The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-10-10
Heads OF the Episcopal Church
Gather In New York
PROBLEMS ARE TO Be Solved
Question OF Changing Name viii Come
Up For Long Discussion; Marri-
age and Divorce
Ispecinl to The Free Press


third tricnnial general convention of
the Protestant Episcopal church op-
cned in this city today, the first
time that the gathering has been
held in New York city for nearly
twenty-five years. The opening SER
mon was preached by Bishop Lawer-
ence of Massachusetts, who has just
celebrated the twentieth anniversary
of his ordination as bishop, in Bos
ton. One hundred and fifteen bish.
ops will sit in the upper house dur
ing the convention, and Go clergy
and laymen in the lower.
The plan during the present con-
vention is to make the sessions OF
the house of bishops as open to
the newspapers and to the general
public as are those Of the house of
deputies. For the 12S years that
the house of bishops has met in con-
ventions, its business has been con-
Quoted behind closed doors, and only
the results of the legislation have
been made public.
Some Important Measures.
important measures bearing on the
greater efficiency of the Protestant
Episcopal church in the United
States will be considered during the
meeting. The delegates come from
every part of the country, repre-
scnting 100000 communicates. One
of the proposed changes in church
law will come up at the convention
and which, 1t is expected, will be
debated with great forcefulness by
the advocates of both sides. will af-
feet the representation In the con-
vention, so that such representation
in the convention. shall be based on
the number of communicates in any
diocese instead of being the same for
all regardless of the. number Of com
municants.
Another matter which is expected
To give rise to considerable discus.
sion is the question of changing the
name of the church This matter
has been agitated for long time,
but the views concerning the name
designation of the church are widely
divergent. A majority of those who
are dissatisfied with the present
name. seem to favor the name of
American Catholic church.
Attitude Toward Divorces.
Another subject of considerable
importance to be considered is the
attitude of the church to marriage
and divorce. Other important mat
tiers for discussion include the re-
port of the commission on church
unity; marriage and divorce, re-
lgious education: a more adequate
provision for the support of disabled
clergy and their families; trainings
for the ministry and more vigorous
prosecution of the ministry work
of the church, both at home and
abroad.
Included among the meeting to be
held in the various departments of
church work will be those of the
Domestic and Foreign Missionary So
ciety, the Woman's auxiliary the
Girls Friendly society, Daughters of
the King, the Sunday-school commits
sion, the Church Temperance society,
Joint Commission on Social Service,
Church Association for the Advance
ment of the Interests of Labor.
Church Mission of Help and the
American Institute for Colored Per-
sons. Arrangements are being made
eli l1ttc fi,,1r
the scope OF some of these societies
The convention will be in session
three weeks.
Change of Name.
The question Of the change of
name will probably come before the
convention in half dozen forms.
but it is bound to be presented in
at least one instance, for the Diocese
of California has framed memorial
for the convention asking 1t to au.
thorize the dropping of the word
Protestant" from the title page of
the prayer book Probably. in any
event, the convention will be called
upon to define the word Protestant
authoritatively as to its meaning as
applied to the Episcopal church
A counter proposition, which is
pleasing to the High Church party.
has been made recently that the
word Catholic" shall be defined and
officially adopted. setting forth the
Episcopal Ghurch's understanding of
it. 1t is safe to say that all parties in
the Episcopal church hold the church
of Rome to be over-wrought authority
and therefore not to be purely Catho-
lie, but only Roman Catholic, and that
Professionalism is over-wrought personal
liberty Of thought and action, and
therefore not Catholic, but Presby-i
terrain, Methodist or some other de-
nominations All seem to hold that
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