Hello - Thought that the following might be interesting to the group.
Cheers,
Donna.
The Sunday Times newspaper says today that the Church of England (C of E,
Anglican, Episcopalian) is preparing to abandon the practice of
reading/posting
marriage banns as a prelude to wedding. Banns were introduced by the
4th Lateran Council in 1215 and involve a priest reading out the names of
individuals in the parish intending to marry after three "readings". The
term "posting"
comes from the fact that the porch of the parish church in times
past was
sort of a
communal notice board or local newspaper and the names were listed on
the
board.
If the motion at the General Synod is passed, nearly 500 years of Canon
Law
will disappear which has meant that for a marriage in the C of E to
be
legal,
the reading of the names on three Sundays in the parish churche(s) of
the
bride
and groom so that anyone knowing of any impediment can object.
John Overholt
Kingston upon Thames, Eng.