The 2008 General Synod of the Church of Ireland opened today with Holy Scripture and prayer in the SAS Radisson Hotel, Galway after members attended a church service at St Nicholas church on Tuesday evening.

The Archbishop of Armagh and President, the Most Revd Alan Harper, welcomed Synod members and guests to Galway.

Michael Davey was selected as Assessor of the Synod. Mr Davey has indicated that this will be his final year in the role. The Assessor's role is to ensure that the rules governing Synod are followed and to make rulings on any points of order that arise.

The Ven. Robin Bantry White was elected as a clerical honorary secretary to succeed the late Dean Desmond Harman, whose contribution to the Church was warmly praised.

The Archbishop of Armagh informed the members of the General Synod that the House of Bishops had met in the morning to ratify the election of the Revd Canon Trevor Williams to succeed the Right Revd Michael Mayes as Bishop of Limerick. Canon Williams’ election was confirmed and ratified by the bishops, and his election was greeted with applause by members of the General Synod.

Four bills are being laid before Synod this year for consideration and two resolutions seeking to lead to special bills next year will be debated.

The first bill will seek to amend the Church’s courts and tribunals system, the second to amend the rules governing pensions, the third to create a new archdeaconry in Belfast and the fourth to allow the boundaries of rural deaneries to cross those of archdeaconries and of dioceses within a united diocese.

The first special resolution seeks to move that the Declaration passed at the 1999 General Synod, which sought to place the Church’s historic formularies in their historical context, should be included in The Book of Common Prayer, immediately preceding the Articles of Religion.

The second special resolution seeks to alter the wording to the marriage service in The Book of Common Prayer. The Civil Registration Act 2004 moved the onus from the congregation to the couple in vouching for the legality of their marriage. Accordingly, amongst other parts of the service, it would remove the part where the priest asks anyone in the congregation who might know a reason why the couple cannot legally be married to “now speak, or else hereafter for ever hold (their) peace.”

In addition to these bills and resolutions, reports from the various committees and boards of the Church will be received and debated.