Britain: An official handbook > 1966

194
BRITAIN: AN OFFICIAL HANDBOOK
Church
Organisation and
Government
her accession to uphold it. The coronation of the Sovereign is performed by
the Archbishop of Canterbury; prayers for the Sovereign and other members
of the royal family are said in all the statutory services of the Church; Church
of England archbishops, bishops and other senior ecclesiastical dignitaries,
as well as incumbents of Crown livings, are appointed by the Sovereign on
the advice of the Prime Minister1; and all clergymen take the oath of
allegiance to the Crown.
The Church is also linked with the State through the House of Lords,
in which the archbishops of Canterbury and York and twenty-four senior
diocesan bishops have seats (see p. 33)* This makes it possible for the views of
the Church leaders to be expressed freely on any moral issue raised in
connection with the corporate conduct of the State as well as on specifically
ecclesiastical issues—a matter of particular significance in view of the fact
that the clergy of the Church of England (together with those of the Church
of Scotland, the Church of Ireland and the Roman Catholic Church) are
legally disqualified from sitting in the House of Commons.
The Church is not free to change its form of worship, as laid down in the
Book of Common Prayer, without the consent of Parliament2; canons (Church
rules) cannot be made or amended without the consent of the Queen, and
the measures of the Church Assembly (as distinct from its regulations) also
require the Royal Assent.
The Church of England is organised by geographical areas into two provinces
and 43 dioceses. The Province of Canterbury contains 29 dioceses and that
of York 14. Each diocese is subdivided into ecclesiastical parishes, of which
there are about 14,500 in all. The Archbishop of Canterbury is Primate of
All England and bishop of his own diocese of Canterbury; the Archbishop of
York is styled Primate of England and is bishop of his own diocese of York.
The baptised membership of the Church is about 27 million, i.e. two-thirds
of the population born and resident in the two provinces.
Spiritual authority in the Church rests with the bishops. The authoritative
bodies in matters of doctrine, belief and practice are the Convocations of
Canterbury and York, each presided over by its archbishop, and consisting
of an upper house of bishops, and a lower house of representatives of each
cathedral chapter, archdeacons and elected clergy. The Convocations meet
not oftener than three times a year.
The legislative and central administrative body of the Church is the
National Assembly of the Church of England, which is commonly called the
Church Assembly. It was set up in 1919 at the request of the two Convocations,
and was given power to legislate by measure by the Church of England
Assembly (Powers) Act of 19 tQ" ^ ^a11 discuss any matter connected with
the Church of England, but may not make any doctrinal statements, nor
infringe upon the rights of the Convocations. It consists of three houses,
bishops, clergy and laity. The first two houses are composed of the members
of the Convocations; the house of laity consists of men and women elected
every five years by the lay members of diocesan conferences, and the con¬
stitution allows for ten co-opted members.
The Church Assembly usually meets three times a year. Measures, after
1 A committee has been set up to discuss with the Government’s legal advisers the form
of necessary legislation about Crown appointments, with power to prepare any measure
thought desirable. . .
2 A measure (Prayer Book (Alternative and Other Services) Measure 1965) permitting
limited revision of the Prayer Book and changes in the form of worship has received the
Royal Assent and the process of revision will shortly begin.