THE
P RTAL
September 2015
Page 10
Anglican
The Scottish
Episcopal Church News
The Revd Paul Benfield turns his attention north of the border
The Scottish
Episcopal Church traces its origins back to the earliest period of Christianity in
Scotland, going back to the Celtic saints like Ninian and Columba. It came into being as a separate entity
as result of the Reformation and the turbulence which followed because there were always people (often
supported by kings) who wished to retain episcopacy as opposed to the presbyterian form of government of
the Church of Scotland.
It was not until the passing of the Scottish
Episcopalians Act of 1711 (passed by the United
Kingdom parliament) that the church became, in
effect, a distinct incorporated society. The long title of
the Act was ‘An Act to prevent the disturbing those of
the Episcopal Communion in Scotland in the Exercise
of their Religious Worship and in the Use of the Liturgy
of the Church of England and for repealing the Act
passed in the Parliament of Scotland entitled an Act
against irregular Baptisms and Marriages.’ From then
on the church was free to govern itself and worship as
it saw fit.
National Records of Scotland
Scotland’s Census 2011 - Religion
Total population
5,295,403
These figures are how people described
their religious affiliation in the Census:
Church of Scotland
1,717,871
Roman Catholic
841,053
Other Christian
291,275
Included amongst the ‘others,
some people described their religious
affiliation as follows:
Church of England
66,717
Episcopalian
21,289
Scottish Episcopal Church 8,048
Anglican
4.490
Church of Ireland
2,020
Church in Wales
453
Though part of the Anglican Communion, it does not
slavishly follow the Church of England. For instance,
Canon 25 was amended in 2005 to provide that ‘the
Sacrament of Baptism is the full rite of initiation into
the Church, and no further sacramental rite shall be
required of any person seeking admission to Holy
Communion and the admission of any baptized
person to Holy Communion shall be at the discretion
of the cleric having charge of the congregation’.
its General Synod altered its canons so that women
priests can be elected as bishops. No woman bishop
Following this change the Church produced, in has been elected and the name of only one woman has
2006, a rite called ‘Affirmation of Holy Baptism for appeared on the published shortlists, that of Canon
confirmation and renewal”. The notes to this service Alsion Peden, Rector of Holy Trinity, Stirling, who
state that ‘the new rite of Affirmation of Holy Baptism was nominated in both the Diocese of Glasgow and
is not understood as completion of baptism, nor a Galloway and the Diocese of Brechin. There are no
gateway to full participation in the Eucharist.
formal provisions for those who cannot accept women
priests and bishops.
The primary intention of the rite is pastoral’. The notes
go on to say that just as the bishop would normally
Earlier this year the Synod decided to begin the
preside at the Eucharist when visiting a parish so s/he process of changing canon law to allow clergy to
would normally preside at the Affirmation of Baptism offic iate at marriages of same sex couples. The Synod
in the same way. The rite contains a laying-on of hands agreed, by 117 votes to 17 with three abstentions, to
and an optional chrismation. But the rite need not be proceed by removing the opening section of Canon 31
used before a person receives communion and the which describes marriage as “the physical, spiritual and
bishop need not preside.
mystical union between a man and a woman”. There
is likely to be a conscience clause so that no bishop
The Episcopal Church has ordained women deacons or priest would be required to officiate at a marriage
since 1985 and women priests since 1994. In 2003 against his or her conscience.
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