Chaplain's Chat

English monarchs since the time of Henry VIII have been charged with defending the faith, although initially it was the Catholic church Henry was defending! After his break withRome in 1530, the English Parliament decreed that the title, “Defender of the Faith,” would mean that the monarch is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England (aka theAnglican church). This title was therefore one of Queen Elizabeth’s official titles, although Canada and Aotearoa New Zealand are the only two countries of the Commonwealth outside of the UK that use it! Countries such as Pakistan dropped it because the majority of their population are Muslim, whereas South Africa dropped it when they became a republic.

But what will happen now that we have a new monarch, King Charles III? Charles stated in an interview in 1994 (and again in 2005) that, “I personally would rather see [my future role] as Defender of Faith, not the Faith.” He clarified in 2015 that he valued “the inclusion of other people’s faiths and their freedom to worship,” and noted that “being Defender of the Faith [means] you can also be protector of faiths.”

At St Hilda’s, one of the graduate attributes we hope to instil in our students is the ability and desire to “explore faith.” This includes an openness to the importance of spiritual wellbeing in one’s life (te taha wairua cornerstone of te whare tapa whā model of hauora), an appreciation of the religious or faith heritage of one’s own family as well as that of our school, and also respect and understanding of the diverse faiths and cultural practices of those in our community and the complex world in which we live.

Queen Elizabeth herself seemed to have quite a genuine belief in God and in the principles of the Christian faith. In one of her last Christmas messages she said this: “For me, the life of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace ... is an inspiration and an anchor in my life. As a role-model of reconciliation and forgiveness, he stretched out his hands in love, acceptance, and healing. Christ’s example has taught me to seek to respect and value all people of whatever faith or none.”

Given all the conflicts and issues going on in our world today, a faith that has these values at its heart is definitely worth defending, protecting, and exploring.