Evening star., 1901-06-19
NEW CANYONS ON MARRIAGE
REVISION COMMISSION OF EPISCOPAL
CHURCH REPORTS.
The Deceased wife's Sister ContrO-
yersy Likely TO Be Revived
in This Country.

the constitution and canons OF the Protes-
tant Episcopal Church has made public it's
report.
BY far the most important of the re-
visions recommended by the commission,
and which are sure to provoke the most
discussion in the deliberations OF both
houses of the general convention. are those
relating to the subjects of marriage and
divorce. These are treated in the report
as canons 36 and 81 Canon SO. "Of the
Solemnization of Matrimony," rectes:
Section l. The solemnization of matri-
mony in this church is service in which
tine mutual consent OF the parties enter
ing into this state of life is given IN the
presence of d minister, who. having pro
nounced them in the name of the Holy
Trinity to be man and vile, lhNokeS lhe
divine blessing upon their union
Section II. The requirements OF the law
OF the state regarding the conditions loi
the civil contract of marriage shall IN all
cases be carefully observed before the mar
riage is SOlemniZed-
Section III. % No minister shall solemn
ize the marriage of any person VINO Is a
minor under the law of the place OF mar
riage unless the parent or guardian OF Sucn
minor is present and consenting, or shal
have given written consent to the mar
riage or is permanently resident In a Ior-
eign country
(D No minister shall solemnize a mar
riage except in the presence OF at ietst t"o
witnesses, the minister or the "itllesseS
being personally acquainted with the par
ties. 49,,
(:0 Every minister shall without delay
formally record in the proper register the
names age and residence OF each parry
Such record shall be signed by the minis
ter who performs the ceremony. ana, !,
nracticabIe By the married parties, ana
by at least two witnesses OF the marriage
tp No minister shall solemniZe d Iial
riase between any two persons unless nor
until by inquiry. he shall nave sdtlsheu r
himself that neither person mas peeh Oh
is the husband or the vile OF an! otiiei
,,rsnn then living: unless the former mar
riare WAS annulled by decree OF some
civil court of competent jurisdiction lol
cruise existing before sucn 1orner hai
In the above mentioned canon. sections l.
IL and Ill with subdivisions 1 ana = are
new Subdivisions 3 of section III anu So
ton " are substantially repe,ilioii' " "
old provisions ,>,-o,
canon :;1 is .'Of the Discipline of Divorced
Persons" 1t is as follows;
Section l. No person divorced ior aus Eau 5.
arising after marriage. and marrying again
during the lifetime of the other party 10
the divorce. shall be admitted to baptis,il
or confirmation, or received 10 tlie hols
communion except when penitent ana sepa-
rated from the other party to the subse-
ouent marriage or when penitent and IN
Immediate danger of death; but this canon
shall not apply to the innocent parry u d
divorce for the cause of adultery
Section IL No person shall be denied bap-
tism or confirmation or the holy communion
under this canon until after the minister
shall have given to the person due ana sur
fcient notice of such intended denial ana
of the right of appeal therefrorn, as hereil-
after provided
section III. Any person repelled from pap
tisIn on confirmation or the holy communion
urder section | of this canon may appeal
to the bishop of the diocese or OF the ms
fonary district. and the bishop to whom
s5,rfl appeai shall have been made shall
Ep iOUI1irV "A the facts IN
such manner as he shall deem expedient,
and shall deliver his judgment in the prem
ises. which Judgment shall be final
In canon 81 section III is new.
Canon 10 provides that the canons as re-
vised shall take effect upca January l. 1852,
after which date al other canons OF the
church shall be deemed to be repealed; pro
vided. that such repeal shall not affect any
case Of Violation of existing canons COM
miIied before that date
Attached to the report, but not incor-
porated in it's main text. is a Proposed
Canon on Prohibited Degrees. This is the
canon:
Marriage between persons standing to ore
another in the following relations is pro-
hibited by this church:
A man may not marry may not
his marry her
Mother Father.
stepmother stepfatter,
Daughter Son,
Stepdaushter. Stepson.
Daughter-in-law Sor-in-law.
Sister Brother.
Sister in law. Brother In law,
GRANDMOTHER Grandfather.
StrIgrandnuther. SteI,-grandfather.
Grandmut her -iII-law. Grandfather -in-l law,
Granddaughter. Grandson,
Step granddaughter. Stcp-grandson,
Granddaughter in-law. GraudSUn-in-law,
Aunt Uncle.
Aunt by marriage. Uncle by marriage.
Niece, Nephew
Niece by marriage. Nephew by marriage
Al the last general convention. the joint
commission on the revision of the constltu-
tion and canons disposed of the question of
kinship in the question of marriage in see
tion | of canon "a. "Of Marriage, fol-
lows:
No minister shall solemnize marriage
the parties to which are within the degrees
of consanguinity and affinity defined in the
eighteenth chapter of the Book Levticus.
That canon was rejected by the conv"n-
tion to which it submitted, and there
is little likelihood that the proposed enact
ment on Prohibited Degrees will receive
favorable action on the part of the coming
convention. which will meet in San Fran
cisco in October.
Should the proposed canon be accented,
however. IL will raise within the Episcopal
Church in this country the question which
has long vexed the lawsivers in England on
the subject of the deceased wife's sister,
for marriage to a sister-in-law is prohibited
by 1t.