Lord's Prayer in Traditional Episcopal Form Authorized

Diocesan Press Service. November 7, 1972 [72176]

NEW YORK, N.Y. -- In response to formal request from The Standing Liturgical Commission, the Lord's Prayer in its traditional Episcopal form has now been authorized as an optional substitute for the contemporary ecumenical form produced by the International Consultation on English Texts, wherever only the ICE text is provided in Services for Trial Use.

The authorization was issued by the Presiding Bishop, the Rt. Rev. John E. Hines, and the Rev. John B. Coburn, President of the House of Deputies. They acted under a canonical provision enacted in 1970, which was designed to enable the Church to respond promptly to reactions from the Church to trial-use services during the interim of the General Convention.

In further action, the two presiding officers have authorized two Prefaces for lesser Saints' Days, as alternatives to the Proper Preface for All Saints' Day on such commemorations. The new Prefaces, which are provided both in contemporary and traditional forms, read as follows:

1. " For the wonderful grace and virtue declared in all your (thy) saints, who have been the chosen (choice) vessels of your (thy) grace, and the lights of the world in their (several) generations: "

2. "Who in the obedience of your (thy) saints have (hast) given (unto) us an example of righteousness, and in their eternal joy a glorious pledge of the hope of our calling: "

To the number of those commemorated in Lesser Feasts and Fasts has been added "Charles Henry Brent, Bishop of the Philippines, and of Western New York, 1929" on March 27. Other, and slighter, changes in the Calendar were also authorized.