Kate Middleton confirmed in Church of England

It's confirmed! She's confirmed

Just a few days before the Royal Wedding takes place it has been announced that Kate Middleton has been confirmed in the Church of England at a private ceremony carried out by the Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Richard Chartres. Miss Middleton, 29, was baptised when she was five months old. The ceremony, which marks the point where baptised Christians make a firm commitment to their faith, was held on 10 March.

As Prince William, when he becomes king, will be the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, it is fitting that his wife as queen consort is also committed, so to speak. Apparently she decided to be confirmed as part of her marriage preparations. This is good news. I do not know whether she comes from a family with any previous church involvement or whether it has been of the hatching, matching and despatching variety. But from now on, church matters will matter to her and her husband.

In his lifetime he may see the collapse of the C of E, he may see it rise to new heights. Whatever happens, the Church isn't going to be as remote as it was in William IV's reign. William V will have quite a time with it all, one aspect being to get his head around what Faith he will actually be defending!

Peter Tatchell won't repent!

Peter Tatchell is quite within his rights to live as he wishes. He is quite allowed to campaign for gay rights. But the doctrines of the Church are not his to change. He rather obtusely suggests that "Homophobia is a social and moral evil, just like racism. Bigotry, even in the guise of religion, has no place in a compassionate, caring society. I call on the Bishop to repent his homophobia. His prejudice goes against Christ’s gospel of love and compassion." As with a lot of what Tatchell says, there is a grain of truth mixed with a whole load of rubbish. The Christian Gospel is concerned with upholding the Faith. That Faith has only two states for the human condition with regard to sexual activity. Celibacy or matrimony. The sacrament of matrimony does not cover "same-sex unions" as such a situation would negate the spiritual meaning of the sacrament.

Peter Tatchell may accuse the Bishop of Rochester of being a bigot, a homophobe or whatever. All the bishop is doing is restating gospel truths. "There will come a time when they who kill you think they do God's will". For killing here the meaning is more about the soul.

The Anglican Church has allowed a trojan horse of libertine theology to come into its midst. Those who rail against traditionalists do so with a sad proportion of bile and invective. I suppose we will have to live with it. Being a Christian is never easy and, in this modern world where passing fads and fancies are placed on the altar as some alternative truth, it will continue to be a trial.

The Queen is Defender of the Faith and that in itself is likely to be far more onerous for her to bear than for any previous monarch. For all his faults, Henry VIII did acknowledge the Catholic Faith and went so far as to write a defence, hence the title. Her Majesty has let it be known that she "understands the concerns" of the traditionalists. She could do no more. If the trojan horse gets any bigger there may be no faith to defend!