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Goodbye to a beloved Queen by Simon Hart

Church leaders, including Archbishop Malcolm McMahon, marked the passing of our longest-serving monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, by expressing their gratitude for her long service and recognition of her deep Christian faith.

‘We all knew that Queen Elizabeth would one day die, as we all will in God’s good time, but there is always a distance between knowledge and feeling. We didn’t know how bereaved, how devastated, we’d feel. In times like this we need to be together to gain strength – that is the root meaning of the word “comfort” – being strong together.’

With these words, delivered at a Requiem Mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral, Archbishop Malcolm McMahon captured something of the sense of loss felt by so many on the death of Queen Elizabeth II at Balmoral Castle on 8 September. This country’s longest-serving monarch, a woman who, over 70 years, had provided such a feeling of permanence, was with us no more. In the immediate wake of her passing at 96, Archbishop Malcolm issued a statement in which he cited a speech given three-quarters of a century before by Queen Elizabeth. The Archbishop said: ‘On 21 April 1947, her 21st birthday, in a speech broadcast on the radio from Cape Town, the then Princess Elizabeth dedicated her life to the service of the Commonwealth saying, “I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong”.

‘Today we give thanks for that lifetime of service to our country and for her leadership of the Church of England during her 70-year reign.’

On 9 September, the day after her death, a Book of Remembrance was placed in the Metropolitan Cathedral. At Westminster Cathedral at 5.30 pm that day, Cardinal Vincent Nichols celebrated a Requiem Mass. Liverpool followed suit with a Requiem Mass on 13

September, celebrated by Archbishop Malcolm, at which the Cathedral choir sang Faure’s Requiem.

From the Vatican, Pope Francis sent ‘heartfelt condolences’ in a telegram to King Charles III, the new monarch. The Pontiff said in a statement that he joined those mourning her loss in ‘praying for the late Queen’s eternal rest, and in paying tribute to her life of unstinting service to the good of the nation and the Commonwealth, her example of devotion to duty, her steadfast witness of faith in Jesus Christ and her firm hope in his promises.’

Over Queen Elizabeth’s long reign, Pope Francis, in 2014, was one of four Popes she met on official visits, the others being Pope John XXIII (1961), Pope John Paul II (1980, 1982, 2000) and Pope Benedict XVI (2010). In 1951, a year before becoming Queen, she met Pope Pius XII.

Archbishop Derek Worlock with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on her visit to the Metropolitan Cathedral in 1977

‘Elizabeth the Faithful’

In the homily that Archbishop Malcolm gave during the Requiem for The Queen at the Metropolitan Cathedral he reflected on her Christian faith, saying: ‘One MP has described our late Queen as Queen Elizabeth the Faithful – and I think this is a wonderfully fitting title for her to be remembered by. She was certainly full of faith, deeply prayerful and had a close relationship with Jesus whose teachings she followed.’

Archbishop Malcolm cited that ‘deeply religious’ moment of anointing during her long-ago coronation, when – beneath a canopy – the Archbishop of Canterbury ‘put oil on the monarch’s breast, head and hands’, as pivotal to ‘why she took her duties so seriously’.

He added: ‘She was faithful to her calling, first as princess and then for 70 years as monarch. How many of us can say the same? Queen Elizabeth never took her hand from the plough but carried out her responsibilities with a good heart and a smile. She was sensitive to the impact her presence had on people, institutions and organisations and she never let them down.’

The Archbishop recalled the occasions when Queen Elizabeth visited Liverpool, notably the one time she stepped inside the Metropolitan Cathedral during the 1977 Silver Jubilee celebrations. ‘When she visited this Metropolitan Cathedral in 1977 it was a great encouragement for the Catholic community led by Archbishop Worlock who was working with Bishop David Sheppard in bringing Christians together in the city,’ he said.

‘Her 1984 visit to open the International Garden Festival was to let Liverpool know it was not forgotten in difficult political times. Personally, I remember her visit in 2016 where, among other things, the choir of St Vincent’s School for the visually impaired sang so beautifully for her at lunch in the Town Hall. Yes, Elizabeth, our anointed Queen, was full of God’s spirit and it showed in her loving care and fidelity to her people.’ At the earlier Requiem Mass at Westminster Cathedral, Cardinal Nichols had offered a personal memory of Queen Elizabeth. He said: ‘I can recall standing next to her when the priest who was with me wanted to tell her of his memories, as a 10-year-old, of playing a recorder for her in his Welsh school. She listened with total attention and entered into the pleasure of that memory in a way that the narrator, the young priest, will never forget.’

The Cardinal cited some of The Queen’s virtues – ‘faithfulness, kindness, steadfastness in adversity, and a delight in life’ – and remarked that their source was

Archbishop Malcolm at the Requiem Mass for Her Majesty the Queen

her faith as ‘they do not come naturally and endure naturally. They need to be fed from a well spring. They need to have an inner life that renews them constantly. In fact, we cannot have those strengths and virtues without there being an origin and source.

‘Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth told us so often what the source of her life truly was. She told us what guided and shaped her life. She said these words, for example: “To many of us, our beliefs are of fundamental importance. For me, the teachings of Christ, and my own personal accountability before God, provide a framework in which I try to lead my life. I, like so many of you, took great comfort in difficult times from Christ’s words and example.”’

New King’s pledge

As well as inheriting the throne, King Charles III is the new head of the Church of England and he held a meeting with faith leaders, including Cardinal Nichols, at Buckingham Palace on 16 September. In his remarks afterwards he highlighted his wish to defend people of faith in Britain.

The King spoke of his ‘additional duty’ to ‘protect the diversity of our country, including by protecting the space for faith itself and its practice through the religions, cultures, traditions and beliefs to which our hearts and minds direct us as individuals. ‘This diversity is not just enshrined in the laws of our country, it is enjoined by my own faith. As a member of the Church of England, my Christian beliefs have love at their very heart. By my most profound convictions, therefore – as well as by my position as Sovereign – I hold myself bound to respect those who follow other spiritual paths, as well as those who seek to live their lives in accordance with secular ideals.

‘The beliefs that flourish in, and contribute to, our richly diverse society differ. They, and our society, can only thrive through a clear collective commitment to those vital principles of freedom of conscience, generosity of spirit and care for others which are, to me, the essence of our nationhood. I am determined, as King, to preserve and promote those principles across all communities, and for all beliefs, with all my heart.’

Cardinal Vincent Nichols said after the meeting, ‘In my personal conversation with the King, I assured him that the Catholic community had continued, during these days of mourning, in heartfelt prayer for his mother.

‘He expressed his gratitude for this. And then, turning back to me, he asked me to ensure that the Catholics of England and Wales knew of his thanks and gratitude for these prayers.’

Prayer for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Father, Creator of all, You fashion all people in your likeness and shower them with your grace and manifold gifts. We give you thanks for the long reign of your servant Queen Elizabeth II who, steadfast in your love, faithfully served the nation for over seventy years. May her faith in you and her loyal service never be forgotten. May she enjoy the light of your glory in all eternity.

Compassionate Christ, Bless the family and friends of the Queen, for whom this loss is a moment of great sadness. Help them shoulder their private grief in the midst of their public lives. We pray that your yoke will be easy and your burden light for our new Monarch, Charles III. Give him the grace to reign wisely, always faithful to your name.

Spirit, Comforter, We pray for ourselves and all people who mourn the passing of our Queen. Like her, may we all draw strength from your love and face each new day with hope. Pour your consolation into every grieving heart so that doubt may turn into certainty and sadness give birth to gratitude.