THE NEW PRAYER BOOK

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 88, 12 January 1928, Page 9

THE NEW PRAYER BOOK

RULES GOVERNING THE SACRAMENT ' ANTICIPATED REVISIONS TWO UNEXPECTED DEVELOPMENTS - I The'Bishops when dealing with the position created by the rejection by the House of Commons of the revised Prayer Book are expected to make important alterations in the rules governing the Sacrament.

By Telegraph.—Press Association.—Copyright.

(Rec. January 11, 8.50 p.m.) London, January 11. The Bishops to-day at Lambeth Palace resume consideration of the position created by the rejection of the Prayer Book by the House of Commons. It is believed that they will seek to safeguard the reservation of the Sacrament from the practice of adoration, inserting in the new Prayer Book rules governing the reservation, hitherto printed only in a pink leaflet; secondly, insert in the alternative service for the Holy Communion the black rubric from the present service expressly affirming no change in the substance of the elements, and condemning adoration; and, thirdly, make prayer for the King obligatory. In the meantime, on the eve of the meeting, there have been two unexpected developments, the publication by Viscount Halifax of notes dealing with the Malines 'conversations on the reunion of Christendom; and, secondly, the Pope’s encyclical, which may be regarded as Rome’s final pronouncement thereon. Viscount Halifax recites the subjects upon which he claims there has been considerable agreement, such as baptism and the all-sufficiency of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. But he does not disguise the fact that the Papal claims have created much discussion, and concludes that the subject is so vast and complicated that many similar conferences will be necessary before any real progress is. attainable. The opinion is expressed that the disclosures will probably strengthen the ■

opposition to the new Prayer Book, on the ground of a tendency toward Rome of the Bishops. The encyclical, however, makes it clear that Rome stands where she always did, and stresses the infallible magistracy of the Roman Pontiff. PAN-CHRISTIAN MOVEMENT DISAPPROVAL IN PAPAL ENCYCLICAL Rome, January 10. A Papal Encyclical disapproving of the Pan-Christian movement specially interests the English Catholic. The Pope explores the state of mind which holds all religions to be equally estimable. He says that many urge, a false religious unity between Christians, thereby seeking to undermine the basis of Catholicism. It is impossible to have a Christian League, he ’says, in which the faithful are free to have a personal criterion, since it would lead to indifferentism. The Pope directs the Bishops to forewarn the people against such pernicious falseness, to clarify the principles of religious unity. 'The Encyclical confutes the various non-Catholic arguments in favour of the unionistic thesis, and affirms that Church unity is obtainable only by the return of dissidents to the Roman Catholic Church, the only true Church of Jesus Christ, from which they deserted. —A.P.A. and “Sun.”