Editing Prolocutor (section)

==Usage in the Anglican Church of Canada==

In the [[Anglican Church of Canada]], the Prolocutor of the General Synod acts as the deputy to the [[Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada|Primate]].  As such, he or she ranks as the second executive officer of the [[General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada]].<ref>[http://images.anglican.ca/pdf/handbook/101_glossary.pdf Glossary of the handbook of the Anglican Church of Canada] Retrieved 24 Feb 2007.</ref> The current prolocutor is Cynthia Haines Turner, who previously served as Deputy Prolocutor.

Each of the four [[Ecclesiastical provinces of the Anglican Church of Canada | Ecclesiastical Provinces]] also has a Prolocutor, who serves a similar function, as a deputy to the Metropolitan (Archbishop) of the Province.

The office of Prolocutor has its origins in the bi-cameral Provincial and General Synods. The relevant Archbishop (Primate or Metropolitan) acted as President of the Upper House (Bishops), and the Prolocutor was the elected President of the Lower House (Clergy and Laity). These Synods are no longer fully bi-cameral, but the office of Prolocutor is retained with different functions. The [[General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada | General Synod]] reverts to a bi-cameral structure for the election of the Primate, during which the Prolocutor chairs the meeting of the Clergy and Laity.<ref>[http://images.anglican.ca/pdf/handbook/203_canon_III.pdf Canon III, Handbook of the Anglican Church of Canada] retrieved 8 August 2013</ref> In addition, the Constitution provides for separate meetings of the three Orders ([[Bishop]]s, [[Clergy]], and [[Laity]]) in which the Prolocutor and Deputy Prolocutor chair the Orders of Clergy and Laity.<ref>[http://images.anglican.ca/pdf/handbook/103_synod_const.pdf Constitution of the General Synod, Section 6] retrieved 8 August 2013.</ref>

The antecedents of the Canadian office are in the Convocations of the Church of England, in which the Lower House comprises clergy, laity not being members of Convocations. Only clergy and laity, not bishops, may serve as Prolocutor.