Writing on his website, the Archbishop of Canterbury urged people to both pray for and support Prince William and Kate Middleton, not only as they say their wedding vows on Friday at 11am London time, but also as they prepare to take up their responsibilities as a royal couple.
“No individual exists alone,” wrote the Archbishop. “People come to their weddings with family and friends around them. And of course with this particular wedding, they’re coming with friends and supporters all around the world, watching and witnessing.
“Every wedding then, sends a message to people. It’s two people declaring something, not only about themselves, but about what they most deeply believe, the values they must deeply hold to, declaring that to the whole world around them.”
Williams added, “A marriage is good news because it says something so deep about our humanity and it tells us that we can have grounds for hope that there are still people around us who want to spend their lives with each other, who want to make this great act of generous commitment to one another and so everybody around the world watching this will have some sense of the commitments that are possible.”
Williams lauded the young couple as being “deeply unpretentious,” and said it had been an absolute please to get to know them.
“I think they have a clear sense of what they believe they’re responsible to. They’re responsible to the whole society, responsible to God for their relationship, and I think it’s impressive that they’ve had that simplicity about it – they’ve known what matters, what’s at the heart of all this.
“Naturally, I want to wish William and Catherine every richest blessing in their life together. But I want to wish them especially the courage and clarity they’ll need to live out this big commitment ... to live it out for the rest of us.”
The archbishop concluded, “I hope they’ll be given the strength and the persistence to go on showing the rest of us what’s possible, for the whole of their life together.”