THE part played by the eucharist in Anglican liturgy was discussed by liturgists in Seoul last month.

The International Anglican Liturgical Consultation (IALC), held from 19 to 23 February, brought together 42 members from 17 Anglican Provinces, for the first such in-person meeting since 2019. It was hosted by the Anglican Church of Korea and Seoul Anglican Cathedral.

The IALCsecretary to the IALC, the Revd Neil Vigers, said: “It was a delight to meet together as Anglican brothers and sisters, here in Seoul. We had a wonderful welcome from the diocese of Seoul, and they supported us in our work together. It has been a richly blessed week.”

A communiqué issued at the end of the consultation referred to reports on the impact of the pandemic, including the prevalence of web-based liturgical resources.

Another topic discussed was the development of new rites as original texts using the languages and context of a place rather than translating material from English. An example was the development of a new Eucharistic Prayer, composed in several languages, that “reflects a common East Asian understanding”.

The Anglican Liturgical Network in East Asia’s work on this was welcomed by the IALC.

Approaches to the environment, and diversity in the Anglican tradition, were also discussed, and the communiqué quotes a document from the fifth IALC in 1995. This suggested that “‘in the future Anglican unity will find its liturgical expression not so much in uniform texts as in a common approach to eucharistic celebration and a structure which will ensure a balance of word, prayer, and sacrament.”

The conclusion of the 2024 Consultation, the communiqué reports, is: “That future is now here.”