Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-11-15
BAR REkARR|AG[
Episcopalian Law Relative to the
Subject Of Divorces Marriage
Amended.
Special Committee to Revise Canons
Recommend Radical Change on
That Point.
Wedding Of Divorced Man or Woman
Means Expulsion From the
Church.

New York, Nov. az
have taken preliminary steps
10 forbid rectors of thai faith from per-
forming the ceremony Of marriage when
either Of the contracting parties is a di-
vorcee. Episcopalians who have been
and remarry are to be excom-
municated by the church save when the
person 80 remarrying is the innocent
party to a divorce secured on tne
grounds Of adultery. Such lie the radi-
cal action proposed by the special COM
appointed at the last general as
sembly OF the Protestant Episcopal.
church, which yesterday unanimously
adopted the following canons on the re-
marrying of divorced persons;
Canon 2-No minister snail solemnixe
a marriage between n two persons
unless, nor until by induiring, ne snail
have satisfied himself that neither per-
son has been. or is the husband or the
Wife Of any other person then living, un-
less the former marriage was
by decree Of some civil court of compe-
tent jurisdiction for U existing be-
fore such former marriage.
Canon 3-No person divorced for
cause arising after marriage. and mar
rying again during the lifetime of the
other party to the divorce, shall be adj
mitted to baptism or confirmation or re-
ceived to the holy communion except
when penitent inc separated from the
other party to the subsequent marriage
or when penitent and in immediate dan
ger of death, but this canon shall not
apply to the divorce for h OF
adultery"
Thus ministers are positively forbid
den from again uniting in matrimony
either the guilty or the innocent party
to a divorce while the former husband OF
wife is living.
By this action the Protestant Episco-
pal church practically takes its place
bes de the Roman Catholic church in op'
position to divorce. Heretofore Epiaco'
pal clergymen have ueed their discretion
about remarrying the defendants in di.
yorce cases. Bishop Potter has favored
the existing liberal laws of the church
relating to divorce, while Bishop Doan,
of Albany has led the fight for a radica
revision of the divorce ano
The subject has been agitated fol
years in the church. and ministers hav'
arrayed themselves in two camps. on
for, the other against, revision. Recon
divorce scandals in high life are said t
have made clear the duty Of the churcl
in the matter. Ministers high in au
thority said that the action Of the spe
cial committee will undoubtedly be in
dorsed by the Protestant Episcopa
church at the next general convention
and that the church will do its part I
check the increasing disregard for tn
sanctity of the marriage relation.
While the proposed canon does not ig
more the right OF court authority I
grant divorces. 1t prohibits remarriag
in the Episcopal church. and provides
method of accommodation for thos
Who go thru a civil right or marry !
another church. No provision liz mad
for a special d~ispensation such az ma
be obtained in the Catholic church, an
in this respect the position taken is MOI
: radical than that of the church OF Rom
OF the eleven members of the comm
tee nine were present. Besides DIR. D
there We're the Rev. DR.. Eugene "A. Hof
man, dean of the general theoiogic,
g seminary Of this city; the Rev. DIR. J.. ]
Eccleston of Baltimore, the Rev D
John Fulton of Philadelphia, the Re
Or. Mann of st. Louis. Francis L. Ste
son of New York. Charles H. Stanley
Washington, D. c.; Judge E. G. Bra
s ford of Wilmington. Del, and Franc
e A. Lewis of Philadelphia. Mr.. Lew
acted as secretary.
The committee was in session all da
1t had previously considered the diyor
canvass of the church at sessions in is
k and at a meeting in this city on Feb.
il last. After a full discussion OF the su
81 ject the canons were adopted.