New-York tribune., 1922-09-24
New Canon Bar
To Grar,t-Lydigg g
Wedding Plan
frightened Remarriage Ban
Said To BE Inspired
by Controversy Over En-
gagement of New Yorker
Episcopal Rule Changed
Prayer Book Modernized
Also at Conference; So.
cial W e fare keynote
Special pispatch to The rribrn,

PORTLAND, Ore, Sept. 23.--Explicit
inhibition against the remarriage of
divorced persons was one of the final
acts Of the biennial general convention
of the Protestant Episcopal Church to-
day Exceptions. as to persons divorced
on the ground of infdelity are retained
in the amended canon. A proposal that
the church law against remarrage of
all divorced persons be made absolute,
was referred TO Il commission, to report
at the next convention.
The amendment to the divorce canon
was proposed by Bishop Charles II.
Brent, of Western New York. The
statute hitherto has merely forbidden
clergymen to perform the ceremony
for persons divorced. The new enact-
ment extends the command to the in
dividuals.
Back of the movement to restrict the
marriage canon is believed to be op-
position among many of the clergy TO
the engagement of the Rev. Dr. Percy
Stickney Grant, of New York City, TO
Mrs Rita Lydig. The rectors fiancee
husband, Major Philip NJ. Lydig, in
Paris on the grounds of incompatible
ity of temperament. Before that she
! had obtained divorce from her first
husband, W. L. d. Stokes, also of New
York, on other grounds.
Manning Against Grant Marriage
The announcement of the Rev. DR..
Grants engagement brought immedi
ate opposition from clergy not only in
New York but in other dioceses. Bishop
Manning at once gave as his opinion
that the canon against clergymen mar
rying divorced persons except when
they had obtained DEGREES on the
grounds of infidelity operated against
the Rev. DR.. Grant. His opinion and
that of other influential clergy is be-
ieved to have resulted in the prescn,
action of the House of Deputies.
While the canon as amended pro-
vides for no penalty in the case OF
disobedience, those who supported the
! change express the opinion that il
would result in the offender being cut
off from the holy communion.
| The convention endorsed the princi-
pie of spiritual healing, with the pro-
viso that such work shall be carefully
guarded and only carried on in close
cooperation with qualified physicians
make further study of the subject
and report to the next convention.
! A stately religious service in the
municipal auditorium marked the close
Of the convention. One hundred bish-
ops were seated on the platform and
tho clerical and lay deputies occupied
the body of the hall.
After the reading of prayers the pas
! toral address Of the bishops to the
members of the Episcopal Church was
read by the Rt. Rev. Charges Fiske
| Coadjutor Bishop of Central New York
It's keynote was service. "The One Aim
Which the individual. the Social Or.
| ganization, the Industrial Order, the
Nation Must Set Before H."
The pastoral goes on to say: "Were
great corporations to realize that they
are and must be primarily corpora.
! tions for public service other than for
private profit, it would be easier tc
reply to agitators who threaten the,
peace and prosperity. And labor--tht
unions will be as cordially hated as
| the most unpopular of industrial trusts
| if they neglect the call to serve while
insisting on the right to have. Eff
/ (caatinued en page threat