Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Catholic archbishop of Westminster, will say: “May God pour upon you the riches of his grace, keep you in his holy fear, prepare you for a happy eternity, and receive you at the last into his immortal glory.”
The other Christian leaders who will formally give a blessing include the archbishop of York, the Greek Orthodox archbishop of Thyateira and Great Britain, the moderator of the Free Churches, the secretary general of Churches Together in England, and the archbishop of Canterbury.
In the run-up to the coronation, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, of which Nichols is president, are encouraging Catholics to pray especially for the new king using a prayer card they have issued.
On the prayer card, Nichols has included a personal message, which reads:
“The coronation of King Charles III will take place in Westminster Abbey. This will be the first coronation for 70 years in our countries; indeed, the first since our late Queen, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, entered the ancient church as a young woman to take on the awesome responsibilities of monarchy.
“In his first address to our countries after the death of the Queen, His Majesty stated, in the context of the late Queen’s unwavering service, ‘that promise of lifelong service I renew to you all today.’