Requiescat in Pace
Following the announcement of the death of Her Majesty The Queen on 8 September 2022, Cardinal Vincent Nichols paid tribute to Her Majesty:
On 21 April 1947, on her twenty-first birthday, Princess Elizabeth said, ‘I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service.’
Now, seventy-five years later, we are heartbroken in our loss at her death, and so full of admiration for the unfailing way in which she fulfilled that declaration.
Even in my sorrow, shared with so many around the world, I am filled with an immense sense of gratitude for the gift to the world that has been the life of Queen Elizabeth II.
At this time, we pray for the repose of the soul of Her Majesty. We do so with confidence, because the Christian faith marked every day of her life and activity.
In her Millennium Christmas message, she said, ‘To many of us, our beliefs are of fundamental importance. For me the teachings of Christ and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try to lead my life. I, like so many of you, have drawn great comfort in difficult times from Christ’s words and example.’
This faith, so often and so eloquently proclaimed in her public messages, has been an inspiration to me, and I am sure to many. The wisdom, stability and service which she consistently embodied, often in circumstances of extreme difficulty, are a shining legacy and testament to her faith.
Our prayer is that she is now received into the merciful presence of God, there to be reunited with her beloved Prince Philip. This is the promise of our faith, and our deep consolation.
Queen Elizabeth II will remain, always, a shining light in our history. May she now rest in peace.
We pray for His Majesty the King, as he assumes his new office even as he mourns his mother.
God save the King
Deanery Prayer
Queen Elizabeth II
May She Rest in Peace
It is with great sadness that we share in the country’s mourning at the news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
We pray for all her family.
We pray for the Queen that she is now received into the presence of the God of love.
We pray for His Majesty King Charles III, as assumes his new office even as he mourns the death of his mother.
God save the King.
Queen Elizabeth II
The Most Reverend Malcolm McMahon OP, Archbishop of Liverpool, has issued the following statement on the death of Queen Elizabeth II:
‘I am deeply saddened to hear the news about the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. I pray for the repose of her soul and for all the members of the Royal Family at this time of sorrow.
‘On 21 April 1947, her 21st birthday, in a speech broadcast on the radio from Cape Town, the then Princess Elizabeth dedicated her life to the service of the Commonwealth saying, “I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong”.
‘Today we give thanks for that lifetime of service to our country and for her leadership of the Church of England during her 70-year reign. The celebrations we witnessed earlier this year for her Platinum Jubilee show how much respect and love people had for her. She will be remembered for her dedication, strength, warmth and her pride in our country.’
‘May this good and faithful servant rest in the peace of the Risen Lord.'
Prayers from the Archdiocesan Pastoral Department
Compassionate Christ, Bless the family and friends of the Queen, for whom this loss is a moment of great sadness. Help them shoulder their private grief in the midst of their public lives. We pray that your yoke will be easy and your burden light for our new Monarch, King Charles III. Give him the grace to reign wisely, always faithful to your name.
Spirit, Comforter, We pray for ourselves and all people who mourn the passing of our Queen. Like her, may we all draw strength from your love and face each new day with hope. Pour your consola- tion into every grieving heart so that doubt may turn into certainty and sadness give birth to gratitude. Amen.