Thursday, December 28, 2023

It is the 28th of December, 2023. Welcome to the Christian History Almanac brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org; I’m Dan van Voorhis.

Tis the season for dedicating famous churches- as yesterday we remembered the dedication of Hagia Sophia in then Constantinople; it was on this, the 28th of December in 1065, that Edward the Confessor consecrated the great Westminster Abbey- the center of the religious and political life in England for centuries.

Really quick: the etymology of “Westminster” likely comes from “minster,” which was an archaic way of saying monastery. When St. Peter’s was built by Edward in the 11th century, the other monastery was St. Paul’s, to the east. Thus, this one was the “West Minster, or Monastery”.

It had been the site of a Benedictine abbey prior to Edward’s building. Edward, unable to visit the Pope in Rome on account of England’s own internal politics, was told to build a church to St. Peter. And the internal politics, if you recognize the year 1065, were soon to be overshadowed by external politics as in 1066, the Normans invaded, and ironically, it was their king, William the Conqueror, who would be the first monarch crowned at Westminster. That tradition has continued with every subsequent monarch crowned there up through King Charles III earlier this year (it is one of the only remaining kingdoms in the world that has a coronation ceremony; most others have phased that out).

In its first years, it served a curious double role- the Charterhouse, or “church meeting room,” where Abbotts and monks would meet, also served as the meeting place for the King and his council. Edward’s palace, now where the Parliament meets, was built next to the church.  

It was Henry III- the 13th-century son of King John (the phony king of England and Robin Hood foe) who built out much of the Abbey. Note it was an abbey, not a “cathedral,” as it was not the seat of the Archbishop. This church would be directly under the authority of the monarch- the Archbishop would have his seat at Canterbury.

It was the first of the Tudors, Henry VII, who built out the lady chapel (that was a smaller chapel dedicated to “Our Lady” Mary, where daily services were held). Surprisingly, the Church survived the Reformation- even one as turbulent as the English Reformation.

It was rebranded as a Protestant Cathedral under Henry VIII and his son Edward, only to be returned to an Abbey by their successor, Mary. Under Mary’s successor and half-sister, Elizabeth, it was turned into the national church that it is today. Ironically, when James VI/I came to the throne, he wanted to distance himself from the Tudor dynasty and had the tombs of both women, sworn enemies, placed in a side room next to each other. From Edward in 1066 to George II in 1760, all British monarchs were buried here- they have subsequently been taken to Windsor Castle. The sheer number of people buried at Westminster has made it one of the great sites of pilgrimage up to today (when we call pilgrims “tourists”). One employee surmised that on an average day, they see about 1,000 visitors per hour.

When I went with my family last year, we made a b-line for 1) the presumed oldest door in England- believed to be an original, so it is about 1,000 years old. 2) to see the half-sisters in the side room forever linked, and 3) the poet's corner. As Westminster developed into a site for monarchs to be remembered, it also became home to some of the great English authors and poets- from Chaucer (the first) to Lord Byron to George Eliot, Dylan Thomas, Dickens, Kipling, and Hardy, among others, numbering about 100.

Today, memorials are installed with cremated ashes occasionally being interred. In 1920, an exception to the ban on physical burials was made when the corpse of an unknown soldier, killed in France during World War 1, was brought from France and given a prominent memorial- it would become a popular site for all who lost family during the Great War.

During World War 2, the Abbey was damaged by German bombing but quickly rebuilt as a sign of national resilience. Franklin Delano Roosevelt would become the only American president and only foreign head of state to be memorialized at Westminster.

Despite its popularity as a tourist attraction, it is still an active church with an accompanying boarding school for approximately 30 boys aged 8-13 who sing in the famed boys’ choir.

Westminster Abbey, the jewel of English churches and center of both sacred and state actors, was consecrated on this, the 28th of December in 1065- just 42 years shy of 1,000.

The last word for today is from the daily lectionary- from Jeremiah, a word Matthew says was fulfilled in the massacre of the innocents in Bethlehem and then in the work and person of Christ:

This is what the Lord says:

“A voice is heard in Ramah,
    mourning and great weeping,

Rachel weeping for her children

    and refusing to be comforted,

    because they are no more.”

This is what the Lord says:

“Restrain your voice from weeping

    and your eyes from tears,
for your work will be rewarded,”

declares the Lord.

    “They will return from the land of the enemy.

So there is hope for your descendants,”

declares the Lord.

    “Your children will return to their own land.

This has been the Christian History Almanac for the 28th of December 2023, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org.

The show is produced by a man saddened to learn that his favorite Brit, Sir Benny Hill, was not given a spot at Westminster- he is Christopher Gillespie.

The show is written and read by a man who finds great delight in imagining much of what he is doing to the theme of Yakety Sax- I’m Dan van Voorhis.

You can catch us here every day- and remember that the rumors of grace, forgiveness, and the redemption of all things are true…. Everything is going to be ok.