Pale Green Book

In drear London twilight last week the old Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury, the Right Honorable and Most Reverend Randall Thomas Davidson, Primate of All England, slowly paraded into Church House at Westminister./- With him was the Right Honorable and Most Reverend Cosmo Gordon Lang, Anglican Archbishop of York and Primate of England; and behind them entered 300 high dignitaries of their Church of England, gay in vestment, sombre in feature.

Within, seated, there was silence. The Archbishop of Canterbury rose, 78, gaunt; intoned: "Pater noster . . ."* Before him, on a stand, was a pale green-covered book. This book, said he, was the Alternative Prayer Book, which the bishops of the Church of England recommended be adopted in place of the Book of Common Prayer. English culture had changed considerably since the present prayer book was authorized --in 1662, and a prayer book should be consonant with today's needs. This Alternative Prayer Book was "permissive only." A priest could use the altered prayers, if he pleased and his congregation consented; but a bishop could not enforce the use of the new version. For convenience and to avoid controversy the old prayers were printed intact, with the modified ones alongside. And lastly, the majority of the changes dealt with non-controversial subjects and the bishops had approved most of them unanimously.

The Archbishop of York, 62 and alert, spoke: Let the Churchmen ponder well these changes. The bishops will have to vote on them in March, the Church as a whole in July, and later Parliament, for in the end Parliament controls the Established Church in Egland.

Important changes recommended are:

Communion. After bread and wine are blessed, a small portion of each may be "reserved" to give communion to the sick or dying. Under no circumstances may the bread be ostentatiously displayed, as in Roman Catholic churches, nor may it be adored as the body of Christ by kneeling devotees.

Marriage. This service is made more "elegant." References to "carnal lusts and appetites" and to "procreation" are expressed in less physiological terms. The word "obey" is deleted.

Special Prayers are arranged for use at British elections, and other crises, for the League of Nations, for foreign missions, for hospitals and for "the forces of the King by sea, land and air."

/-Not to be confused with Archbishop's House also at Westminster, residence of His Eminence Francis Cardinal Bourne, (Roman Catholic) Archbishop of West minster, (Roman Catholic) Primate of England.

*Latin version of the prayer "Our Father which art in Heaven. . . ." Complete the prayer is:

Pater noster, qui es in caelis: sanctificetur nomen tuum. Adveniat regnum tuum. Fiat voluntas tua, sicut in caelo, et in terra. Panem nostrum supersubstantialem da nobis hodie. Et dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris. Et ne nos inducas in tentationem. Sed libera nos a malo. Amen.