RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVI, Issue XLVI, 22 June 1911, Page 5

RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES.

SERVICE AT THE CATHEDRAL. THE Kb LP ICE CROWDED, At- 10.30 th!.< morning ev-ery seat in the C-;uLhcdral was occupied for the- spec.iaj C-ronalkm service lield there. After several hymns had been siing_ and prayers otl'e.re-d. Bishop Mules said: Brethren in the Lord, we thank Cod that this day. in the Abbey Church of ■St. Peter ait Westminster, our Sovereign Lord. King George, is anointed a-nd ci <;\\ ii-ctf. -and tire with him. And this is the ma.ii.ner of t-h-c service that is there performed. l v First th-e- Archbishop 3 <>f Canterbury, div-ers great- Ofliceis of State going along with him. presents his Alajesty to th-e people, that 'they may recognise him. and acclaim him by their voices as their King. 11. Theu after prayer toflod. such as we ourselves have jiow made, the King takes a solemn- Oath to gove.r.n h'.s people according to the Laws and customs of the realm; to cause law andi justice, in mercy, to be executed in all bis judgements: and to protect, th-e Church-. 111. T-h-ereup-! it after solemn prayer for the presence and blessing of God the Holy Ghocl. the King is anointed with holy oil upon his head, his Weasx and his hands, in. the name of the Father, and of t-h.e- Sen. and- of the Holy Ghost; forasmuch as Kings. Priests amd Prophets of old were after this maiwier made and consecrated to teach and govern the people of Israel : and tlio- A,n»hbisb'.'p snvs over him this bies-sinig : "Our Lord Jcs-us Christ, the Son of God. who by his Father was anointed with the oil of above bis fellows, by his holy an .im-i-ng pour dow-n upon your head and heart the- blessi.ng of the Holy Ghost, and prosper the wicrks of your hands : that by the assistance of his heavenly grace you may preserve the peop'i-e committed ,f your charge in wealth, peace, and .godliness'; a Jul after a- lon-g and- glu ri-ous course of railing this temporal kingdom wisely, justly, a.nd religiously, you may at last be made partaker c-f an eternal kingdom ; thro-gli Jesus Christ our Lord."

IV. Then is his Majesty invested with the ensign*, of his kingly" state. First, he is clothed with royal vestments; and then he receives the Sword of Justice, brought from the Altar of God. .and delivered to him by the hands >c-f ithe Bishops ; and when he is girded therewith, the Archbishop says : "With this Sword- do Justice, stop the growth of iiiilquitv. protect, the holy Church of God. help and defend widows and orphans, restore the- things that are gone to decay, maintain the things that are restored, punish .and reform what is amiss, a.nd confirm Avhat is in. good order : that dicing these things you may be glorious in all virtue ; a.nd so faithfully t-erve our Lord Jesus Christ in this life, that you may reign for ever with him in the life which is to c mie." Then tire King, rising from the chair of his Coronation, ungirdis his iSword, and going t'" the Alter, - ' offers it there to G'xl'from whom lie- has received it. After this the Arm ill and the Royal Robe arc put upon him, with the prayer that the Lord his Cod may endue- him with knowledge and wisdom, with majesty and' with power from on high ; that the' Lord may" embrace- him with h.:s mercy of every side, and clothe him with the robe of irghteousness and with'the garments of salvation. Then the Gib with the Cross, is given into his hand with these words: "When von see- this Orb thus set under the Cross, remember that the whole world is subject to the Power and Empire of Christ our Redeemer."

Then he receives the Ring, the e.rv sign, c.f kingly .dignity and of defence o> the Catholic "Faith ; and the Archbishop savs :

"As y.ciiß are this day solemnly invested' in the government of this earth kingdom, so may you be sealed with "that Spirit' .of Promise, which is the earnest of an heavenly inheritance, tuul reign with him who is t-li-e blessed a.nd only Potentate, to whom be. glory for ewv and ever. Amen.'' Next he receives the Sceptre with the Cross, the. ensign of kingly power and justice; and the Sceptre with the D.e.ve, the rod of equity and- mcM-cy, with this injunction. : —- "Bo so merciful that y<»n be .not too remiss; so .execute, justice that vim forget not mercy. Punish the 'wicked, protect and clvcrish (be just, a.nd lead your people hi the way wherein thev should go." And then the' Crown is br-clight from Hie Aliar after prayer to God; .and tho Archbishop reve'ren'Jy puts it mpon the King's bead. And the people at the tdghi thereof ■with loud audi repeated) shouts, cry. "God Save the King!" And after that. the Archbishop gees on and says: "God crown you with. a. crown of glory and righteousness .that by the inini.st.rv of" this our benediction, having'a right faith and tnan.t'o'd fruit of good works., you may obtain the crown of an. everlasting kingdom by the gift of him whose kingd.'.;m eudureth for ever. Amen." Last of all. the Holy Bible i.s brought from off the Altar, and delivered to the King by the Archbishop and Bishops with the words : "Our gracious King: we present you -with" this Hook, the in st valuable thing that this world affords. Here is w ; silnl»: this is the roya! Law; t In;-.- are the lively Uracies of -God."'

V. The King having been, thus anointed and crowned, and having received all the ensigns of royalty. the .Archbishop solemnly blesses him," and with him a;l his (veople ; and every pari of the Jleiledietion is followed" with a loud and heart v Amen. VI." And after this the King go<.-s io his Throne, and is placed therein, vith the prayer' that, (lod will e*ta >lish hi--> Thi'i tie *in righteousness, that. .'(. n-;.y stand fast, for evermore : and t. l ><- Blimps, the Princes. a nd the i-»h*r Pens do their homage to his .Majesty. VII. Then follows the roi.-mn anointing -and crowning of her Majesty th'Q.iieen : and after that, the King aid (jti-eeii, draw near t<< God's Holy Table to receive the Holy Communion, putting otf their crowns before the. Altar. At the, end of this great- a-nd. .solemn service, the "T-e Deitm" is snug, as a hymn, of praise, to Almighty Cod. who lias slii-wn mercy lo our Sovereign, and his people, in thus selling him o.rr tjjo Throne of his ancestors. Pray wo therefore, brethren, both now and in the days to come, Unit the same Lord Cod A'imighfy will by the continual a.s.sista>nee of His heavenly grace, enable him to fulfil the high responsibility of his sacred trust. ST. MARY'S CHUIWri. SPECIAL SERVICE. A special Coronation service was also herd at St. Mary's Church this morning, when I'"lit her G'.ggau- preached to a large congregation from the text I Peite-r 2, 17 ••Honour all men, love the Brother hood, fear Cod, honour the King.'' He remind.-d his hearers that they were part <;!' the twelve and a-half million Oatlv'lies in the Empire, who were assembling that day to ask the o<xl of Hosts to bless the- Sovereign, who was being crowned and who reigned over the people as. all authority was from Cod. In the outside world there were two things, absolutely false, but which were nevertheless imputed to- Catholic people. One w.as that, they were forbidden to pray for their country, and the other was* that they were disloyal to it. That the contrary was the fact they all' knew well. It was -their 'boun-den d'ufy to pray for all gifts, as all gifts came from Cod. and the greatest gifts which men had on -earth were liberty, security of their rights and: freedom to- worship Cod according to their conscience. These three, the Catholic •enjoyed under the British Flag, more freely, or as freely as under any flag on earth. It was therefore their bouiKlen duty to as'k God for the continuance of such things. Also- Sunday after Sunday before the Holy Sacrifice of the. Mass started, the Church put into their mouths these words "Bless those who .are in high places that wo may have peace and goodwill among all" man." This the Church had done at all times, even during her greatest persecution. As to loyalty, when St. Peter wrote the words «'f the text, it was during the first perseeuCon when the infant church was driven out of Rome. Nevertheless, to them St. Peter wrote "Honour the King." And' the whole history of the church spoke of live same loyalty whether they took Roman or English history. They found in persecution the same fidelity. St. Sebastian, leader of the Legion, could not. according to his conscience, offer sacrifice to- the false Cods, but he lay down, his arms and in the moment of death cried out- "Long live f-he Emperor." In English history they saw the same theory enacted many times on Tyburn Hill, when the martyrs, after making their peace with God. cried "Long live- her Ma-jet-sty the Queen, Lon.g live the King." The Catholic, if he be a true Catholic, ought to be in thought as well as in die-efl the most loyal subject under any. flag. Let them then, this day. unite in asking God to give long life and prosperity U> the King, to bless the country of 'which they formed a. part, bless- the Empire and to give it continuity so that as long as the while race lasted thc.ro might Imi liberty, freedom and pea<v. for the huiiKWi race.