DATE: Friday, September 5, 1997             TAG: 9709050588

SECTION: FRONT                   PAGE: A14  EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY TONY WHARTON, STAFF WRITER 
                                            LENGTH:   48 lines

FUNERAL RITES LITTLE CHANGED IN 300 YEARS

Those who get up early to watch Princess Diana's funeral Saturday will see a dignified Anglican service that has changed little, even in language, in more than 300 years.

Anglicanism, also known as the Church of England, formed in the 1500s when it broke with the Roman Catholic Church. Its American counterpart is the Episcopal Church, but Anglicans are more traditional.

The Rev. Frank Blair, the priest at St. Matthew's Anglican Church in Newport News - the only Anglican congregation in Hampton Roads - said Thursday that some variation is permitted in funeral services but that there are several elements Diana's service probably will contain.

Westminster Abbey, where the service will take place, is one of the most historic spots on the globe. The 900-year-old abbey is the burial place of Charles Dickens, Charles Darwin, Sir Laurence Olivier, 32 monarchs including Elizabeth I and Henry V, and numerous other well-known figures.

The service will be in English, Blair said: ``A basic tenet of Anglicanism is that its language be understood by the people.''

But it will be the English of the 17th century, when the church's Book of Common Prayer was written. The Book of Common Prayer is not the same as the Bible, although the widely accepted King James version of the Bible, named for 17th century English monarch James I, is from the same period.

Blair said there will be a requiem, or Mass for the dead, and communion for those present. The requiem could include Bible passages such as 1st Corinthians 15:20, or passages from Romans or 1st Thessalonians, all dealing with Christ's Resurrection.

Blair said the service in the abbey likely will last one to two hours, depending on how many people receive communion. The procession to the Spencer family church in Great Brington, about 78 miles from London, and the burial are considered part of the service.

At graveside, Blair said, the priest probably will quote Job 14:1, which begins: ``Man that is born of a woman hath but a short time to live and is full of misery. He cometh up and is cut down like a flower . . .''

Shortly afterward, Diana will be buried.

As Blair's church contains many transplanted Britons, he said, ``We had people ask last Sunday that the intention of the communion be for the repose of her soul.

``Everyone is aware that she was young and a very attractive personality. It's sad that she died at such a young age before she had a chance to really blossom and do these good things.'' KEYWORDS: PRINCESS DIANA

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