GENERAL SYNOD

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2769, 12 May 1916, Page 6

GENERAL SYNOD

/ ' - THE. POWERS OF THE /BISHOPS

T ®l e ßraph—Press: ABsociatloni-''- '; . .I—.l. . Chrislchurchj'May 11. vJ At .to-day s sitting of the' General Synod j. 'Archdeacoi JlacM'urray reported on "behalf of,.the Petitions' Committee on the peti;...tion.,of the parishioners of St. Paul's, K Dunedin, protesting against tho, action of lt' l6 Sub-Chapter in effecting an exchange - of .lancl to the alleged' disadvantage of the |S-.; parishioners. -.The ■ gave the i., -r, opinion^-'tliat the exchange at the time was ; 'the 'best that could; beidone.-'' j;.; v.^^ , :.j<H;the'petitioh-of the .same parties .for. j: : ;' ii'ielief-.owiiig-.to the ab'sorption'of. theiparj, ish-of St; Paul's into a cathedral parish, ; the.committee,;m.an extensivo;' finding,- -- '- 'considered that a ca'se'.lhadlb'eeh made* out ; . for which the General Synod should grant 7 ' Telief. . • J --.

7 7.'The Bishpp, of Auckland presented the / «>,; Report- of - the- ■ Commission. - appointed ,to 7 examine the. .boiindiries' of. the proposed ;; 7 . TaTaua.ki,' in order to re- ■ - lieyS'Attckland of'most of- the King Coun- - : try,"beyond 'ordered--in -the-schedule

of 1 the Act of 1910'. " Tho report is to be . .discusised. later '■ !y Tbfe"PriffiS.ta~brought -up-thG matter of a onestibn-' asked; by Canon: Mayne, "Are •-the Bishops of the Province amenable' to the-canons of ! the General Synod-and the Diocesan Synods? In other words, can a ■Bishop override tnis laws of the Church • ,of .the .Province of New Zealand?" The

... .iPrimateCsaid.he .had previously refused (. ~to take the question: on the ground that it :. v -wasnmpertinent. 'On .further considera- .- ]tion ha thought Canon Mayne. proceeded i.-- from impertinence, but from ignor-

" "-airds.wHe decided.to- allow the question I ; -'to be put. ; In answer ho would simply " that the-Bishop of each diocese .was " entirely under the law and canons.as ■as "any- other'- member of the i'-" I ,Church. Canon-Mayne said the question""'was. not', actuated by any intention of t "impsrtience.. -Hq most cordially thanked J Primate■ifor-' his courteous reply. i *" J 2 frhe' report, of ithe'. committee set up. to inquire iiiftf the t(uestion,. of spiritual £ Imjnistrations.l-Mdr.sor.v.ices. for. Territorial Scamps arid the Expeditionary Forces was to tho Synod by, Archdeacon | .iluddock. The complicated character of ' - the whole question of military and j ecclesiastical 'control: was strongly ■ felt by committee. The difficulties arising, out '■ of the dual control , were fully appreciThe (ommitteo was strongly, imby the necessity :for.the appointAnient of a Provincial Committee "to deal jj /with matters''affecting the' spiritual /in--1 and social wellbeirig of the men. "iho committee noted with ' satisfaction i, readiness of the clergy to . act as ■I The difficulty lay in the selecof those most fitted. for active ser- _ ,-wce. Tho Synod Tecognises. the work of the Military Affairs Committee-in Weliilington, and urges on the Church the ....'necessity of providing .£IOOO to enable the committee! to carry on tho existing J work. The committeo recommended the vVSynod'to constitute-a- Military Affairs ..Committee for the whole province, the .. unctions of the committee being <to con- .. .-sider needs that may arise for the erec-' v .and maintenance of Church instituitions, to notify the Standing Committees a *cf the dioceses as required, and to notify r-'ithe committee of Bishops (chairman the ■Bishop of Wellington) regarding all mat■S -ters in connection with such camps and, -"institutes as concern the spiritual inter- ~ <ests and social weUberag of the men. The .'''■■ committee recommends that the Bishop ■"."of Wellington, with the clerical aud lay Representatives of the diocese of Welling""'ton, be authorised to act as a deputation •V"from tho Synod to interview the Minister ■' ''of Defence. The committee expressed '? ""hearty appreciation of tho work dono "by the diocese of Wellington in connection with the camps. The committeo as- •■" 'fiired tho chaplains at the front of: apv.,- preciation and continual prayer's - .;' The Hi shop of Auckland and the Dean of '* "Christchurch were appointed to the .comThe message was adopted by the —tvnod. A Bill introduced by the Bishop of """Christchurch, constituting a. Standing '"Committee of the.General' Synod, passed ''''iis second reading.,'