What do the Constitution & Canons say?
THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER
The Book of Common Prayer "shall be in use in all the Dioceses of this Church" (Article X of the Constitution) and is "the Standard Book of Common Prayer of this Church" (Canon II.3)
TRIAL USE
Trial use liturgical material is authorized "for trial use throughout this Church, as an alternative at any time or times to the established Book of Common Prayer or to any section or Office thereof, a proposed revision of the whole Book or of any portion thereof, duly undertaken by the General Convention." - Article X of the Constitution
"Whenever the General Convention, pursuant to Article X of the Constitution, shall authorize for trial use a proposed revision of the Book of Common Prayer, or of a portion or portions thereof, the enabling Resolution shall specify the period of such trial use, the precise text thereof, and any special terms or conditions under which such trial use shall be carried out including translation." - Canon II.3.6a
THE BOOK OF OCCASIONAL SERVICES
The Book of Occasional Services is mentioned but not defined in the Canons of the Episcopal Church. (Canon II.3.5) It was authorized "for optional use throughout this Church". (Resolution 1979-A055)
LESSER FEASTS AND FASTS
Lesser Feasts and Fasts is mentioned but not defined in the Canons of the Episcopal Church. (Canon II.3.5) It has been regularly authorized "for optional use" since at least 1976 and regularly revised. (See Resolutions 1976-A106 and 2018-A065, etc.)
AUTHORIZED FOR USE / AUTHORIZED FOR OPTIONAL USE
Currently this is not a Constitutional or Canonical status, but a number of liturgical rites have been "authorized for use" or "authorized for optional use" by Acts of Convention.
Editorial note from a member of the Task Force... It seems that liturgical material that is "authorized for use" must fit into one of the categories:
1) It is in the Book of Occasional Services,
2) It is in Lesser Feasts and Fasts,
3) It can be adapted to some or another "Order for Worship" in the BCP,
4) It must be approved by the bishop:
a) as a "Special Form of Worship" (see below), or
b) under the 2015 interpretation of that "does not forbid" Rite III at the Principal Service (2015-D050), or
c) as a "Translation of the Bible" (see below).
SPECIAL FORMS OF WORSHIP
"And provided that nothing in this Article shall be construed as restricting the authority of the Bishops of this Church to take such order as may be permitted by the Rubrics of the Book of Common Prayer or by the Canons of the General Convention for the use of special forms of worship." - Article X of the Constitution.
"In any Congregation, worshipping in other than the English language, which shall have placed itself under the oversight of a Bishop of this Church, it shall be lawful to use a form of service in such language; provided that such form of service shall have previously been approved by the Bishop of the Diocese, until such time as an authorized edition of the Book of Common Prayer in such language shall be set forth by the authority of the General Convention; and provided further, that no Bishop shall license any such form of service until first satisfied that the same is in accordance with the Doctrine and Worship of this Church; nor in any case shall such form of service be used for the ordination or consecration of Bishops, Priests, or Deacons." - Canon II.4
CALENDAR / LECTIONARY / RUBRICS RELATING TO PSALMS
"But notwithstanding anything herein above contained, the General Convention may at any one meeting, by a majority of the whole number of the Bishops entitled to vote in the House of Bishops, and by a majority of the Clerical and Lay Deputies of all the Dioceses entitled to representation in the House of Deputies, voting by orders as previously set forth in this Article: Amend the Table of Lessons and all Tables and Rubrics relating to the Psalms." - Article X of the Constitution.
TRANSLATIONS OF THE BIBLE
"Sec 1: The Lessons prescribed in the Book of Common Prayer shall be read from the translation of the Holy Scriptures commonly known as the King James or Authorized Version (which is the historic Bible of this Church) together with the Marginal Readings authorized for use by the General Convention of 1901; or from one of the three translations known as Revised Versions, including the English Revision of 1881, the American Revision of 1901, and the Revised Standard Version of 1952; from the Jerusalem Bible of 1966; from the New English Bible with the Apocrypha of 1970; or from The 1976 Good News Bible (Today’s English Version); or from The New American Bible (1970); or from The Revised Standard Version, an Ecumenical Edition, commonly known as the “R.S.V. Common Bible” (1973); or from The New International Version (1978); or from The New Jerusalem Bible (1987); or from the Revised English Bible (1989); or from the New Revised Standard Version (1990); or from the Contemporary English Version (1995); or from the Contemporary English Version Global (2005); or Common English Bible (2011); or from translations, authorized by the diocesan bishop, of those approved versions published in any other language; or from other versions of the Bible, including those in languages other than English, which shall be authorized by diocesan bishops for specific use in congregations or ministries within their dioceses.
"Sec 2: All translations proposed for inclusion in Canon II.2.1 must conform to the Criteria for Recommending New Biblical Translations for Use in Public Worship adopted by General Convention.
"Sec. 3. All translations proposed for inclusion in Canon II.2.1 must first be referred to the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music for review according to the Criteria for Recommending New Biblical Translations for Use in Public Worship. - Canon II.2
The Book of Common Prayer "shall be in use in all the Dioceses of this Church" (Article X of the Constitution) and is "the Standard Book of Common Prayer of this Church" (Canon II.3)
TRIAL USE
Trial use liturgical material is authorized "for trial use throughout this Church, as an alternative at any time or times to the established Book of Common Prayer or to any section or Office thereof, a proposed revision of the whole Book or of any portion thereof, duly undertaken by the General Convention." - Article X of the Constitution
"Whenever the General Convention, pursuant to Article X of the Constitution, shall authorize for trial use a proposed revision of the Book of Common Prayer, or of a portion or portions thereof, the enabling Resolution shall specify the period of such trial use, the precise text thereof, and any special terms or conditions under which such trial use shall be carried out including translation." - Canon II.3.6a
THE BOOK OF OCCASIONAL SERVICES
The Book of Occasional Services is mentioned but not defined in the Canons of the Episcopal Church. (Canon II.3.5) It was authorized "for optional use throughout this Church". (Resolution 1979-A055)
LESSER FEASTS AND FASTS
Lesser Feasts and Fasts is mentioned but not defined in the Canons of the Episcopal Church. (Canon II.3.5) It has been regularly authorized "for optional use" since at least 1976 and regularly revised. (See Resolutions 1976-A106 and 2018-A065, etc.)
AUTHORIZED FOR USE / AUTHORIZED FOR OPTIONAL USE
Currently this is not a Constitutional or Canonical status, but a number of liturgical rites have been "authorized for use" or "authorized for optional use" by Acts of Convention.
Editorial note from a member of the Task Force... It seems that liturgical material that is "authorized for use" must fit into one of the categories:
1) It is in the Book of Occasional Services,
2) It is in Lesser Feasts and Fasts,
3) It can be adapted to some or another "Order for Worship" in the BCP,
4) It must be approved by the bishop:
a) as a "Special Form of Worship" (see below), or
b) under the 2015 interpretation of that "does not forbid" Rite III at the Principal Service (2015-D050), or
c) as a "Translation of the Bible" (see below).
SPECIAL FORMS OF WORSHIP
"And provided that nothing in this Article shall be construed as restricting the authority of the Bishops of this Church to take such order as may be permitted by the Rubrics of the Book of Common Prayer or by the Canons of the General Convention for the use of special forms of worship." - Article X of the Constitution.
"In any Congregation, worshipping in other than the English language, which shall have placed itself under the oversight of a Bishop of this Church, it shall be lawful to use a form of service in such language; provided that such form of service shall have previously been approved by the Bishop of the Diocese, until such time as an authorized edition of the Book of Common Prayer in such language shall be set forth by the authority of the General Convention; and provided further, that no Bishop shall license any such form of service until first satisfied that the same is in accordance with the Doctrine and Worship of this Church; nor in any case shall such form of service be used for the ordination or consecration of Bishops, Priests, or Deacons." - Canon II.4
CALENDAR / LECTIONARY / RUBRICS RELATING TO PSALMS
"But notwithstanding anything herein above contained, the General Convention may at any one meeting, by a majority of the whole number of the Bishops entitled to vote in the House of Bishops, and by a majority of the Clerical and Lay Deputies of all the Dioceses entitled to representation in the House of Deputies, voting by orders as previously set forth in this Article: Amend the Table of Lessons and all Tables and Rubrics relating to the Psalms." - Article X of the Constitution.
TRANSLATIONS OF THE BIBLE
"Sec 1: The Lessons prescribed in the Book of Common Prayer shall be read from the translation of the Holy Scriptures commonly known as the King James or Authorized Version (which is the historic Bible of this Church) together with the Marginal Readings authorized for use by the General Convention of 1901; or from one of the three translations known as Revised Versions, including the English Revision of 1881, the American Revision of 1901, and the Revised Standard Version of 1952; from the Jerusalem Bible of 1966; from the New English Bible with the Apocrypha of 1970; or from The 1976 Good News Bible (Today’s English Version); or from The New American Bible (1970); or from The Revised Standard Version, an Ecumenical Edition, commonly known as the “R.S.V. Common Bible” (1973); or from The New International Version (1978); or from The New Jerusalem Bible (1987); or from the Revised English Bible (1989); or from the New Revised Standard Version (1990); or from the Contemporary English Version (1995); or from the Contemporary English Version Global (2005); or Common English Bible (2011); or from translations, authorized by the diocesan bishop, of those approved versions published in any other language; or from other versions of the Bible, including those in languages other than English, which shall be authorized by diocesan bishops for specific use in congregations or ministries within their dioceses.
"Sec 2: All translations proposed for inclusion in Canon II.2.1 must conform to the Criteria for Recommending New Biblical Translations for Use in Public Worship adopted by General Convention.
"Sec. 3. All translations proposed for inclusion in Canon II.2.1 must first be referred to the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music for review according to the Criteria for Recommending New Biblical Translations for Use in Public Worship. - Canon II.2
