CONFERENCE OF PACIFIC BISHOPS

Chronicle (Levin), 10 February 1947, Page 5

CONFERENCE OF PACIFIC BISHOPS

— Press As9ociation

PRIMATE WEST-WATSON NOT ABLE TO ATTEND

By Telegraph ■

WELLINGTON, Feb. 10. Primate West-Watson stated in Christchurch today, according to advice received in Wellington, that | he was unable to accept, owing to I pressure oi other duties, an invitation from Bishop H. S. Kennedy, of the Hawaiian Episcopal Diocese, to attend a conference of Pacific bishops at Honolulu on July 27. An invitation had also been extended to the retiring Bishop of Melanesia, Bishop Baddelcy. Primate West-Watson said that Bishop Baddeley's resignation did not take effect until the end of March, but it was hoped that he would visit New Zealand before then. However, he had heard nothing definite about Bishop Baddeley's visit to New Zealand, and did not know whether he would be able to attend the Honolulu gathering. The Primate . also stated that he knew nothing concerning the anticipated arrival of the Bishop -elect of Waiapu, Archdeacon Lesser, of Kenya,, except that he was experiencing some difficulty in obtaining a passage to New Zealand. Primate West-Watson said that Maori adherents of the Church of England had subscribed a sum of money for a portrait to be painted of the Bishop of Aotearoa, Bishop Bennett, as decided upon at the Maori gathering at Rotorua last year. He had' been 'asked to select an artist to do the work, and was now making inquiries.