16 June 2001, Runnymede
We are pleased to present the Program for the Commemoration of the 786th Anniversary of the Sealing of Magna Carta at Runnymede Saturday 16 June 2001. We appreciate the kindness of Mr. Tim Williams, Hon. Secretary in allowing the inclusion of the text on our WebSite. This information is presented through the courtesy of the Runnymede Borough Council and the Magna Carta Trust.
We are including the Order of Service which was held at the Egham Church on 16 June 2001 as inclement weather prevented the planned activities at the field of Runnymede. We are also including the text of the Main Address given by Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, Master of the Rolls and Chairman of the Magna Carta Trust and the Magna Carta Anniversary Sermon given by The Right Reverend John Gladwin, Lord Bishop of Guildford.
In his address, Lord Phillips reminded his audience of the significance of Magna Carta, its impact on this country, America and many other democracies, he stressed that it provided a common heritage of freedom and liberty for all. He outlined the development of the Human Rights Convention for Europe and its echoes of Magna Carta. He added that despite the Convention being largely drafted by United Kingdom Lawyers, it was only last year that the Human Rights Act came into force in England and Wales. The Act therefore perpetuates the fundamental principles of human rights, first enshrined in Magna Carta, nearly 800 years ago, and even echoes the text of Magna Carta itself, which provided (at Clauses 39 and 40):
"No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled, or deprived of his standing in any other way, nor will we proceed with force against him, or send others to do so, except by the lawful judgment of his equals or by the law of the land."
"To no-one will we sell, to no one deny or delay right or justice."
In his Sermon The Right Reverend John Gladwin included a prophetic observation:
..."that there are those in both mosques and churches who, in violation of the fundamental values and truths that undergird their sacred texts, twist the faith to serve their own political ends. The tempting solution to this problem -- particularly for us in Western Europe at the end of the last 100 years -- is to put religion in one corner and politics in another and pretend that they can have nothing to do with each other. Another solution -- but no less disastrous as we have seen in the Taliban in Afghanistan -- is to think that if you have enough religion you can do without politics. I encourage you to read all three.
1. Order of Service which was held at the Egham Church on 16 June 2001
2. Main Address given by Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers
3. Magna Carta Anniversary Sermon given by The Right Reverend John Gladwin, Lord Bishop of Guildford