Anglican Communion News Service - Digest News

THE Church of Ireland has approved an official liturgy for services this year to mark the centenary of the Ulster Covenant.

The order of service has been sent to all Anglican clergy in Northern Ireland and the Republic, and includes suggested readings and hymns to mark the historic document.

A letter to clergy from the church’s two archbishops, the Rt Rev Alan Harper and the Rt Rev Michael Jackson, suggests that the liturgy could be adapted for services to mark nine other centenaries in coming years, including those of the Easter Rising, Somme Offensive and The War of Independence and notes that the church was “profoundly affected by the events of 1912-1922”.

The archbishops’ letter says: “As a church we can contribute to marking these occasions in a manner that enhances understanding and helps build a shared future.”

The liturgy, which was authorised by the House of Bishops this month, includes an introduction which says: “Brothers and sisters in Christ, at this time, one hundred years ago, half-a-million men and women signed a solemn declaration, a covenant rejecting the transfer of political power from Westminster to Dublin.

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