Omaha daily bee., 1900-11-15
NOMARRIACE AFTER DIVORCE
Protestant Episcopal Church Likely to Take
Radical Action at Early Date,
THREE NEW cANoNS UNDER CONSIDERATION
ministers Not Permitted to Unite In
Mntrimony Any Divorced Person
while the Other Party 90 the
Former Marriage IL alive,


Former Marriage IL Alive.
NEW YORK, Soy. ii.--Whcn 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 Epi5.
cuHal church through the approval OF the
general conference then the Episcopal
church will have pronounced its anathcma
against divorce. and more particularly
against the remarrying Of divorced per
sons. while another party to the divorce
stll IS IN life.
The subject Of marriage and divorce came
in for a good deal Of attention at the hands
of the general Episcopal conference of
1895. So much in fact that a committee
OF twelve was appointed for the purpose
Of taking the matter under consideration
and make 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 a year
ago, when IT 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 It. At the forenoon
session nothing Of definite nature was
accomplished. This afternoon the com.
mittee resumed work and as the members
came out at the close of the session 1t was
announced that the conference of the com
mlttee had been adjourned sine die and
that three canons dealing with the sub
ject Of the conference had been drafted
Definition of Holy Mntrimony
The first canon adopted is entitled, Holy
Matrimony and 1mpediments Thereto" The
full text of this canon Is follows:
Section Holy matrimony defined. CA
Holy matrimony is an estate of life which
for the purposes Of this canon is sufficiently
defined, I'm the form appointed for the sol
emnizatiun of matrimOny in this church.
(B) The solemnZation OF holy matrimony
IL a service where the mutual consent OF
the parties is given in the presence or a
minister who then grqnounces them In the
name of the Holy TRINITY TO DE man ana
wife.
Section 2 defines the impediments of con-
sanguinty and affinity as stated in the
books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy
The second canon drafted deals with the
subject OF the "solemnization of holy matri-
mony." 1t is subdivided in four sections as
follows:
Section lit shall be the duty of all min
listers of this church to conform to the civil
authorities relating to marriage.
Sec. Every minister, who shall sol
emnize n marriage shall without delay
make such record of same as may be re,
quired by the law of this church and civil
Sec. 3.-No minister shall solemnize mar
riaEe without tho presence of witnesses, nor
without witnesses TO whom the parties are
personally known, except In a case in which
II is impossible for such witnesses to be
secured. No minister shall solemnize the
marriage of any person not identified to his
Sec mo minister shall solemnze mar
rage between any two persons unless nor
himself that neither person has been or
is the husband or the wife of any other
was annuled by decree OF some court OF
competent jurisdiction for cause existing
before such former marriage.
Further Ran ON Divorced Persons.
While the two foregoing canons erect
new barriers as a safeguard against IL
legal marriages and prohibit remarriagc
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 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 di-
vorce still is in life. This canon which,
uoNtNtI, uppiito bllS " lht outuulHb Ddll ~
of a diyoce, practically tends to outlaw the
offender as far as church fellowship goes
and provides for his readoption in the fold
only on the condition that he become peni-
tent and separate from the party to the
second marriage, or If he should happen to
be In immediate danger of death he must
show the spirit Of true repentance.
This canon Is subdvided in three sec
tions as follows:
Section mo person divorced for causes
arising after marriage and marrying again
during the lifetime Of the other party TO
the divorce shall be admitted to baptism
confirmation or received to holy COM
munon, except when penitent and sepa-
rated from the other to the subsequent
marriage or when penitent and I'm immedi-
ats danger of death, but this canon shall
not apply to the innocent party in a di-
yorCc for the cause of adultery.
Sec mo person shall be denied baptism
or confirmation or the holy communion un-
der this canon until after the minister shall
give TO the person due and sufficient notice
of such intended denial and OF the right of
appeal therefrom as hereinafter permitted.
Sec. This section provides for appeal to
the bishop of the diocese or missionary dis
trict who, If he deems the cause sufficient,
may take counsel with two neighhorng
bishops and decide whether there shall be
any dispensation.
Canon Adopted Unanimously.
The canons in this form were unani-
mously adopted by those taking part in
the conference. The committeee, when ap-
pointed by the general conference of 1898,
consisted OF twelve members. Only nine
of these members were present at the meet
ing today, one having died and two not
having been heard from
The committee was made up an equal
number OF clergy and laymen. Those pres
ont were: Rev. Dr. Morgan Dix. rector OF
Trinity parish; Rev. Dr. Hoffman of New
York, Rev. DR.. Mann of St, Louis. Rev
DR.. Fulton of Philadelphia and Rev DR..
Eccleston OF Baltimire The lay members
OF the committee who were present were:
Francis A. Lewis OF Philadelphia, Francis
l., Stetson OF New York, Charles II. Stan
ley OF Washington and Judge L. G. Brad
ford OF Wilmington. Del
Dr. Morgan Dix presided and Francis A.
Lewis OF Philadelphia acted as secretary.