Princes of the Church

Does anyone else note the irony of self-professed evangelicals aspiring to be princes of the church? ACNA Archbishop of Pittsburgh Robert Duncan insists on being addressed as "Your Grace." His Grace, The Lion of Abuja, the Archbishop retired of Nigeria, Peter Akinola refers to himself in the first person plural in his writings (or at least in what's written for him by his American handlers). Of course there are personality cults throughout evangelical Christianity, but few of them aspire to the trappings of monarchy (though they certainly aspire to its absolutism, and even to dynastic rule).

As the world becomes progressively less egalitarian, and we are ruled over by corporate oligarchs with aristocratic pretensions, and ecclesiastics with princely pretensions, I suppose this sort of thing is inevitable. The Church will resume its old role of spiritual buttress of the State and the Established order. As more bishops expect us to kiss their rings, look for our bankers and landlords to be standing right behind them.

Who would have ever thought that a papal tiara would work with a Geneva gown?


Here's something for them all to aspire to. Here is the recessional from the very last full Papal coronation ceremony, the one held for Pope John XXIII



Ironically, it would be this son of peasants who would begin the process that would end this kind of monarchical pomp and circumstance by convening the Second Vatican Council.

Now, the vengeful spirit of the First Vatican Council has removed him from his tomb and banished his remains to an obscure part of St. Peter's under the pretense of a beatification. Resting in his old place is the pope who began the current process of returning to the old centralized ultra-Montane church of the First Vatican Council, John Paul II.