The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-11-15
WILL THEY ADOPT THEM?
Will the Church Hurl It's Anathema
Against Divorce?
hrs COMMITTEES WoBK FINISHED.
The Canons Unanimous y Adopted by the Nine
Members Present. Il Remains for The
Church'S General Conference 10
Adopt or Reject Them.
(By the Associated Press.)

(By the Associated Press.)
New York, Nov. 14.-When the general
conference of the Protestant Episcopal
church meets in San Francisco next Oc-
tober three new canons on the subject
of marriage and divorce will be placed
before the body for it's consideration.
Should these canons become the law of
the Episcopal church, through the appro
val of the general conference, then the
Episcopal church will have pronounced it's
anGthema against divorce, and more par
ticularly against The re-marriage of di-
vorced persons while another party to
the divorce still is in life. The subject
of marriage and divorce came in for
good deal Of attention at the hands of
the General Episcopal Conference in 1896.
So much in fact that a committee Of
twelve was appointed for the purpose Of
taking the matter under consideration
and making such recommendation to the
next conference of that body, as would
pave the way for changes in the present
tenets Of the church on these subjects.
This committee, after having met
year ago when they failed to reach an
agreement looking toward reform, again
went into session today. The committee
spent the greater portion of the day
wrestling with the problem before them.
At the forenoon session nothing of def
mite nature was accomplished. This af-
ternoon the committee resumed work,
ard as the members came out at the
close of this session it was announced that
adjourned sine die, and that three canons
dealing with the subject of the conference
had been drafted
The first canon adopted is entitled
Holy Matrimony and 1mpedil 1er; s
Thereto" the full text Of this canon is
as follows:
Section Holy matrimony defined
(a) Holy matrimony is an estate of life
which for the purposes of this canon is
sufficiently Defined in the form appointed
for the solemnization of marriage in this
church.
(b) The solemnization of holy matr-
mony is service where the mutual con-
sent of the parties is given in the pres
ence of a minister who then prOnounces
them in the name of the Holy Trinity to
be man and wife
defined.
This section defines the impediments Of
consanguinity and affinity as stated in
the books of Leviticns and Deuteronomy.
Tn" second canon drafted deals with the
subject of solemnization of holy matri-
mony. 1t is sub-divided into four sections
as follows:
Section 1T shall be the duty of all
ministers of this church to conform to
the civil authorities relative TO mar
riage.
Section EVERY minister who shall
solemnize a marriage shall without delay
make such record of same as may be re-
quired by the law of this church and civil
authority.
Section 3-No minister shall solemnize
marriage without the presence of wit
nesses nor without witnesses to whom
the parties are personally known, except
in d case in which IL is impossible for
such witnesses to be secured. No minis
ter shall solemnize the marriage of any
person not identified to his satisfaction.
Section mo minister shall solemnize
marriage between any two persons unless
nor until by inquiry he shall have salts
fed himself that neither person has been
or is the husband or the wife OF any other
person living, unless the former marriage
was annulled by decree of some competent
jurisdiction for cause existing before such
former marriage.
While the above two canons erect new
barriers as a safeguard against Illegal
marriages and prohibit re-marriage by
any Episcopal minister of any party to
a divorce suit whether guilty or innocent
the third canon goes one step further and
excludes from all means of grace within
the dispensation o. the church any di-
vorced person who shall have married
and be living with husband or wife as
the case may be, while the other party
to the divorce still is in life This canon
which, however, applies only to the Of
Tending party of divorce, practically
tends to outlaw the offender as far as
church fellowship goes and provides for
his re-adoptiOn in the fold only on the
condition that he become truly penitent
aud separate from tho party TO the second
marriage, or if he Should happen to be
IN immediate danger of death and show
the spirit of true repentance.
This canon is sub-divided into three
sections, as follows
Section mo person divorced for
causes arising after marriage and mar
rying again during the life time Of the
other party TO the divorce shall be admit
ted to baptism or confirmation or re-
ceived to holy communion, except when
penitent and separated from the other
party to the subsequent marriage, or