The Catholic Herald have this week published my piece on the 'black nobility' - aristocracy who for centuries played a key role in assisting the papal court. They still have important duties, but their influence is much diminished.
To many, particularly republicans, this can all seem very bizarre and perhaps distasteful; to others the thought of an ecclesiastical aristocracy can seem a world away from the Gospel. But it is all in keeping with the Church's revealed tradition, and the important fact that the Pope is a monarch, as indeed is Christ. Tomorrow the Church celebrates the Feast of Christ the King.
Much of the article touches on heraldry, something of particular personal interest as my great grandfather, Sir Gerald Woods Wollaston, was Garter Principal King of Arms from 1930 to 1944. The College of Arms, which the Garter heads, plays a key role in the planning and preparation of the coronation - not currently occupied by a Catholic monarch, of course, but nonetheless considered to be the most 'Catholic-rooted' ceremony in English public life.
The Herald article can be found here
Image: Benedict XVI's coat of arms.
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