A116 (Marriage Rites for Inclusion in the Book of Common Prayer (First Reading))
House of Bishops Message #122
The House of Bishops informs the House of Deputies that on Jun 25, 2024 it considered resolution A116 (Marriage Rites for Inclusion in the Book of Common Prayer (First Reading)). The house acted to:
Adopt Substitute
Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring,
That the 81st General Convention authorize for trial use under Article X.b the following revisions to the Book of Common Prayer 1979:
BCP pp. 349 and 381: Following the Preface of Marriage, add the rubric “or this”, followed by Preface of Marriage, Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music (SCLM) Blue Book report p. 39
BCP p. 423: Revise the title to read “The Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage I”
BCP p. 433: Revise the title to read “The Blessing of a Civil Marriage I”
BCP p. 435: Revise the title to read “An Order for Marriage I”
Following BCP p. 438, add The Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage, SCLM Blue Book report pp. 28-36; The Blessing of Civil Marriage, SCLM Blue Book report pp. 36-37; An Order of Marriage, SCLM Blue Book report pp. 37-38; and Additional Directions, SCLM Blue Book Report, pp. 38-39; with the following revisions:
SCLM Blue Book Report p. 28: Revise the first paragraph Concerning the Service as follows: “At least one of the parties must be a baptized Christian; the ceremony must be attested by at least two witnesses; and the marriage must conform to the laws of the State and the canons of this Church.”
SCLM Blue Book Report p. 29: Revise the title to read “The Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage II”
SCLM Blue Book Report p. 35: Replace “Preface of the Season” with “Preface of Marriage, or of the Season”
SCLM Blue Book Report p. 36: Revise the title to read “The Blessing of a Civil Marriage II”
SCLM Blue Book Report p. 37: Revise the title to read “An Order for Marriage II”
SCLM Blue Book Report p. 37: Replace the first paragraph of An Order of Marriage with the following text: “If it is desired to celebrate a marriage otherwise than as provided in the Book of Common Prayer or any authorized alternative thereto, this Order is used.”
SCLM Blue Book Report p. 37: Revise paragraph 3 of An Order of Marriage as follows: “The laws of the State and the canons of this Church having been complied with, the couple, together with their witnesses, families, and friends assemble in the church or in some other convenient place.”
Blue Book Report p. 37: Revise #1 of An Order of Marriage as follows: “The teaching of the Church concerning Holy Matrimony, as it is declared in the formularies and canons of this Church, is briefly stated.”
And be it further
Resolved, That these liturgies authorized for trial use be made available electronically at no cost; and be it further
Resolved, That the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music be directed to engage a dynamic equivalence translation of these texts into the Spanish, French, and Kreyol languages; and be it further
Resolved, That the liturgies The Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage, The Blessing of a Civil Marriage, and An Order for Marriage as authorized in The Book of Common Prayer 1979 continue to be authorized for use in all dioceses of The Episcopal Church; and be it further
Resolved, That the General Convention request the Executive Council Budget Committee to allocate $12,000 for translation.
That the Rites for The Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage, as authorized for trial use by the 79th General Convention, be included in the Book of Common Prayer; and be it further
Resolved, That the 1979 Book of Common Prayer, having been memorialized as the Prayer Book of this church, (2018 – A068), shall remain accessible to our members and our mission.