Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-20
REMARRIAGE CANON
REVISION IS URGED
Protestant Convention Takes
Up Birth Control in
Secret Session.
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
DENVER, September le.-More lib
eral regulations covering the remar-
riage Of divorced persons were recon-
fnended to the General Convention Of
the Protestant Episcopal Church to-
day, while the subject Of birth control
was being considered by the House of
Bishops in secret session.
The commission on divorce and re-
marriage submitted q report saying It
was agreed that in some way the
church must take n more sympathetic
attitude toward divorced peoples"
Amendment Of the canon was pro-
posed by the majority Of the commits
sion so as to permit q divorced person
to rewed after waiting a wear from
the time the divorce decree is granted
and then receiving the permission of
an ecclesiastical court to be set up In
each diocese.
The minority, although expressing
disapproval Of remarriage, recommend
ed that clergymen of the church be
permitted to read "a service of bless
ing" where divorced persons, already
married by some civil officer, obtain
sanction of the church court.
Hope for Higher Standard.
The recommendations were made,
the commission stated, mot to lower
standards to the level Of those of mod
ern society, but with the expectation
of raising to the standard Of Christ
many people who without the help of
the church would continue to fan far
short of it."
Bishop Herman Page of Michigan
introduced the report in the House of
Bishops. Joseph n. Beale, lay dele
gate, from Cambridge, Mass. intro
duced it in the House Of Deputies.
Under the existing matrimonial
canon, priests Of the church may re-
marry only person who is the inno-
cent party to divorce granted on
grounds Of adultery.
In addition to the establishment of
ecclesiastical courts with Jurisdiction to
act In all marital cases. the commission
recommended that instructions ION the
nature of Christian marriage, its re-
sponsihilities and the mutual forbear-
ance required" be given both publicly
and privately in each diocese. The
proposed canon would forbid the mar
rage Of persons not so instructed.
English Bishop Is Guest.
The elimination of the disciplinary
provisions Of the existing canon on mar
riage and divorce, which empowers
clergymen to refuse baptism and holy
communion to any person until their
marital case may be reviewed by the
bishop Of the diocese, Is recommended
in a resolution introduced IN the House
of Deputies by Rev. Edwin j. Randall,
Chicago, and Rev. Beverly Tucker, Vir-
ginia.
Their proposal also would eliminate
"A ~ he
divorce provisions Of the canon.
Closely guarded. the House of Bishops
sat in secret session with Right Rev.
Michael Bolton Purse. Lord Bishop Of
st. Adams. England. as q specially in
yited guest.
It was indicated unoflclally that the
question of birth control as handled
by the Lambeth conference in England
was under discussion. The Lambeth
conference approved birth control In
certain instances.
Bishop Purse is q foe of birth control.
and took strong stand against 1t both
at the Lambeth conference and since
he has been In Denver.
Wording OF Pamphlet Criticized.
A criticism of the national council of
the church in the wording Of pamphlet
distributed prior to the convention was
contained in pamphlet received by Iae
delegates today from the Protestant
Episcopal Church League. The league
secretary. Alexander O.. Cummins,
Poughkeepsie, N. Y, asserted that by
inference the national council begins to
talk about the sacrifice OF the mass"
It is the intent Of Cummins and his
followers to bring the question Of the
use Of the American n1issal, or mass
book, to a definite vote Of the conven-
ton. "A resolution toward a similar end
was introduced yesterday by George w.
Wickersham, lay delegate from New
York. Those opposed to the n1issal be-
lieve its general use would lead the
church to "Romanism."
Sponsors of the Tnissal. which was
privately printed and distributed. insist
the miSsal is supplement to the book
OF common prayer and not substitute
for 1t.
Wickersham, former Attorney General
Of the United States and head of the
Hoover Law Enforcement Commission,
celebrated his 73rd birthday by attend
ing the regular meetings Of the House
Of Deputies.
Rev Daniel A. McGregor Of Chicago
told the Women's Auxiliary that mod
crn nationalisnn is "a denial Of Chris
tianity," in an address on Christianity
and international relations.