St George or St Alban as Patron Saint of England?
It looks as though St George’s days are numbered. The Church of England at their General Synod are likely to be presented with a private member’s motion proposing that the Archbishop of Canterbury acknowledge St Alban as the patron saint of England.
Philip Chester, vicar at St Matthew’s, Westminster, is arguing that St George’s image is far too militaristic, associated as it is with crusades against Muslims in the middle ages. There’s been some controversy over the association of the St George Cross with England’s football campaign in the FIFA World Cup. See the story at Duncan’s Print.
On top of that, there’s some doubt as to the actual existence of a man behind the legend of St George. What is clear is that the legend of St George and the Dragon is as much fiction as is The Da Vinci Code. St George, who is reputed to have died in 303 CE, is regarded as an icon of the struggle against the persecution instigated by Emperor Diocletian.
But what would it mean if St Alban took his place? St Alban, a Roman soldier who was killed for his role in sheltering a Christian priest, has more substance in the history books. However not too many people in England would be keen to replace the St George Cross with the St Alban Cross, a yellow diagonal cross on a light blue background (same colours as Sweden and same shape as Scotland). What would that do to the Union Jack?
