Prince stirs the hearts of his Catholic subjects

by Cristina Odone
PRINCE Charles's presence at a Catholic Mass at the weekend has been welcomed as an important new step in ecumenical relations by Catholics in Britain.
After the disappointment when the Prince of Wales did not, as had been hoped, participate in a Mass celebrated by the Pope during the Prince and Princess's Rome visit last year, Church officials are privately admitting their "delight" at the future King's reconciliatory step.
Prince Charles, while staying with a Catholic friend in Cumbria, arrived unannounced at Sunday Mass in the tiny village church of the Holy Family, in Kirkby Stephen. "I didn't believe it was him at first" said Fr Geoffrey Severs, who was celebrating Mass before a congregation of about 40.
"I announced it during the Mass, and said how very honoured we felt to have the Prince among us. I then gave him the sign of peace." Fr Severs said that although the future head of the Church of England did not take Communion, "he stayed right till the end."
Bishop John Brewer of Lancaster, to whom Fr Severs immediately reported the royal visit, "was a bit surprised. He joked then and told me that I would probably receive a knighthood soon," Strong criticism of the Prince came from the head of the traditionalist Anglican group, the Church Society. "This is a mistake" said director Dr David Samuel who went on to predict wide-spread condemnation within the Anglican Church.
But Lambeth Palace is not issuing any formal response to the Princes's Mass attendance, although a spokesman said that this is not the first time the Prince has been at a Catholic service. Prince Charles attended the Catholic funeral Mass for the Duke of Norfolk, held at Arundel Cathedral in 1975.
"This incident has no parallels with the Rome visit" said Buckingham Palace press officer Sarah Brennan, who pointed out that "in Rome, the Prince was taking part in a state visit, whereas on Sunday he attended the Mass as a private individual."
Catholic spokesman, Fr Anthony Churchill, said that the incident may well spark some negative reactions from a very small group of old-fashioned staunch Anglicans, but for the rest of us, it was a nice Christian thing to do."
Fr Churchill also welcomed the Prince's move in the light of the residual anti-Catholic feelings that can be found in this country." He pointed out that when Prince Charles becomes King, "he will have millions of Catholic subjects here and in the Commonwealth; for them, his open-mindedness is important."
When Charles is crowned, he will take an oath declaring himself a faithful Protestant, and a monarch who will uphold the Protestant form of religion. He will take on the title of Supreme Governor of the Church of England. According to the 1534 Act of Supremacy, no English monarch may be Catholic, nor may he marry a Catholic.