The General Synod of the Church of Ireland today held the third reading of each of the seven Bills before it this year.

Bill No.1 seeks to insert in the Book of Common Prayer the Declaration first adopted by resolution of the Synod in 1999, and concerned with whether negative statements against other Christians in our historic formularies represent the spirit of our church today. The Bill carried an amendment, from Archdeacon Patterson (Down) and the Bishop of Kilmore concerning the 'tone and tenor of language'. The Bill with the amendment was passed.

Bill No. 2 , in the name of the Archdeacon of Glendalough and the Bishop of Cashel and Ossory seeks to bring our Marriage liturgies into better harmony with the changed civil law of marriage in both jurisdictions. The Bill was passed.

Bill No. 3 , in the name of the Archdeacon of Cork, Cloyne and Ross and Canon Lady Sheil, seeks to increase the rates of members and parochial/diocesan contributions to the Clergy Pensions fund. The Bill was passed.

Bill No. 4 , in the name of the Dean of Ferns and Mr W.F. Baker concerns the disbanding of the Commission on Church Buildings. The Bill was passed.

Bill No. 5 is a response to a resolution of last year's Synod, seeking to make provision for the payment in certain circumstances of clergy in the Auxiliary Ministry. The Bill was passed.

Bill No. 6 , aims to tidy up an inconsistency in the Constitution as it pertains to St Patrick's Cathedral Dublin, seeking to restrict appointments of ecumenical canons to those resident on the island of Ireland. The Bill was passed.

Bill No. 7 , in the names of the Dean of Belfast Cathedral and the Archdeacon of Belfast seeks to appoint ecumenical and honorary lay canons to Belfast Cathedral. Canon Lady Sheil added one grammatical amendment which was passed by Synod and the Bill in turn was duly passed by Synod.

All seven Bills were therefore passed unanimously.