This is the fourth post in a series on A New Zealand Prayer Book He Karakia Mihinare o Aotearo 2020 (ANZPB/HKMA2020 or NZPB2020).
For the previous consideration in this series, the online NZ Prayer Book is different to the physical ANZPB/HKMA2020 that we are looking at. For this current post, however, it appears that the online Calendar is identical to the physical 2020 book. This helps anyone to follow this post even if you do not have the physical book. [Do let me know in the comments if there actually is a difference in these pages between the online version and the physical 2020 Book].
Please first read:
1) how this book, in many ways, is maybe the book many might have hoped for in 1989,
2) how this book bears the same title as the 1989 book but has quite a different status, and
3) looking in some detail up to page 6.
Page 7: This page appears incorrect – out of date. A 2014 change in formularies (teaching and practice binding on our Church) called for consistency between A New Zealand Prayer Book – He Karakia Mihinare o Aotearoa and the “Notes on the Calendar“. Notes on the Calendar gives a number of new Principal Feasts (The Naming of Jesus; The Baptism of Christ; The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple; The Annunciation of our Saviour to the Blessed Virgin Mary; The Transfiguration of the Beloved Son; and All Saints’ Day). Notes on the Calendar changes “Other Feasts – A Of our Lord” (page 7) to “Principal Feasts”.
Whilst the title of section 2 on page 7 is “Other Feasts and Holy Days”, the propers (collects and readings) provided in the Prayer Book have changed title from “Other Feasts and Holy Days” (previous Prayer Books page 642) to “Other Feasts and Saints’ Days” (NZPB2020 page 711). The running footer in NZPB2020 continues to call it “Other Feasts and Holy Days” (NZPB2020 pages 711-723.ac). [“Saints’ Days and Other Special Days” (previous Prayer Books page 679) has become, “Other Special Days” (NZPB2020 page 723.ad) – the running foot in 2020 (pages 723.ad – 723.ao), however, has stayed “Saints’ Days and Other Special Days”.]
The instructions under Section 2 abandons the distinction between Feasts and Holy Days (found in Section 1) and calls all “The following Holy Days”. The instructions do not follow the revision noted in the previous paragraph.
The title found on page 7 “The Baptism of the Lord”: in the Notes on the Calendar this is now “The Baptism of Christ”. This consistency is also needed on page 617.
The Baptism of the Lord on page 7 is given as the “First Sunday AFTER the Epiphany”. This is inconsistent with our Church (formulary) agreement to use “OF Epiphany” (also without “the”), as per page 4: “The Baptism of the Lord: First Sunday OF Epiphany”. [The Lectionary booklet combines “of” and “the”: Sunday 10 January 2021 “1st Sunday of the Epiphany”.
Page 8: The Notes on the Calendar no longer calls these “Feasts and Holy Days – Of the Saints” but “Festivals”.
Notes on the Calendar moves All Saints’ Day from page 8 to be a Principal Feast on page 7.
The following (found in Notes on the Calendar) are missing from page 8’s list of Festivals:
St Joseph of Nazareth / Hohepa Tapu o Nahareta (19 March)
The Builders of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia / Ngā Kaiwhakaū o te Hāhi Mihinare ki Aotearoa ki Niu Tireni, ki ngā Moutere o te Moana Nui a Kiwa (1 September)
Holy Cross Day / Te Rā o te Rīpeka Tapu (14 September)
Christ the King / Ko te Karaiti te Kīngi (Sunday next before Advent)
Page 9: The Notes on the Calendar no longer calls these “Local Feasts” but “Local Celebrations” which are now to be “kept either as a festival or as a principal feast”. “The Day of Thanksgiving for the Holy Communion” (note, THE Holy Communion) may now “be kept as a festival“.
The new categories of “Lesser Festivals” and “Commemorations” (distinguished by having their own propers – collect and readings – or not) are missing from pages 9ff. Other than changing “Mother Marie-Joseph Aubert” to “Suzanne Aubert” (page 10) and adding “The Seven Martyrs of the Melanesian Brotherhood” (page 11) these pages have not made alterations and additions such as: “Days of Prayer for Industry, Science and Technology – Ngā īnoi mo ngā wāhi mahi, taha taiao, pūtaiao taha tangata” (May), “Days of Prayer for the Care of Creation – Ngā rā īnoi kia tiakina ngā mea katoa i hanga”.
Pages 14-25: With the single exception of St James and John sharing the same commemoration date with Christopher (July 25), the 1989 Prayer Book held to a principle of only one celebration per calendar day and moved commemorations from the days when the universal church celebrates them. That principle has now been abandoned (see, for example, April 24, and April 29 – page 17). I, and others, have regularly called for a review of our Calendar – restoring commemorations to when they are celebrated universally (whether that gives two commemorations or options on the same day or not), and adding more local stories as well as more from beyond our shores (the recent lack of commemorating John of the Cross, 14 December – our Calendar is blank – is only one bizarre example ). The moving of St Mark the Evangelist from the universal date (25 April – all other editions of NZPB) to, here, 26 April (page 17) stands in conflict with the newer being comfortable to have two commemorations on the same day.
I cannot see any explanation of the distinction between bold type and not bolded on pages 14-25. The 1989NZPB/HKMA had, “Those in bold type take precedence over Sundays and all other days of commemoration or of special observance” (page 7). That instruction/explanation has been abandoned (see NZPB2020 page 7). We are left with bolded and unbolded commemorations with no explanation or instruction.
“Anzac Day” (April 25, page 17) has been “upgraded”(?!) from all previous Prayer Books to a bolded status. Bizarrely, with this upgraded, new bold status, NZPB2020 provides no proper (collect & readings) for Anzac Day (as far as I can see)! In fact, page 13 indicates that Waitangi Day “should be celebrated in the same manner as the commemorations particularly associated with Aotearoa-New Zealand” which then specifically equates Anzac Day with Waitangi Day (6 Feb, page 15) and United Nations Day (24 October, page 23). Both of these other commemorations continue with unbold type, and you will notice that United Nations Day continues to share its day with another commemoration.
To be continued…
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