“RITES relating to marriage” was the subject under study by 56
Anglican liturgists at the biennial meeting of the International
Anglican Liturgical Consultation (IALC) earlier this month in
Canterbury.
Continuing work that was begun two years ago in New Zealand,
a report on this topic will be completed by December.
Participants came from 19 Anglican provinces, including Brazil,
Hong Kong, Nigeria, and the Southern Cone.
Topics included theology,
cultural contexts, and the shape and elements of ritual.
Papers were
delivered by the Bishop of Central Tanganyika, the Rt Revd Mdimi
Mhogolo, and by the Revd Dr Simon Jones, of Merton College, Oxford.
Dr Jones drew attention to the particular issues faced by Church
of England clergy who frequently have to deal with couples presenting
themselves for marriage in church, neither of whom are baptised, or
attend church regularly.
Bishop Mhogolo explained that Christian missionaries who came to
Tanzania had paid no attention to traditional Tanzanian
marriage-customs, in which washing and anointing rather than rings and
vows were the principal symbols.
As a consequence, Christian marriage rites now appear alien to most Tanzanians.
In addition to the regular sessions, there was a separate
presentation by members of the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music
(SCLM) of the Episcopal Church in the United States on their
development of a theological rationale and liturgical principles for
same-sex blessings.
Those who attended were asked to give feedback by
considering specific questions in small working groups.
The chair of the IALC, Dr Eileen Scully, from Canada, said on
Thursday of last week that the purpose of the IALC meeting was to work
on rites related to heterosexual couples only.
In countries where
civil-marriage laws were changing, however, to allow either civil
unions or same-sex marriage, Churches faced challenges.
They needed to
reflect on the parallels with traditional marriage.
The Professor of Liturgics at the Church Divinity School of the
Pacific, the Revd Dr Ruth Meyers, said on Saturday that the 2009 General
Convention had directed the SCLM both to inform, and to invite
reflections from, the rest of the Communion.
The IALC meeting was an
ideal opportunity to discuss the matter.
The Episcopal Church’s request for such a session was made
according to existing IALC norms, she said, and had been unanimously
approved in advance by the IALC steering committee.
It was a
coincidence that marriage was the main topic this year; the request
would have been made in any event.
Dr Meyers also noted that the Episcopal Church’s request
conformed to the Windsor report’s recommendation that “provinces
engaged in discernment regarding the blessing of same-sex unions
[should] engage the Communion in continuing study.”
The feedback was enormously helpful, and the delegates from the
Episcopal Church felt honoured by the respectful hearing that they had
received, she said.
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