Dear Friends,
What fascinates me about King Charles I is his cult in Anglicanism and among converts from Anglicanism to Catholicism and Orthodoxy!
Cardinal Newman and Ronald Knox continued to privately venerate King Charles I as a saint and Knox even considered trying to get a Cause of King Charles started at Rome (The Society of King Charles the Martyr has a pamphlet written by an RC priest who openly advocates Charles' canonisation by Rome - the founder of the SKCM, Mrs. Grenville-Nugent, later converted to RCism, but also continued to honour Charles privately).
Western Orthodox Christians who come from Anglicanism also venerate Charles privately (and I believe there is one Western Orthodox parish that even has a shrine with an icon of St Charles, King and Martyr).
There are five Anglican parishes in England dedicated to St Charles the Royal Martyr, with many shrines to him set up in individual churches, including one at Our Lady of Walsingham Anglican shrine (a statue with candles burning before it et al.).
There are more Episcopal parishes dedicated to St Charles in the U.S. including some Spanish ones dedicated to "San Carlos."
Some of those converts say that King Charles I is who is responsible for their conversion - and for the traditional Anglican movement.
Oliver Cromwell, movie notwithstanding, was an anti-Catholic bigot who cancelled Christmas when he ascended to power.
He hated Catholics with a vengeance and this was at the root of this hatred for King Charles I - that the King refused to expunge the Catholic elements of Anglicanism, especially the episcopacy.
Charles could have saved his life, had he agreed to the last demand. But he chose to die instead.
Alex
