The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-11-20
BAN PLACED
ON DIVORCES.
Episcopal Church Adopts a Very
Radical Canon.
CANNOT TAKE sAcRAMENTs
Except Under Certain Conditions -Episco-
pal Clergy Absolutely Forbidden to
Remarry Divorced People,
tormal Announcement.

tormal Announcement.
New York, Nov. 16-When the gen.
eral conference of the Protestant Epis-
copal church meets in San Francisco
next October three new canons on the
subject of marriage and divorce will be
placed before the body for its consider
alton. Should these canons become the
law of the Episcopal church through
the approval of the general conference,
then the Episcopal church will have
pronounced its anathema against d.
vorce, and more particularly against
the re-marrying of divorced persons
while another party to the divorce is
still in life.
The subject of marriage and divorce
came in for a good deal of attention at
the hands of the general Episcopal con-
ference of 1898. So much, In fact, that a
committee of twelve was appointed for
the purpose of taking the matter under
consideration and making such recon-
mendation to the next conference of
that body as would pave the way for
changes In the present tenets Of the
church on these subjects.
r,,., NEW CANONS DRAFTED.
This committee, after having met a
year ago, when they failed to reach an
agreement looking toward reform,
again went into session Thursday. The
committee spent the greater portion Of
the day wrestling with the problem be-
fore them. In the Afternoon. as the
members come out at the close of the
session, 1t was announced that the con-
ference of the committee had been ad-
journed sine die. and that three canons
dealing with the subject of the con-
ference had been drafted.
The first canon drafted is entitled
Holy Matrimony and Impediments
Thereto" The full text of this canon
is as follows:
Section 1. Holy matrimony defined.
"fa) Holy matrimony is an estate
of life which fer the purpose Of this
canon is sufficiently defined in the form
as appointed for the solemnization of
matrimony in this church.
"(b.) The solemnization Of holy mat
rimony Is service where the mutual
consent of the parties is given in the
presence of q minister who then pro-
nounces them In the name of the Holy
Trinity to be man and wife.
Section 2.-Impediments to matri-
mony defined"
This section defines the impediments
of consanguinity and affinity as stated
in the books of Leviticus and Deurer-
onomy.
DUTY OF MINISTER'S.
The second canon drafted deals with
the subject of the "solemnization of
holy matrimony." It Is subdivided in
four sections as follows:
Section /. 1t shall be the duty OF all
ministers OF this church to conform to
the civil authorities relating to mar
riage.
Section 2. Every minister who shall
solemnize a marriage shall without de-
lay make such record Of same as may
be required by the law OF this church
and civil authority. t
Section 3. No minister shall solem-
nize marriage without the presence of
witnesses, nor without witnesses to
whom the parties are personally known,
except In a case in which 1t is impos-
sible for such witnesses to be secured.
No minister shall solemnize the mar
rfage OF any person not identified to
his satisfaction.
Section 4. No minister shall solem-
nixe marriage between any two persons
unless. nor until. by inquiry ne shall
have satisfied himself that neither per-
son has been or is the huband or the
wife Of any other person living, unless
the former marriage was annulled by
decree. OF some court OF competent
jurisdiction for cause existing before
such former marriage"
SEVERE RESTRICTIONS.
While the above two canons erect
new barriers as a safeguard against
Illegal marriages. and prohibit re-mar-
riage by any Episcopal minister of
any party to divorce suit. whether
guilty or innocent, the third canon
goes one step further and excludes
from all means Of grace within the dis
penaation OF the church any divorced
person who shall have remarked and be
living with husband or wife, as the
case may be, while the other party to
the divorce still ID In life. This canon.
which, however, applies only 70 the Of
tending party OF . divorce. practically
tends 20 outlaw the o1ksnder - xer g
church 1elIowehlp fpAe. rud provides
tor his T<-Gudc1l1cn ~ ~ fol1 osi1v u
~. nx1410n thai - oornA <~~s1x ~->>.f