The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-04-17
when LENT ENDS
Bishop Millspaugh and Dean
Kaye Differ.
Former Holds That Fast Is
Over Saturday Noon.
THE WEDDING SUPPER
Dean Refuses to Permit Mem
bers Of Family to Attend.
VIII Take Place at Topeka Club
Saturday Evening.
THE WEDDING SUPPER

$1,000 "a VA dCS CdtAcuEdIs ulllcI over
the question as to what hour the sea-
son Of Lent ends. The marriage
Monday night of next week of the
bishops daughter. Miss E1vira Mills
paugh to Mr.. Chauncey Dewey of
Chicago, is the innocent cause of this
controversy between the two eminent
churchmen of this state.
The bridegroom-to-be has made ar
rangements for an elaborate ante
wedding dinner for the bridal party
at the Topeka club Saturday night,
and has invited many friends of the
brides family and prominent Epis-
copalians, among them Miss Amy
Nelson, Of Ironwood. Mich. q sister
of Mrs. Kaye, wife Of the dean. Now
Bishop Millspaugh holds that the
Lenten season ends on Saturday af-
ternoon, and therefore this dinner
with its elaborate and lavish details
is in order. and no violation at all of
the forty days fast preceding Easter.
Dean Kaye takes the view that the
season of Lent fasting does not end
until Saturday at midnight, and this
dinner at the Topeka club on Easter
eve VIII therefore be a gross infrac-
ton of one of the most sacred Gus
toms OF his church. He has forbid
den any member of his household
from attending the supper.
There Is no apparent i'll feeling
over this controversy between the
bishop and the dean. Still, it is an
important difference Of opinion and
complications may yet result. The
bishop stated today that in his
opinion the fast of Lent ended Satur-
day, any time after the noon hour.
The dean reasons from the stand
point of a strict churchman. He
stated that the Episcopal prayer book
is explicit on this matter. The fast
of Lent begins on the Tuesday night
at midnight before Ash Wednesday
and continues for forty days, except
Sundays. and ends at midnight on
or a minute before this time. The
wedding supper of the gallant Chi
cago bridegroom is beyond the pale of
strict church law. and no member Of
the deans household will be allowed
to attend. This was an ultimatum
delivered by the dean today
The dean stated that he did not be-
lieve that the bishop contended against
the authenticity or propriety OF sacred
custom that his church has observed for
IL centuries. He Said the. church cal
from the midnight hour before Ash
Wednesday and the midnight hour of
Easter Sunday. It is likely that the
bishop takes a lenient view of the mat
ter, shared by many churchmen, who
consider the Lenten fast so near ended
Saturday night that a feast a few
hours before does not matter. But
the dean believes that all strict
churchmen held out for every hour OF
the 40 days fast. 1t is possible that
may have inf1uneced the bishop a little
bit in the forming Of his opinion.
The only argument given by the
bishop in support of his opinion was
that Lent ended on Easter, and that
it was the custom Of the Jews, under
sanction Of their prophets. to begin the
celebration of all days of festival the
day before. The bishop reasoned that
it would be perfectly proper to begin
the celebration of Easter Sunday on
ton itself would necessarily end the
fast of Lent.
1t is an interesting controversy and
requires the splitting of ecclesiastical
hairs to reach a decision. Profane
history refers to Lent as the spring
tide fast of 40 days before Easter The
Roman Catholic and later the Episco-
pal churches have observed this custom
for Is centuries. Catholic theologians
contend that this fast is of apostolic
origin, but the majority Of the Pro-
testants claim that it is ecclesiastical in
origin. The common opinion is that
Lent was established as a prepara-
ton for the great anniversaries of
Christ's crucifixion and resurrection
and in remembrance Of His 40 days
fast in the wilderness. In the begin
ming this fast was limited to 40 hours,
but was later extended to 40 days and
even to go days by the Romans.
Gregory the Great set the time of the
beginning Of the fast at the midnight
before Ash Wednesday. In the early
centuries the rigors Of this fast were
very severe. At one time only one
meal of dry food a day was allowed.
The Greek church still maintains these
severe customs, and as a result the sep
aration of the Latin church followed.
The breaking of Lent has always been,
and is yet considered a serious offense
against the church. The offenders are
regarded "as transgressors against the
church"
But one finds nothing in either pro-
fame or sacred history to decide at
what hour the fast ends. Still, 1t would
be presumption on the part of a lay
man to dispute the arguments of so
eminent a churchman as Bishop Mills
paugh. The opinion of the dean. there
fore, shall stand against it as that of
strict churchman holding out for
every jot and title of the law. From
just such disputes as this have arisen
all the dogmas, creeds and isms of
the last 1000 years. There are too many
Of these now, so it is to be hoped that
a compromise will be reached regard
ing this wedding dinner. The POSSIBLE
tiles Of this are extremely dim at the
present time, but then all things are
possible.
In the meantime, does Chauncey
Dewey. the debonaire bridegroom
from Chicago, realize the future ex-
tent of the dissensions he has caused
in high places in the Kansas diocese
of the church of which he is a member
as a result Of his efforts to be a good
fellow? A wedding dinner is simple
r-a1 ,cfr xryha to fovu
friends at the right time. The Chicago
man was unfortunate in his choice OF
a date. Out of the happiness and in
nocent good cheer Of this preliminary
feast to the brilliant wedding of the
bishops daughter may be born dis
turbing factors that shall flourish fol-