Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-10-21
BISHOPS INDORSE
new prayer FOR
U. S. PRESIDENT
Convention Decides. Petition
for Divine Guidance and
Protection Should Be
Democratic.

Detroit, Oct. 20.-Petitions for di.
vine guidance and protection for the
president Of the United States
should be democratic in form the
house Of bishops decided in refusing
to concur in action by the house OF
deputies of the Protestant Epis-
copal church in convention here, to
retain the old form of prayer. The
bishops endorsed the new form oil
the prayer. rejected last week by
the bishops, which also contains a
plea for safeguarding the nation.
1t was the contention that the old
prayer. modelled after that for the
monarch Of England in the English
prayer book, presented too strongly
plea for the man and not for the
Office. The house of deputies was
asked 10 concur in adopting the new
form.
By action of the house of bishops
also. Thanksgiving day is to be ere.
ated holy day of the church. Con-
currence of the deputies is neces-
sary.
Revising Prayer Book.
In both houses progress was
made in revision of the prayer book,
the bishops ratifying many of the
amendments made by the deputies
and the latter adopted further
changes The bishops agreed to
omit the alternative absolution in
the morning prayer. In the evening
service confession and absolution
prayers may be omitted on Sundays
as permitted on week days.
Another step toward enfranchise-
ment of women was taken when the
house of bishops gave permission
to the. missionary district of San
Joaquin, Cal, to admit women to
its legislative councils. A commits
sion has been named to consider the
subject of the status of women in
church councils and is to report in
1922.
Agree on Concordat.
Choice Of a place for the next
meeting has found divided senti-
ment in the two bodies. The house
of Bishops has selected Philadelphia
and the house OF deputies unani-
mously decided upon Portland,
Ore. The bishops will be asked to
meet the wishes of the other house.
Agreement has been. reached in
the two houses on the question of a
concordat with the Congregational
church whereby congregational min
listers may be ordained to preach in
the Episcopal church. An amend
ment has been proposed to the
church constitution which if adopted
at this meeting and ratified in 1922
will remove any obstacles to giving
Episcopal ordination to ministers Of
others faiths. Before the next con-
vention an Episcopal commission is
10 confer with the congregational
signatories to the concordat with a
view to widening its scope.
Mercier at Convention.
In one respect today was notable
in church history in that high pre-
late of the Roman Catholic church,
Cardinal MERCER of Belgium, ad-
dressed the convention, the cardinal
appearing on invitation of the house
of deputies. He expressed a SYM
pathetic desire for concord in divine
worship, and voiced appreciation for
Americas help TO Belgium during
the war. =
There is a communion of our
minds, our hearts, our souls, in the
respect and worship of a common
IDEAL" declared the cardinal. 1--WE
are brethren in Christian faith. We
are at this moment, I think, to unite
our efforts to show the world that
our brotherly feeling is only a
corollary Of the fatherhood of God"