Is Queen Elizabeth II the true Christian leader of our country? An odd question for a Catholic to ask, you might think, but consider the feebleness of senior bishops ”“ Anglican and Catholic ”“ during the 60 years of her reign. She has been served by great prime ministers, but no great Archbishop of Canterbury.
The Queen’s last few Christmas broadcasts demonstrate the intensity of her faith. She reminds Christians that the feast marks “the birth of Our Saviour”, the “Prince of Peace” who is “our source of light and life in both good times and bad”. In old age she has underlined this message more heavily than she once did ”“ not in an obtrusive way that would cause offence to non-Christians, but boldly enough to make some of us sit up from our post-lunch slumber and think: “She really believes what she says”.
A fair comment. Many bishops in the CofE could learn a great deal about plain powerful preaching from reading the Queen’s speeches.