It's traditional to allow the participants to read their statements, partly in case anyone gets nervous and goes blank or to keep them from deliberately going off script.
The clergy were also reading from their books and prepared texts, for the same reason.
It's traditional to allow the participants to read their statements, partly in case anyone gets nervous and goes blank or to keep them from deliberately going off script.
The clergy were also reading from their books and prepared texts, for the same reason.