Canadian Lay Persons Permitted to Administer Holy Communion
Diocesan Press Service. October 24, 1968 [70-15]
AUGUSTA, Ga. -- The Bishops of the Anglican Church of Canada, meeting at Augusta, Ga., this week agreed upon a change which may come as a jolt to their more conservative Anglican brethren in other parts of the world.
Lay people in Canada -- both men and women -- are now to be allowed to administer either or both elements of Holy Communion to their fellow members of the congregation.
The newly-adopted plan, submitted after careful committee study, goes considerably beyond current practice in other Anglican Churches.
It allows the Bishop in charge, on written request of the priest, to authorize a communicant (in good standing and generally acceptable to both priest and people) to administer the Eucharistic bread and/or wine in a specified parish for a specified period of time.
The same action extends to ordained deacons the privilege of administering the paten, as well as the chalice, which they have been authorized to do for some time.
A committee report said it believes "there are no theological grounds which would bar lay persons from serving in this manner" and that the privilege should be made available to lay persons in both large and small congregations.
Announcement of the Bishops' action -- taken in a separate session during a week in which the Canadians also met jointly with U.S. Episcopal Bishops -- was given at a press briefing by the Rt. Rev. I. A. Norris, Bishop of Manitoba.
Bishop Norris said the Canadian episcopacy is the proper authority over the Sacraments, and that no further approval by General Synod or any other governing body was required. The changes will be made effective at once.
In the Episcopal Church, such sacramental practices are governed by canon law which can be changed only by approval of the triennial General Convention, consisting of the House of Bishops and the House of (lay and clerical) Deputies.
Bishop Norris said the Canadian bishops had directed the committee to continue its study by exploring whether or not deaconesses should be considered as within the ordained diaconate, the first order of the ministry. Should a future action determine affirmatively on this matter, these women would then become eligible for election as clergy delegates to the biennial Canadian General Synod, rather than lay delegates as they are now.