The Archbishop of Canterbury is to be knighted

I'm pleased for him.

Nope. Shouldn’t be allowed.

I suppose it was to expected. Queen Elizabeth did the same for the one that crowned her.

It will keep him in the Lords after he has to retire as Archbishop in a couple of years, which might annoy the Tories (although they’ll be out of power by then, hopefully).

My own view is that it’s another unelected person helping to run the country from an undemocratic, massively bloated upper house. If we are going to keep an honours system, we need to de-couple it from seats in the Lords.

Why? He's the worst ever A of C. Closed churches and went on sabbatical when the country needed spiritual guidance. He should be in the Tower not the Lords.

Just thought. If he is getting knighted it won't give him a seat in the Lords. He'd have to be made a baron for that - though he probably will be when he retires.

The Arch Bishop is a senior member of the Lords now.

GrannyRose15,

I agree with you entirely. He is responsible for the closure of many churches and has been most uninspiring of our ArchBishops in many years. The stupid rule implemented in my London Parish is that our great Parish Priest was forced to retire at 70 although we lobbied for him to, be safe. He does nothing I know of to support the Prayer Book Society,even though King Charles does. Sorry, but I have no warm feelings towards him.

GrannyRose15

Just thought. If he is getting knighted it won't give him a seat in the Lords. He'd have to be made a baron for that - though he probably will be when he retires.

Yes, of course. Sorry, I have no idea what I was thinking. Just ignore my drivel.

At the end of the day, does it matter?
I think KC3 probably wants to thank him for service to the royal family over the years.
I don’t think the C of E is as strong as it could be in the UK and maybe a new person at the helm could invigorate it.

I'm with you GrannyRose...awful C of E...one of the reasons for me leaving.

I admire him. I think he is a thoughful, prayerful man who has also spoken out against the government at times. He has no option but to close churches. We live in an increasingly secular society.

The AB of C is not responsible for closing churches, That has been going on for decades. My sister headed an organisation deputed with finding new uses for redundant churches back in the 1970s-90s.

Churches are closing because people do not go to church anymore. If nobody goes to church, no one is providing money to maintain them therefore they close.

mumofmadboys

I admire him. I think he is a thoughful, prayerful man who has also spoken out against the government at times. He has no option but to close churches. We live in an increasingly secular society.

Yes - this.

Has any previous Archbishop ever been knighted? It sounds odd. I am sure it must be possible because they wouldn't have nominated him without checking the protocol.

Why shouldn’t he be knighted? He’s done no harm and tried to contribute positively - unlike many others who are given this kind of honour.

The Churches are empty because our society is increasingly secular. The Churches that are better attended seem to be evangelical. That’s the case in my village and has put me off attending as often as I’m more traditional.

Has any previous Archbishop ever been knighted?

Yes, Queen Elizabeth II knighted the Archbishop of Canterbury who crowned her.

And apparently a New Zealand Anglican archbishop was knighted. There may be others.

Churches of all denominations are feeling the pinch as people attend church less, with a corresponding drop in giving. Church buildings have to be maintained and heated, parish priests and their families have to be supported. This trend has been ongoing for decades. The AB of C didn't start it.

In my Scottish suburb, three parishes will soon be amalgamated - with two fine ministers and two fine buildings being surplus to requirements. All three ministers and their parishes have been worried about this for years.

Nooooo! He has done so much harm to the C of E. Having a few years of an awful rector our village finally has a young family man, full of enthusiasm with a good sense of humour. If anyone can increase attendance it will be him.

As well as the staff and buildings, I should have mentioned the other calls on the money from Church collections and freewill giving, the national and local charities supported, the overseas aid given in disasters and third-world educational and poverty assistance, the shelters for the homeless, the lunch clubs, day centres, the creches - all the things that slip through the gaps of government aid.

Our Parish Priest retired in August age 70 Anniel but could have stayed if she'd wanted too. The PCC's of both churches were asked if they'd agree to her staying, which they were, but it was her decision to retire.

I don’t know much about the Archbishop of Canterbury other than the headlines about him from time to time, and that he married Meghan and Harry, crowned Charles 111 and did the sermon at the funeral service of Elisabeth 11. He appears to find himself in the headlines from time to time for expressing his views. I felt rather sorry for him when he had to come out and say that he did not marry Meghan and Harry in the garden before their church marriage, as clearly in England, that would have been illegal. However, I don’t think he should be knighted because I don’t believe that we should have an honours system where the great and the good give honours to other great and good people. I don’t believe in the system. I think it wrong. I don’t think we should have a HofLs either, although there probably should be a second, elected chamber. Therefore I have no bone to grind with the Archbishop of Canterbury himself, merely with the system which I feel is outdated and borders on corruption, and has absolutely no place in a modern, democratic society.

I don’t think the closure of churches is anything to do with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the blame for this cannot be laid at his door. I was brought up Methodist and do not attend a CofE church, although I do attend church, if rather irregularly.

mumofmadboys

I admire him. I think he is a thoughful, prayerful man who has also spoken out against the government at times. He has no option but to close churches. We live in an increasingly secular society.

Finding new clergy is difficult; it's difficult to replace those retiring and some of our local clergy are from overseas or older because they trained after a first career.

I always understood that members of the clergy could not be knighted. If they were knighted before ordination, that’s fine, but not after.

Once again I post with my Scottish Hat on. The moderator of the Church of Scotland, who is "elected" each year by the members of the Church for a one year term of office, has no special place in the Scottish Government. I have long objected to the Bishops of the Church of England, sitting in the Lords and deciding on matters for the whole of the UK. Nowadays when the vast majority of people have no connection whatsoever to the C of E, either being of another different Christian Church, another religion or no religion at all, it is ridiculous that the CofE has a special place in the parliament, making or changing laws which affect everyone in the UK.
If the monarch is only King and head of state when he has been crowned and anointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, then is he King of us all or only of
C of E adherents?