Saints the Month-13 October: St. Edward the Confessor
Above the main entrance to Westminster Cathedral, the mother-church of English and Welsh Catholics, is a wonderful mosaic of Christ Enthroned. He is surrounded by Our Lady, St. Joseph, St. Peter and on the far-right St. Edward the Confessor, King of England. St. Edward is the only King of England to be canonised and was the patron saint of the realm until about 1350, when Edward III proclaimed the more military figure of St. George as the “patron on the English race.” Nevertheless, St. Edward’s inclusion in the mosaic is rather apt. He represents the temporal order of England.
St. Edward is the patron Saint of difficult marriages. His own marriage produced no children and was tied up in dynastic disputes. However his other ‘marriage’ between his crown and subjects was also turbulent. He was born under the shadow of constant Viking invasion and when Cnut seized the English throne, the thirteen year old Edward went into exile for nearly a quarter of a century. After Cnut died in 1035, there were numerous attempts to put Edward on the throne of England. Finally in 1047 he returned to his homeland and was crowned King in Winchester.
Edward’s reign was a constant struggle to maintain order. The English Earls were a constant threat to his crown and the peace of the realm; The Welsh Princes and Scottish Kings were often a treat in the border regions; and many of the Church leaders were under the control of his enemies and he had not produced an heir. His succession famously was also a messy affair leading to “1066 and all that”.
Many historians have argued that his subsequent canonisation was a political act by his Norman successors but there is much evidence that after his death a cult very quickly established itself around the saintly King. Despite his love of hunting and well known fits of rage, he was regarded as a good King and more importantly as a holy man who tried to carry out his royal duties according to the Gospel.
Christians do not live in a bubble. Most of us live in the world and can not escape the chaos and activity around us. Nevertheless we must use Christ as our guide whether we are dealing with tax returns, office politics or troublesome Welsh princes. This is never always easy and we can fall in to the trap of indulging in realpolitik. The fact is the Gospel is not only realistic but the only way.
