19th state of the 42 that makes up the Anglican Communion and is headed by a primate bishop elected for a four-year term. He needs to work with other bishops and synods.
Does the king disregard other religions?
Despite his position in the Church of England, the King must respect freedom of religion in the United Kingdom. The state may even have a religion, but this does not mean that its citizens cannot freely have their own beliefs. In his first speech as king, Charles III stressed his responsibility to the Church of England, but made it clear that he would serve all his subjects “regardless of their origins or beliefs”, reinforcing respect for freedom of religion.
After all, what is Anglicanism?
The Anglican religion originated in England and Pope King VIII. He left Roman Catholicism in 1534 after excommunicating Henry. However, to this day the religion has features that make it liturgically close to Catholics. This means that an Anglican Rite is more like a Catholic Rite than an Evangelical service.
What characterizes Anglicanism is the church that bridges the gap between the Catholic tradition and the Reformed Protestant tradition. Biblical liturgy, as well as a very democratic system of government, close to the Catholic liturgy. We usually say that this is a reformed Catholic church,” explained Bishop Cézar Fernandes Alves.”
source: Noticias
