No 40, 1998
An Ordinance to amend the General Synod - The Use of the Surplice Canon 1977 Adopting Ordinance 1977.
The Synod of the Diocese of Sydney Ordains -
Name of Ordinance
1. This Ordinance is the General Synod - The Use of the Surplice Canon 1977 Amendment Ordinance 1998.
Amendments
2. The General Synod - The Use of the Surplice Canon 1977 Adopting Ordinance 1977 is amended as follows -
(a) After clause 1, the following new clause is inserted -
“General Rule
1A. Subject to clauses 2 and 3, every minister saying the public prayers, or ministering the sacraments, or other rites of the church, must wear a decent surplice. A minister who is a graduate of a university may wear a hood appropriate to the university degree on the surplice.”;
(b) the heading to clause 2 is deleted and the following is inserted instead -
“Where surplice not required - conduct of services generally”;
(c) clause 3 is deleted and the following is inserted instead -
“Where Surplice not required - place licensed for public worship
3. (1) Subject to this clause and to clause 6, a minister may dispense with the use of a surplice while conducting a service in a place consecrated or licensed for public worship.
(2) A minister may only dispense with the use of a surplice while conducting a service in a church and in the Cathedral -
(a) with the approval of a vestry meeting of that church; or
(b) if authorised by clause 3(4) or 3(5).
(3) For the purposes of clause 3(2)(a) -
(a) a vestry meeting of a church is a vestry meeting of the church convened under the Church Administration Ordinance 1990; and
(b) a vestry meeting of a church is taken to have given an approval if the meeting, by resolution, has given approval for a minister to dispense with the use of the surplice at a particular type of service or particular types of services; and
(c) the approval of a vestry meeting of a church may be withdrawn by resolution of a later vestry meeting of the church.
(4) In a church where there is customarily conducted more than one service each Sunday, a minister may dispense with the use of a surplice while conducting one of those services each Sunday if -
(a) the use of the surplice has not been dispensed with by a minister at another service conducted on that Sunday pursuant to clause 3(2)(a); and
(b) in the course of making a determination about a service at which a minister may dispense with the use of a surplice under this subclause, the rector, curate-in-charge or minister concerned has consulted with the parish council, if any, of the parochial unit in which the church is situated and the churchwardens of that church.
(5) In a church where there is customarily conducted only one service each Sunday, a minister may dispense with the use of a surplice while conducting one of those services in each calendar month if -
(a) the use of the surplice has not been dispensed with by a minister at another service conducted on a Sunday during that calendar month pursuant to clause 3(2)(a); and
(b) in the course of making a determination about a service at which a minister may dispense with the use of a surplice under this subclause, the rector, curate-in-charge or minister concerned has consulted with the parish council, if any, of the parochial unit in which the church is situated and the churchwardens of that church.
(6) A minister may not dispense with the use of the surplice in accordance with this Ordinance while conducting a service at which a bishop is also a minister thereof unless that bishop has given his approval. If -
(a) under this Ordinance, a minister may dispense with the use of a surplice while conducting a service in a church or in the cathedral; and
(b) a bishop is present and proposes to participate in the service, and has given his approval under this clause, the bishop may dispense with his rochet and chimere.
(7) Subclauses (2) to (6) inclusive apply to St Andrew’s Cathedral with the following modifications -
(a) each reference to the parish council of the parochial unit in which the church is situated is a reference to the St Andrew’s Cathedral Chapter;
(b) each reference to the rector is a reference to the Dean;
(c) each reference to the churchwardens of that church is deleted; and
(d) each reference to a vestry meeting of that church, or a church, is a reference to a meeting of the congregation of the Cathedral, convened and conducted in accordance with the rules and regulations made by the Chapter.”;
(d) clause 6 is deleted and the following is inserted instead -
”Minister to have regard to the occasion and congregation
6. A minister may only dispense with the use of a surplice under clause 3 if -
(a) the minister has had due regard to the occasion and the congregation concerned before exercising relief; and
(b) his or her dress is appropriate having regard to the occasion and the congregation concerned.”; and
(e) clause 10 is renumbered as clause 11 and a new clause 10 is inserted in the following terms -
“Canons of 1603
10. The canons numbered 17, 24, 25, 58 and 74 of the Canons of 1603, in so far as the same may have any force, are repealed in so far as this Synod has authority to repeal the same.”.
I Certify that the Ordinance as printed is in accordance with the Ordinance as reported.
P. KELL
Deputy Chairman of Committees
We Certify that this Ordinance was passed by the Synod of the Diocese of Sydney on 20 October 1998.
M.A. PAYNE
C.J. MORONEY
Secretaries of Synod
I Assent to this Ordinance.
R.H. GOODHEW
Archbishop of Sydney
29/10/1998