Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-05-13
CONVENTION OF
EPNCOPALIANS
OPENED TODAY
Bishop Darlington Opens Con
vention in Shamokin With
Annual Address

The annual convention of the Epis-
copal Churca of the Diocese OF Har-
risourg oper es this afternoon in shamo-
kin. The convention was opened with
a service IN Trinity Church, during
which Bishop Darlington made his an
nual convention address.
= The annual banquet will be held this
pvening in the Hotel Graemar. Among
the speakers will be Madam Slavko
Grouitch, wife of the Minister to the
United States from the Serbs. Croats
and Slovenes. A telegram was received
from the Right Rev. John Cragg Far
thing, Lord Bishop of Montreal, express
ing his regret at peing unable to attend,
because of illness Captain. Elliott Fos-
ter will speak at the banquet
In his address this afternoon the Bishop
paid high tribute to the four Episcopal
bishops who died since the last conven-
ton: the Right Rev. Alfred M Ran
dolph, Bishop of Southern Virginia, who
in 1908 represented the American Epis-
copate at the Lambeth Conference In
London the Right Rev. Charles 5. Olm-
sted, Bishop of Colorado; the Right
Rev. Francis Key Brooke, Bishop OF
Oklahoma and the Right Rev James
Is. Funston, Bishop of Boise.
Mention was made of the fact that
all the churches of the diocese had met
in full the assessments for the 'church
pension fund The benefits of the fund
are to be enlarged at the coming General
Convention in Detroit.
Demands Return of San Sophia
The Bishop recommended the passage
of resolution demanding the return
of the Church of San Sophia in Con-
stantinople to Orthodox Christian wor-
ship. Such a resolution has already oeen
passed by the Church of England ana
by various dioceses of the American
Church. The Cathedral Church OF san
Sophia, now called the Mosque of omar
is the historic center of Christian wor-
ship.
Reporting on the meeting of the
Provincial Synod of Washington held
in Baltimore last month. the Bishop
spoke at length on the proposed changes
in the constitution of the Church. the
Episcopal Church in the United States
is now divided into eight provinces, with
out. however, any legislative jurisdiction.
that being vested entirely in the general
convention of the entire Church. 1t is
now proposed to give legislative power
to the provinces in order to give relief
to the General Convention. Speaking on
the subject the Bishop said: 1T would be
an error to break away from the pres
ent constitution OF the church The
church constitution is now patterned
after the constitution of the United
States. We have a presiding bishop,
with two houses of general convention.
similar to the two houses of the United
States Congress. Our dioceses are self
governing like the states, and our mis-
sionary jurisdictions correspond to the
territories of the United States. The
moment the provincial synods are en-
trusted with Legislative power new and
. perplexing factor is introduced. un-
known in the Government of the Ma
ton. A large majority of the signers
of the Declaration of Independence, of
the first American Congress, and of the
makers of the constitution of the United
States We're members of the Episcopal
Church and drafters OF the constitution
of the Episcopal Church in America.
Until the Nation sees fit to depart from
what they have drafted it would seem
unwise for the Church to do So