Anglican Church in Corea:
Being Documents, original and translated, issued by Authority during the Episcopate of the First Bishop of the Church of England in Corea between 1889 and 1905
by C. J. Corfe, Bishop

SEOUL, FEBRUARY 5th, 1903.

Dear Reverend Brother,

I enclose herewith three papers of Kalendar Rules concerning Days. Observance of Feasts, etc., and Liturgical Colours which I wish to be observed by all the clergy in the Diocese when ministering in our Churches and Mission Chapels.

They have been copied from the Tables, written by Mr. Charlesworth at the request of Mr. Trollope and do not depart in any particular, save one, from the Rules which have hitherto had my sanction.

The particular exception is the omission of the words "or Dark Red" after "Purple" in the Paper on Liturgical Colours. Having been assured that there is a general wish amongst the clergy for this omission I have, in deference to their wish, confined the Rule on those days to Purple--or to as close an approximation to that colour as we are able to make.

Kindly make a copy of these papers and have them posted up in the vestry and passing them on, together with this letter, return them to me to be preserved as the authoritative copies of the Diocese.

I am yours sincerely,

C. J. CORFE.

Kalendar Rules in use in the Diocese of Corea.

Classification of Days.

A.--GREAT FESTIVALS--observed with Octaves:

(1) Christmas Day. (2) Easter Day. (3) Ascension Day. (4) Whitsunday, (o) Trinity Sunday. (6) (Locally) Feast of Dedication of a Church.

B.--RED LETTER FESTIVALS:

I.--All Sundays in the year (exclusive of those above mentioned).

(a) Greater Sundays are

(1) Advent Sunday and other Sundays in Advent.

(2) The Sundays called Septuagesima, Sexagesima, Quinquagesima and all Sundays in Lent.

(b) Lesser Sundays are all Sundays, not above mentioned.

II.--All the Red Letter Feasts marked in the Prayer Book--but St. Andrew, St. Stephen, St. John the Evangelist, Holy Innocents, Epiphany, Nativity of St. John Baptist and St. Peter, have Octaves.

C.--BLACK LETTER FESTIVALS:

All Black Letter Feasts in Prayer Book.

D.--FASTS (See Bishop's Pastoral Letter, July 18, 1899).

(1). Certain Days of Lent--specified annually by the Bishop. (2). The Saturdays in the Ember Days at the four Seasons.

(3). The Wednesday before Holy Thursday, being the Vigil of the Feast of the Ascension.

(4). The Vigils of Christmas Day, Easter Day and the Feast of Pentecost.

(5). (Locally) The Vigil of the Feast of the Dedication of the Church of a Parish.

E.--DAYS OF ABSTINENCE (See Pastoral Letter, July 18,1899.)

(1). The Days of Lent not set apart as days of fasting. (2). The Wednesdays and Fridays of the Ember Days at the four Seasons. ( 3). The Monday and Tuesday of the Rogation Days. (4). The Vigils before the F.F. of the Purification of the B. V. Mary; the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin; St Matthias; St. John Baptist; St. Peter; St. James; St. Bartholomew; St. Matthew; S.S. Simon and Jude; St. Andrew; St. Thomas; All Saints. (5). All Fridays in the year, except Christmas Day.

F.--FERIAE;

(1). There are 5 Greater Feriae, Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Eve, Whitsun Eve.

(2). Lesser Feriae are all Week Days in Advent; All Week Days from Ash Wednesday to Maundy Thursday; Rogation Days.

(3). Ordinary Feriae are all other days not above mentioned.

N.B.--On the last Friday in each Month, or the nearest day to it available, at the Holy Eucharist, Commemoration is to be made of the Faithful Departed.

Rules as to the Observance and Precedence of Feasts, etc.

I. All Feasts (of whatever rank) begin with First Evensong (that is, after Nones of the preceding day.

II. All the Great Festivals and Red Letter Festivals last till after the second Evensong.

III. Black Letter Festivals have no second Evensong.

IV. Vigils and Feriae have no first Evensong.

V. For Octaves see above.

VI. Black Letter Festivals concurring with the Great Festivals are superseded. Black Letter Festivals concurring with Red Letter Festivals are simply commemorated.

VII. Red Letter Festivals (B.II) concurring with Great Festivals should be commemorated or, with leave, transferred.

VIII. Red Letter Festivals concurring with Greater Sundays (B.I) should be commemorated only, (except the F. of the Purification which supersedes Septuagesima.)

IX. Red Letter Festivals concurring with Lesser Sundays (B.I.b.) should be observed, the Sunday being commemorated.

X. A Sunday falling within the Octave or on the Octave day of a Red Letter Festival (B.II) should be observed, the Octave being commemorated.

XI. A Black Letter Festival falling within the Octave of a Great Festival should be commemorated, and within the Octave of a Red Letter Festival should be observed.

XII. A Red Letter Festival (B.II.) falling within the Octave of a Great Festival or of a Red Letter Festival should be observed, the octave being commemorated. Monday and Tuesday in Easter and Whitsun Weeks take precedence of other days of their own class, which should be simply commemorated or, with leave, transferred.

XIII. No Feast can be observed on a Greater Feriae, nor can it be commemorated. It must be ignored or, with leave, transferred.

XIV. A Festival of any rank falling on a Lesser Feriae should be observed, the Feriae being commemorated.

XV. Ordinary Feriae are not commemorated on any Festival except Black Letter Days.

XVI. The Collects, Epistles and Gospels suggested for use on "certain special occasions in the Diocese of Oxford" are to be used on those days for which no provision is made in the Prayer Book.

Liturgical Colours.

WHITE:--

I. The Vigil of Christmas.

2. Christmas Day, and throughout the Forty Days (Sundays and Week Days alike; until the Feast of the Purification, except on the Feasts of St. Stephen, Holy Innocents, the Octave days of those Feasts of other Martyrs during the forty days--even on and after Septuagesima, if it falls within the 40 days.

3. Easter Day and throughout fifty days, Sundays and Week Days alike; until the Vigil of Pentecost, even on Festivals of Apostles and Martyrs, etc., except upon Holy Cross Day (May 3rd.)
4. The Purification of the B. V. Mary and all festivals of the Blessed Virgin.

5. The Conversion of St. Paul.

6. The Nativity of St. John Baptist and throughout the Octave (except Sunday) until St. Peter; also on the Octave Day of St. John Baptist.

7. The Transfiguration.

8. The Name of Jesus.

9. St. Michael and All Angels.

10. Confessors, Bishops, Priests, Deacons, Abbots, Doctors, Virgins, Holy Women, not being Martyrs.

RED:--

1. All Sundays throughout the year except during the Forty Days of Christmas, the Fifty Days of Easter and the Sundays in Advent unless some superior Festival supersedes the Sunday.

2. The Greater Feriae.

3. Pentecost and its Octave.

4. Trinity Sunday

5. Both Feasts of the Holy Cross

6. St. Stephen, Holy Innocents, the Octave Days of these Feasts and all Feasts of Martyrs, Apostles and Evangelists (out of Eastertide) except St. John the Evangelist at Christmastide, Conversion of St. Paul, Nativity of St. John Baptist Also throughout the Octave of St. Peter, except on the Octave Day of St. John Baptist and the other Feasts occurring in the Octave and throughout the Octave of St. Andrew except so far as the Octave falls within Advent.

7. All Saints Day.

8. Lammas Day. (1st. August)

9. Decollation of St. John Baptist (Aug. 29).

PURPLE:--

1. Sundays and Week Days in Advent, except on Festivals.

2. Sundays and Week Days falling between Septuagesima (after the Feast of the Purification) and Maundy Thursday, except on Festivals.

3. Ember Days, except at Pentecost.

4. Rogation Days, for Litany only.

5. Vigils, except those of Christmas, Easter, Ascension Day, Pentecost and St. Peter.

GREEN, or any colour:--On Ordinary Feriae when nothing else is ordered.

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