The Church of England must relinquish its association with power and pomp
Anglicans must accept they no longer deserve royal privileges but are just another group of believers
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at the ninth inauguration of the General Synod. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/PA
This week, and with it the Queen's visit to the General Synod, has been a chance for high-ranking Anglicans to imagine they still matter. And they have another thrill to come, playing host to the biggest royal wedding in a generation – another occasion for silk and grandeur.
But look beyond the pomp and what you actually see is a group of men clinging to the royal skirts while their institution falls to pieces. This really is the endgame for the Church of England as we know it. I don't mean the break-up of the worldwide Anglican Communion, although that too seems likely. African leaders have refused to sign up to a new covenant that was meant to prevent a cataclysmic split over homosexuality.
I'm talking about something close to home, a far more important issue than warring clergy. It's about all of us in England and in Britain, whose language, laws, culture and lives have been shaped by a deal that lasted for 500 years.
The Church of England was made keeper of the nation's soul, with countless special privileges, in return for stating that a succession of monarchs were appointed directly by God.
The trouble is, we just don't believe in that stuff any more. The extent it has been devalued was revealed earlier this week when a bishop declared himself a republican, denouncing the fuss about the wedding as "nauseating tosh".
Peter Broadbent, Bishop of Willesden, was foolish to say such things on Facebook. He was "withdrawn from public ministry". But there was enormous support for his views, even among Anglicans. The fact that a bishop even felt able to say such things at all shows how devalued the trinity of church, state and crown has become.
Some of his fellow bishops see David Cameron's nebulous "Big Society" as a rescue package, a way of getting their old clout back. While others were buffing their mitres, the bishop of Leicester, Tim Stevens, was on the Today programme discussing it (with me, as it happens).
"The church has been doing the 'Big Society' for years," said the bishop, who was right, historically speaking. Before the creation of the welfare state, the health service and education for all, you were best off doing good through the church.
Even now, let's be clear, there are brilliant people in the parishes working hard for their communities. There are also priests who refuse to leave desperate places, because they care. But to suggest that the Church of England is an answer to David Cameron's prayers is deluded.
The truth is it no longer has the money, priests or people to do its historic job of caring for every soul in every community. Disastrous investments, bitter rows and plummeting attendance figures have seen to that.
We don't want it, either. The British have changed dramatically in the 30 years since the last royal wedding, the last great festival of the old certainties. The Church of England is no longer our national church, in the sense of being an institution whose values we all share and which is intimately bound up in all our lives.
That doesn't mean we're atheists, whatever Richard Dawkins might hope – there are tens of millions who say they believe in God but don't want to be part of a religious organisation.
In view of all this, Prince Charles is right to want to call himself defender of faith rather than defender of the faith, as his mother did. There is no way he can take the exclusively Anglican coronation vows she took. The ancient deal is off. Even the Tories accept that the bishops can't go on having such a large automatic presence in the House of Lords. Disestablishment is happening by default.
However, there may yet be salvation of the Church of England in the "Big Society": if it can accept that it no longer deserves special privileges but is just another group of believers doing their best. If its leaders are really serious about learning from those good-hearted people who already open up churches as rural post offices, arts centres and refuges. If it rolls out ideas like those across the country and once more demonstrates its duty of care by doing things people actually want and need.
But most of all, if the bishops put away the gilded robes at last – and finally end their long love affair with royalty, with power and with pomp.
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