April 23 is the day we commemorate the life of St George, the patron saint of England.He is remembered as a martyr. Fifth century records confirm his existence. It seems he was a soldier and a victim of the Diocletian persecutions in Lydda, Palestine. Diocletian was responsible for some of the most vicious ethnic cleansing against the early Christians from 303 to 304. It is claimed that George, a Roman army officer, gave his possessions to the poor and openly confessed his Christianity before the court investigating him.In more modern culture George is famed for the legend that he slayed a dragon. That emerged as the most popular image we now have of him. But that legend didn't develop until the eighth century, five hundred years after his death. George's popularity as a saint grew with the Crusades in the twelfth century. He became the patron saint of soldiers and Richard I called on him for protection before the third Crusade in 1187. A red cross on a white background became the colours of the crusaders and eventually recognised as England's national flag.Edward III made St George England's patron saint in 1347. And Shakespeare added a lustrous gloss to his reputation in the speech he ascribed to Henry V before the battle of Agincourt in 1415. Henry V told his army that St George was their powerful ally in the famous words: "Follow your spirit; and upon this charge, Cry, 'God for Harry, England and Saint George!"
As you will recall our 2020 Lent lunches were curtailed due to the coronavirus lockdown. We were actually on course to set a new record as our donation to the Bishop of Guildford's Lent Fund.Even without staging all six lunches we have managed to raise £1,571.75. This includes the £415.40 collection from Ian Maslin's licensing service.So thank you to everyone who attended the two lunches that did take place and to those who have made generous donations in lieu of postponed events. Your generosity is very much appreciated by a very deserving cause.
This will be the first Easter without church services in Britain since 1213. Back then Pope Innocent III put the country under an interdict preventing priests from leading worship.The ban had been introduced five years earlier in 1208 amid a row over who should appoint the next Archbishop of Canterbury. The vacancy was created when Archbishop Hubert Walter died in July 1205. The monks who had to choose his successor put forward two nominations and then in 1206, under Papal guidance, elected Stephen Langton. At the time he was a cardinal in Rome.Pope Innocent consecrated Langton but King John would have none of it. John claimed Langton was not fit for office and, in keeping with the approved English custom, the king's consent to Langton's election should have preceded the consecration.Neither party would give way. The Pope's delegates laid the Interdict on England as punishment for the king's resistance.Interdicts weren't uncommon. They had been used against several areas of France. But this was a an entire nation being deprived of spiritual support and guidance.King John treated the interdict as virtually a declaration of war against the Pope which continued for five years until an armistice in May 2013. Even then it took 12 months of negotiations to settle the issues.One humorous aside is King John's attitude to the economic sanctions he tabled against the celibate clergy during the interdict. He gave orders to the officials charged with confiscating the clergy's goods that they were to "lock up mistresses, housekeepers and lady-loves of priests and hold them to ransom."In the end King John relented. He had to because he needed allies. He was fearful of a war against France and decided a papal alliance would be a positive.He admitted Langton to the see of Canterbury.And some of you will know a local landmark that honours Stephen Langton. It's the name of the popular gastropub in Friday Street near Dorking. Langton served as Archbishop of Canterbury until his death in 1228.
