new forms of service
TVEW forms of Church of England services are to be pub lished before the end of this year and will come into effect after May 1 next, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Michael Ramsey, told the summer session of the Church Assembly last week.
The new services, which will be experimental, will be designed both to legalise deviations already being made from the Book of Common Prayer, and also to bring into effect new services prepared by the Church's Liturgical Commission for Morning and Evening Prayer, the Litany, the Burial of the Dead, and Thanksgiving after Childbirth.
"The Commission is working on .other forms of servie as well", the Archbishop said.
In another measure approved by the Assembly changes are provided in the Rubric on Infant Baptism so that parents can stand as godparents for their own children, provided there is at least one other qualified godparent. This change provides that if a clergyman "shall refuse or unduly delay to baptise any such infant, the parents or guardian may apply to the Bishop of the diocese who shall, after consultation with the Minister. give such direction as he thinks fit".
In effect, this would enable the Bishop to avoid a clash with the priest by arranging for the baptism to take place in another church or bringing in another vicar to perform the ceremony. But priests under the law will still be ordered to carry out baptism.
Another change concerning the Rubric on Holy Communion involves other denominations. It has already touched off controversy which seems likely to develop.
This provides for the insertion of paragraphs in the present Another change indirectly bears Rubric whereby, to meet "occaon the current "revolt" in the sional and particular pastoral Church of England over • infant needs, an individual baptised baptism which has led to some communicant member of a priests resigning and others refusChurch not in communion with ing to carry out baptisms unless the Church of England may be the parents are fully aware of admitted to Holy Communion at what is being undertaken. the discretion of a priest."