I’m currently reading a murder mystery in which the ancient parish church building in a village is run by a Roman Catholic priest – and come to think of it, in TV dramas (particularly murder mysteries) you often seen old churches in England in the hands of the Catholics.
Now as far as I’m aware, after the Reformation, all the churches in England were transfered to the Church of England, and the vast majority of Catholic churches in the UK are Victorian or later.
I can understand why some writers want to use a Catholic church, but I don’t understand why they have to keep using old buildings – it just doesn’t match reality. Of course, they’re more atmospheric, but you can’t just change reality because of that. It’s as if they showed all BR’s trains pulled by steam engines, because they’re prettier.
I suppose there might be the odd old church the C of E gave up and the Catholics took over, but they must be few and far between. Very strange.
Some ‘High Church’ Anglican clergy and practice are barely distinguishable from RC, I believe (but what do I know? I’m a Red-Sea Pedestrian, and proud of it!)
This is true, I’ve seen such clergy in action, incense and all, but in the works of fiction I’m referring to the priests and churches are specifically identified as being Roman Catholic.
Well there’s the bells, smells & Daemons of RC innit. Anglicanism is too busy trying to figure out what to do with gay bishops to worry about the odd exorcism. To be honest, I say, laziness on the part of the writers conforming to tired gothic sterotypes.