Pope with King Carlos III. Photo:Infinita.Cl

Pope Francis’ Message to Queen Elizabeth II’s Successor, King Charles III

At 73, Charles takes the throne of one of the world’s most influential monarchies.

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(ZENIT News / Vatican City, 08.09.2022).- Following the death of his mother, Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom, the Prince of Wales has become King Charles III. 

Here is the telegram of condolences that the Holy Father sent to His Majesty King Charles III on the death of his mother.

* * *

The Telegram

 

To His Majesty the King

Charles III

Buckingham Palace

London

Deeply saddened to learn of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, I offer heartfelt condolences to Your Majesty, the Members of the Royal Family, the People of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.

I willingly join all who mourn her loss in praying for the late Queen’s eternal rest, and in paying tribute to her life of unstinting service to the good of the Nation and the Commonwealth, her example of devotion to duty, her steadfast witness of faith in Jesus Christ and her firm hope in His promises.

Commending her noble soul to the merciful goodness of our Heavenly Father, I assure Your Majesty of my prayers that Almighty God will sustain you with His unfailing grace as you now take up your high responsibilities as King. Upon you and all who cherish the memory of your late mother, I invoke an abundance of divine blessings as a pledge of comfort and strength in the Lord.

From the Vatican, 8 September 2022

FRANCISCUS

 

[Original text: English]

 

* * *

At 73, Charles takes the throne of one of the world’s most influential monarchies. After the death of the Queen, her son automatically takes the throne. And her grandson, Prince William, becomes Prince of Wales and heir to the British crown. 

Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster and President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, paid tribute to the Queen with these words: 

“On 21 April 1947, her twenty-first birthday, Princess Elizabeth said, ‘I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be  devoted to your service.’ Now, seventy-five years later, we are heartbroken in our loss at her death, and so full of admiration for the unfailing way in which she fulfilled that declaration. Even in my sorrow, shared with so many around the world, I am filled with an immense sense of gratitude for the gift to the world that has been the life of Queen Elizabeth II. At this time, we pray for the repose of the soul of Her Majesty. We do so with confidence, because the Christian faith marked every day of her life and activity.

In her Millennium Christmas message, she said, ‘To many  of us, our beliefs are of fundamental importance. For me the teachings of Christ and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try to lead my life. I, like so many of you, have drawn great comfort in difficult times from Christ’s words and example.’ This faith, so often and so eloquently proclaimed in her public messages, has been an inspiration to me, and I am sure to many. The wisdom, stability and service which she consistently embodied, often in circumstances of extreme difficulty, are a shining legacy and testament to her faith. Our prayer  is that she is now received into the merciful presence of God, there to be reunited with her beloved Prince Philip. This is the promise of our faith, and our deep consolation. Queen Elizabeth will remain, always, a shining light in our history. May she now rest in peace. 

We pray for His Majesty the King, as he assumes his new office even as he mourns his mother. God save the King.”

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Jorge Enrique Mújica

Licenciado en filosofía por el Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum, de Roma, y “veterano” colaborador de medios impresos y digitales sobre argumentos religiosos y de comunicación. En la cuenta de Twitter: https://twitter.com/web_pastor, habla de Dios e internet y Church and media: evangelidigitalización."

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