ANGLICAN CHURCH ANNOYED

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 118, 4 June 1937, Page 5

ANGLICAN CHURCH ANNOYED

Telegiaph— Press Assn.— Copyright. )

Minister's Participatidn in Wedding

NO CONSENT GIVEN

(By

(Keceived 4, 9 a.m.) LONON, June 3. That the Rev. Anderson Jardine, vicar of St. Paul's Church, Dallington, had gone to France to perform the marriage ceremony at the Windsor wedding came as a great surprise, not only to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Cosmo Lang, but also to the Bishop of Fulham, under whose jurisdiction the Anglican Church in North and CentroJ Europe comes. After a consultation between the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of Fulham the following statement was issued with the authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury: "If it be true that Mr Jardine has undertaken to perform the religious ceremony in connection with the marriage of the Duke of Windsor, the Bishop of Fulham Wishes it to be understood that this action of an Anglican clergyman is taken without his knowledge and consent." The ecclesiastical correspodent of the Daily Telegraph says: "Mr Jardine 's action is entirely irregular. It is understood that the Bishop of Fulham has telegraphed to Mr Jardine protesting against his action without episcopal licence or consent. There is no process in ecclesiastical law by which Mr Jardine can be restrained. "The Bishop of Fulham 's telegram taices the form of a protest, not a prohibition. Mr Jardine 's position in the ceremony will be that of a private person who is invited to say a few prayers. He is incapable of legally solemnising the marriage. ' ' When asked how he knew the Duke wished for a religious ceremony and how he came to make the offer, Mj Jardine replied: "It seemed to me unthinkable that any member of the Royal Family could be married without the Church of England service.' The Daily Mail's correspondent at Tours says that the Rev. F. A. Cardew, rural dean of France, who is re sponsible to the Bishop of Fulham, says that direqtly he heard that Mr Jardine went to France, he telephoned to the Bishop of Fulham, who explained it had been made clear that the clergy of England must not take any part in the wedding. Mr Cardew said he had lent a crueifix for use in the civil ceremony, but in the changed circumstances he had requested its return, as he could not appear to countenance a ceremony that was disapproved by his superiors. "The whole position is most embarrassing. The Duke is an old friend of mine, but I am compelled to act in accordance with church discipline," he stated. In connection with the Rev. Mr. Jardine 's action, it is pointed out that the attitude of the Church of England to the re-marriage in churches of innocent parties in divorce cases was stated by the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1935 as follows: — "Marriage was a life-long bond, He thought that they were right in saying that the marriageg of persons who had spouses living should not take place in churches. ' ' The Bishop of Fulham again statement that the Rev. Jardine had no ecclesiastical standing in France, nor had he the authority to act on behaT of the Anglican Church. The Bishop of Fulham added: „"Having registered our protests, there the matter rests. " The wedding-cake was cut by the Duke and Duchess together with ar: ordinary table-knife. Two thousand congratulatory tele grams were brought in shortly after the wedding breakfast. The Duchess 's going away costuaie was a dark blue coat and skirt, v.a printed blue and white flowerod blouse.