Meghan Markle: Citizenship and Religious Conversion

[burbankstorylady]

There was no reason for Autumn to convert.. Peter is nowwhere near the throne and there are other RC's in the RF....

Not everything is about the throne! Some people just want to belong to the same church as spouse and children!

 

[JR76]

Not everything is about the throne! Some people just want to belong to the same church as spouse and children!

Family does matter. Astrid of Sweden converted to Catholicism a few years after her marriage to the future King Leopold of Belgium. Astrid had offered to do so before their marriage but was told by a priest that she should only do it if she genuinely believed. When she finally did convert she said that she had found peace and her father-in-law King Albert expressed his joy and happiness over "all the family being united in the same religion".

 

[CyrilVladisla]

Is there any written requirement in the Anglican Church that Meghan must continue to take further religious lessons?

 

[AdmirerUS]

Not everything is about the throne! Some people just want to belong to the same church as spouse and children!

Thanks for saying this. It really made me stop and reconsider how I am perceiving her conversion. It was helpful. Posts like this are why I like the Forums.

 

[MARG]

Is there any written requirement in the Anglican Church that Meghan must continue to take further religious lessons?

No, the only standard she had to meet was that for her Confirmation and while I don't know exactly what that is today, in my day it was pretty stringent.Throughout the Confirmation classes, we were all continually assessed as to our readiness and preparedness for Confirmation by the Vicar taking our classes.

Meghan would have been instructed over a period of time (she may even have started before the engagement was announced for all we know) and examined for both her baptism and confirmation at the same time as indeed was my own mother when she joined the Anglican Church.

 

[Curbside]

No, the only standard she had to meet was that for her Confirmation and while I don't know exactly what that is today, in my day it was pretty stringent.Throughout the Confirmation classes, we were all continually assessed as to our readiness and preparedness for Confirmation by the Vicar taking our classes.

Meghan would have been instructed over a period of time (she may even have started before the engagement was announced for all we know) and examined for both her baptism and confirmation at the same time as indeed was my own mother when she joined the Anglican Church.

She also has years of training on Catholic traditions, which would have certainly carried her part of the way.

 

[CyrilVladisla]

She also has years of training on Catholic traditions, which would have certainly carried her part of the way.

In the Roman Catholic Church, there is the RCIA, which is a rite of Christian initiation. It is taught for many weeks, which become many months. However, if some of Meghan's Catholic lessons matched those of the Anglican Church, she may have not had to learn all the religious information if she had previously been informed.

 

[Mbruno]

Meghan attended a Catholic school, but that doesn’t necessarily mean she received instruction in the Catholic faith.

Catholic schools, including the one I attended, normally includie religious instruction as part of the curriculum, but, depending on the school, children of non-Catholic parents may be exempted from attending those classes or taking part in other Church-related activities that are part of the school’s routine.

 

[Curbside]

When you go to Catholic school, things like chapel are required and other types of instruction are also required, whether you adhere to the religion or not. Not to mention that going to a faith-based school for years provides more exposure to the faith than the average non-adherent would have.

 

[Curbside]

Thanks for saying this. It really made me stop and reconsider how I am perceiving her conversion. It was helpful. Posts like this are why I like the Forums.

I myself converted before my first marriage, because of my own personal conviction and because I wanted any children I had to be raised in the Catholic tradition. I was a believer, I just hadn't gotten around to becoming a Christian. There were several folks in my RCIA class who were in a similar situations. Who's to say Meghan isn't in the same situation?

 

[Mbruno]

When you go to Catholic school, things like chapel are required and other types of instruction are also required, whether you adhere to the religion or not. Not to mention that going to a faith-based school for years provides more exposure to the faith than the average non-adherent would have.

Again, not necessarily. It depends on the school.

 

[Osipi]

As someone that attended Catholic schools for most of my education, the Roman Catholic religion played a major part in it. In grade school, the day started off with Mass in the morning. In high school, religion classes were compulsory even for those attending the school that were not of the faith. What was missing though was anything to do with reading the Bible.

This was all many moons ago back when we had extra wide parking spaces to park our dinosaurs and could have changed by now. Still, attending a parochial school will have had the elements of the Roman Catholic faith entwined in its curriculum. Especially if the school employed nuns as teachers. The code of behavior and the dress code would have been far stricter than those of a public school.

Those nuns could really be a force to reckon with too. As they were addressed as "sister", that got shortened to "Sr." and almost militarily you responded "Yes, Sr."

During the 60s, it was really something that was a fact that young ladies never wore black patent leather shoes. Why? Because they reflect up and give boys impure thoughts. Having those impure thoughts was something to be avoided at all costs!

Maybe with Meghan attending a parochial school she may not have had much exposure to the actual tenets and dogma of the RC church but the code of ethics and behavior would have reflected how a good Catholic is supposed to behave and that would have made an impression.

 

[Denville]

She may not have attended religious instruction or ceremonies.. and it seems as if the faith did not attract her greatly. Anyway its moot since she is joining the C of E not the RC Church...

 

[burbankstorylady]

It is her mother who is Catholic, right? (I know her high school is Catholic. I love Catholic schools in California, by the way. The Spanish architecture is just perfect for a Catholic school. The East Coast just can't touch it.)

 

[Curbside]

She may not have attended religious instruction or ceremonies.. and it seems as if the faith did not attract her greatly. Anyway its moot since she is joining the C of E not the RC Church...

My original point was that anyone who attends Catholic school will have some exposure to the faith, more than the average non-adherent. Many of the traditions are similar. I remember attending an Anglican wedding (in the U.S.) and being shocked that we weren't actually at a Catholic service.

My other point is that just because someone didn't go through the process of adopting a religion already, doesn't mean that they are insincere for wanting to do so in advance of marriage.

 

[CyrilVladisla]

Decades ago in the Catholic dioceses here, the children had to be a Catholic to attend a Catholic school. That was a strict requirement.
Meghan may have learned to say the Rosary. She may have attended May crownings of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Hopefully the press will not bring up her Catholic background. She is now an Anglican.

 

[Pranter]

It is her mother who is Catholic, right? (I know her high school is Catholic. I love Catholic schools in California, by the way. The Spanish architecture is just perfect for a Catholic school. The East Coast just can't touch it.)

Neither parent is Catholic. Both are Protestants.


LaRae

 

[Pranter]

Decades ago in the Catholic dioceses here, the children had to be a Catholic to attend a Catholic school. That was a strict requirement.
Meghan may have learned to say the Rosary. She may have attended May crownings of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Hopefully the press will not bring up her Catholic background. She is now an Anglican.

That ship has sailed, the press brought that up months and months ago.


LaRae

 

[CyrilVladisla]

That ship has sailed, the press brought that up months and months ago.


LaRae

The press may have brought up the particulars of Roman Catholicism. However there is probably a reporter or two writing a new story about Meghan and her Catholicism at this very minute. Anything for the ratings!

 

[Lady Reem]

She had a close friend at Uni whose parents were pastors and lived nearby but off campus. And she used to spend her weekends along with her friend attending their church services. Pretty weird for a person ‘not attracted to the faith’ or wtte, according to some.
Went to a christian school, too.

Being baptised as a child does not make one a true christian.

 

[Denville]

She had a close friend at Uni whose parents were pastors and lived nearby but off campus. And she used to spend her weekends along with her friend attending their church services. Pretty weird for a person ‘not attracted to the faith’ or wtte, according to some.
Went to a christian school, too.

Being baptised as a child does not make one a true christian.

No but if one is brought up with some religious instruction, and attends some services, it doesn't make one a Christian either. And if she had a real interest in becoming a Christian, she would almost certainly have joined a church, on a regular basis or been baptised... by now....

 

[Osipi]

No but if one is brought up with some religious instruction, and attends some services, it doesn't make one a Christian either. And if she had a real interest in becoming a Christian, she would almost certainly have joined a church, on a regular basis or been baptised... by now....

I disagree. There's a difference in living a spiritual life and practicing and belonging to a Christian denomination. I was baptized in the Roman Catholic church as a baby, attended RC schools for my education and don't see myself as Christian today at all. I am a spiritual person with a personal relationship with my Creator but I don't identify with any religion whatsoever.

Meghan made a choice to join a religious denomination as it was her right to do so and approved by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

 

[Lady Reem]

No but if one is brought up with some religious instruction, and attends some services, it doesn't make one a Christian either. And if she had a real interest in becoming a Christian, she would almost certainly have joined a church, on a regular basis or been baptised... by now....

How many royal brides were regular church goers before marriage? You haven’t a clue what Meghan’s church going habits were, and btw not all christian denominations require baptism as a must before one is accepted into the christian church and it doesn’t make one less a child of God either. The pews of churches across the Uk lie empty, most people don’t attend church as before, say like 30 years ago. That is a fact. So for someone that wasn’t raised in the faith according to some, at least she took it upon herself to attend church services at Uni when she had no need to. Her faith is between her and her God and a loving welcoming Christ who thankfully wasn’t a judgemental sanctimonious crow. There’s much to be learned from him, following his examples instead of sitting on high horses pointing the finger every frikking time.

 

[Cocoasneeze]

No but if one is brought up with some religious instruction, and attends some services, it doesn't make one a Christian either. And if she had a real interest in becoming a Christian, she would almost certainly have joined a church, on a regular basis or been baptised... by now....

That sounds like a contradiction. Attending services doesn't make one a Christian, but if she had interest in becoming Christian, she would've joined a church on regular basis. So which one is it?

We have no clue how often Meghan attended a church, and tbh, we don't need to know. Her religious beliefs are her personal issue, and questioning her religious sincerity sounds quite judgmental, and un-Christian like.

 

[Osipi]

I propose that we no longer speculate or put our own spins on what Meghan's joining the CoE as an active member means. Like Meghan's eventual applying for British citizenship, these are steps that she has/will take out of her own free will without coercion and we should just accept these steps as fact.

 

[Mbruno]

That sounds like a contradiction. Attending services doesn't make one a Christian, but if she had interest in becoming Christian, she would've joined a church on regular basis. So which one is it?

We have no clue how often Meghan attended a church, and tbh, we don't need to know. Her religious beliefs are her personal issue, and questioning her religious sincerity sounds quite judgmental, and un-Christian like.

Formally joining a church, in many mainstream denominations, requires being baptized. One cannot fully participate in church services, for example take communion, without being baptized first.

Denville's point is correct then. If Meghan had had an interest in being a full member of a mainstream Christian church before, she would have been already baptized. When she expressed a desire to become a member of the CoE, she was told to be baptized and confirmed.

 

[princess carmen]

Since no one here can see and read Meghan's hear no one knows what she feels. Yes for the Marriage she had to join the church but that doesn't mean anything it takes some people a while to find a religion they are comfortable with .

 

[Osipi]

The thing is that Meghan could have married Harry without being baptized and confirmed in the CoE. Its not required. It was her choice to do so. What her reasons for going through the baptism and confirmation though is not for public consumption.

 

[Mbruno]

The thing is that Meghan could have married Harry without being baptized and confirmed in the CoE. Its not required. It was her choice to do so. What her reasons for going through the baptism and confirmation though is not for public consumption.

Although technically not required, I believe it would be naive to assume that Meghan could marry into the BRF without joining the CoE. The CoE is still a state church and princesses of the Royal House are accordingly expected to be members thereof. Similarly, it was expected that Henrik, Mary and Marie would join the Lutheran Church of Denmark.

Maxima didn't join the Dutch Reformed church (or rather its successor, the PKN), but the situation is different in the Netherlands in the sense that, although the Orange-Nassaus are personally identified with the Dutch Reformed religion, it is not an established state church like in England or Denmark. Even so, it must have taken a lot of personal conviction for Maxima not to convert, and I commend her for that.

 

[Mbruno]

To be clear, I am not questioning Meghan's sincerity. I am just saying that, whether she genuinely wanted to join the CoE or not, she would probably have to do it anyway as Prince Harry's wife. Harry is a senior royal and one of the two sons of the future king. Both he and his wife will always be full-time royals and will be intimately associated with the state church.