In Jerusalem, the holy oil that will be used to anoint King Charles during his coronation has been declared sacred. The holy oil was made from olives harvested from two groves on the Mount of Olives, at the Monasteries of Mary Magdalene and the Ascension, and will be used to anoint the King during the ceremony. The olives were pressed just outside Bethlehem, and the oil was scented with sesame, rose, jasmine, cinnamon, neroli, benzoin and amber, and orange blossom. On Friday, the Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III, and the Anglican Archbishop of Jerusalem, The Most Reverend Hosam Naoum, consecrated the chrism oil in The Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Mr. Naoum stated that he "felt a deep sense of spiritual experience" during the ceremony. "So what has been happening today, I think there is that thread, that this - the consecration of the oil for the enthronement and the coronation - it brings about something of a deep and profound meaning," the archbishop continued. "To King Charles, to the church, to Jerusalem, to the Holy Land, and, I believe, to the entire world." During the historic ceremony, the King will also receive the orb, coronation ring, and sceptre, as well as be crowned with the majestic St Edward's Crown and blessed. Camilla will be anointed with holy oil and crowned in the same way that the Queen Mother was when she became Queen in 1937.
Charles has strong ties to the Holy Land because his grandmother, Princess Alice, who hosted a Jewish family in Greece during WWII, is buried at Jerusalem's Russian Orthodox church of St Mary Magdalene. He laid flowers at her tomb during a visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories in 2020. "I am honoured and grateful that His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III and Archbishop Hosam Naoum have consecrated the oil that will be used to anoint His Majesty The King," said the Archbishop of Canterbury.
"I want to thank especially His Beatitude for providing this Coronation Oil, which reflects The King's personal family connection with the Holy Land and his great care for its peoples. "I am also delighted that the Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem shared in the consecration of the oil. "Since the beginning of the Coronation planning, my desire has been for a new Coronation Oil to be produced using olive oil from the Mount of Olives. This demonstrates the historical significance of the Coronation, the Bible, and the Holy Land. "From ancient kings to modern monarchs, monarchs have been anointed with oil from this sacred place. As we prepare to anoint the King and Queen Consort, I pray that the Holy Spirit will guide and strengthen them." The oil is based on the formula used at Queen Elizabeth II's coronation, which has been used for hundreds of years.
By Covenantblog
