The Church of England: the triumph of aesthetics over substance, yes, but those were some fine aesthetics

One of these days when I'm in confession and the priest tells me to say my Act of Contrition, I'm gonna bust out with this shit:

ALMIGHTY God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all things, Judge of all men; We acknowledge and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness, Which we, from time to time, most grievously have committed, By thought, word, and deed, Against thy Divine Majesty, Provoking most justly thy wrath and indignation against us. We do earnestly repent, And are heartily sorry for these our misdoings; The remembrance of them is grievous unto us; The burden of them is intolerable. Have mercy upon us, Have mercy upon us, most merciful Father; For thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, Forgive us all that is past; And grant that we may ever hereafter Serve and please thee In newness of life, To the honour and glory of thy Name; Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Tell it, brother. Thomas Cranmer was a whoreson rebel, no doubt about it, but holy shit that man could write an English sentence.

The quote is from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.

This post brought to you courtesy of me reminiscing about my Anglican days.