Ascension Day, Thursday, has been chosen for the formal launch of the Church of Ireland's new Book of Common Prayer, but it would appear to contain at least one revision too far.
Page 768 records the 10th commandment, but not as we know it. Possibly in recognition of the predominantly rural composition of much of the Church's membership, it tells us "thou shalt not cover thy neighbour's wife, nor his servant, nor his maid, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is his". The commandment begins more traditionally - "Thou shalt not covet..."
It is expected 110,00 copies of the new Book of Common Prayer will have been distributed to Church of Ireland parishes by the end of May. From June 6th, it will be the definitive prayer book of the Church, superseding its 1926 predecessor.
Bishop Harold Miller, chairman of the Church of Ireland liturgical advisory committee, which oversaw preparation of the book, assured The Irish Times that the replacement by an "r" where a "t" should be did not represent a theological shift. Previous editions of the book were "riddled with errors", he said.
