What if we made our MPs go to church?
by Niall Gooch, UnHerd:
Power does funny things to people, and it is no bad thing to have some humility thrust upon you.
When a senior member of the Habsburg family dies, and is entombed in the Imperial Crypt under Vienna’s Capuchin Church, the Kapuzinerkirche, the interment is preceded by a remarkable ritual. A herald knocks on the door of the church, and a Capuchin friar asks “Who seeks entry?” The herald lists the numerous styles and titles of the departed, to which the friar responds “We don’t know him”.
A second knock follows; the friar repeats the question. The herald replies with the achievements and honours of the deceased. Once again the friar says “We don’t know him”. After this comes a third knock, and a third demand for identification. This time the herald simply states the given name of the deceased, followed by the words “a mortal, sinful, human being”. The friars of the Kapuzinerkirche then open the door and admit the coffin.
The symbolism is obvious. Be ye ever so mighty, you will face God’s judgment as surely as anyone else, and all your wealth and power and grandeur will avail you nothing. Even for those who do not believe in God, or who view the ceremony cynically as a bit of slick PR by the rich and mighty to sweeten the pill of their dominance for the downtrodden masses, it is surely an impressive moment.
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