Evening star., 1943-10-02
District Churchmen
Taking Active Part
In Cleveland ParIey
BY HAROLD B. ROGERS,
Star STAFF Correspondent.

CLEVELAND, Oct. 2.-Washing-
ton deputies to the general conven-
tion Of the Protestant Episcopal
Church which opened here today
are taking important roles in con-
vention work on some of the issues
to be decided, including divorce and
remarriage, union of the Episcopal
with the Presbyterian Church. status
OF the presiding bishop in relation
to the proposed 'house and offices"
for him in Washington, and revision
OF canons of the church relating to
other vital matters.
Charles F. Wilson, a Law deputy
from the Capital, is an important
member of the Commission on Holv
Matrimony, whose forthcoming re-
port on proposed changes in the
church OF canons on this subject
began provoking spirited discussion
even before Mr.. Wilson arrived.
The official text of the commits
sion report had not been made pub-
lie prior to the opening ceremonies
this morning. But informal indica-
tlons among churchmen gathered in
the LOBBY of the Statler Hotel
where most of the delegates were
making their headquarters. pointed
to three points of view on the con-
troVersial subject
Three Stands on Divorce.
There are those who want to keen
the present church law which per-
mlts rectors to marry a divorced
person only when he has been the
innocent party in a divorce action
based on adultery. Secondly, there
IS group which would strike out
the present exception making it i'm
! possible for any divorced person to
be married in the Episcopal Church.
/ Inlrd, another group would lib
eraIlze the present law, leaving the
marriage of divorced persons to the
discretion of the rector and his
bishop.
Details Of one proposed draft OF
the two proposed canons purport-
ing 10 come from the Commission
on Holy Natrimony were printed in
technical detail in the latest issue
OF magazine, the Living Church,
| distributed ct the convention. but
delegates were awaiting the official
report OF the commission. Cleve-
land papers featured the debate
over divorce, in accounts of the
convention. Mr.. Wilson as vet has
mace no public statement as to his
| position in the matter.
Paper Takes Stand.
| The Living Church in an edi-
torlal says the principles on which
Ihe commission has drawn its pro-
posed canons are "eXcellent-it ad-
heres unswervingly to Our Lords
teachlng OF the indissolubilitv OF
holy matrimony and at the sans
'lme recognizes that the determina-
tons Of secular law courts on civil
marriage cannot be wholly accepted
by the church as applicable tc
holy matrimony.
Canon Theodore o. Wedel n,
Washington Cathedral, a deputy
mere, is one of the signers of a
report for the joint commission or
approach to unity between the Epis.
copaI and Presbyterian churches
Many oenomlnationaI questions are
involved and will be given serious
consideration by the convention
Canon Wedel's position on the
matter Of the approach" is out.
iineo in both The Witness and
the Washington Diocese. both Epis.
coph papers being available Al
the convention. Official commits.
sion reports will be presented on the
SUBJECT. Dean Alexander Zabriskie
OF the Virginia Seminary at Alex.
andrla, has been active in the work
toward unity.
| House and Office Issue,
The joint convention conmitte.
on the subject of a proposed house
and office for the presiding bishor
at Washington held a lengthy meet.
ing Thursday afternoon. it was
learned, but took no final action
The Rev. Clyde Brown, diocesan
missioner at Washington, is secre.
tary OF the committee. This Issue
IS considered by Washingtonians tc
De one OF the most vital of all before
the convention, so far as the Dis
trlct OF Columbia 10 concerned.
DR.. Thomas E Robertson. retired
Commissioner OF Patents and a
native Of Washington, is to take an
active part on the Committee on
Canons, which will have before it
several important issues. DR.. Rob.
ertson emphasizes that while the
washington diocese is sympathetic
to the proposal to set up the presid-
ing bishop in Washington with a
house and Offices. the suggestion did
not come originally from the Dis
trlct of Columbia but from the gen.
eral convention itself. The Wash
ington deputies are instructed bv
their diocesan convention to SUP
port the proposal, he explained.
The Woman's auxiliary to the
national council OF the church is
holding its annual convention here
simultaneously with the triennial
gathering