ANGLICAN SYNOD ALARMED AT HIGH RATE OF DIVORCE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 20, 15 November 1948, Page 5

ANGLICAN SYNOD ALARMED AT HIGH RATE OF DIVORCE

‘ Statements of a highly critical nature regarding the ' divorce rate were contained in the report of the Diocesan Public and Social Affaris Committee, presented to the Synod of the Christchurch Diocese last month.

• “About one in three of the couples married in our churches end up in Court and are legally separated or divorced,” said the report. “In addition, there are many couples—and any parish priest can vouch for this—who remain outwardly united for various reasons, children, relations, fear of publicity, and so on, but who have ceased to be man and wife in any real Christian sense. The casulty rate then must be at least 50 per cent. Some authorities put it much higher. “It may well be that there are still as many happy marriages as there were, and that the percentage of failure is no worse, the only difference being that altered circumstances and divorce laws have shown up the true position. But from any point of view the position is appalling.” The report traced the work of the Marriage Guidance Council in appointing councillors to give advice and help to couples in difficulties, giving lectures on marital problems, and in emphasising the need for an adequate background of sex education. At the moment success was small as most had drifted too far apart by the time they came for advice; but as the council’s work became more widely known it was hoped and expected that help would be sought earlier when genuine reconciliations would be more easily achieved. About one in three represented the true position, said the Rev. P. O. C. Edwards, replying to criticisms of the figure quoted, in the report.

Achdeacon E. A. Osmers said it was a pity to send that figure out to the public. A large number of those divorced had not been married in church. /

The report was subsequently modified by substituting at the opening: “Statistics indicate that between one in three and one in four may end up separated,” and by deleting the. phrase about 50 per cent casualty in marriages. The chairman of the committee, the Rev. I. L. Richards-, said that the committee had made.the amendment not because of any error, but because of the difficulty of interpreting statistics available absolutely. Whatever the incidence of divorce, it was undeniable that it was appallingly high. That four-fifths of marriages were in church indicated the Church’s responsibility. The committee’s object was not to create a sensation, but to stir up imagina- . tion towards the discovery of a solution. “It is no use arguing that we don’t like this figure or that,” said iMr Richards; “it is time we woke up to our responsibility.”