DIVORCE AND THE CHURCH

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 136, 25 June 1937, Page 5

DIVORCE AND THE CHURCH

(British Official Wireless.)

Archbishop's Views on New Marriage Bill GRAVE ABUSES 0CCUR

(Eeceaved 25, 11.30 a.m.) EUGBY, June 24. Mr A. P. Herbert 'e Marriage Bill, amending the law of divorce, reached the House of Lords and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Cosmo Lang, intervened in the second reading debate to istate his position. The existing law in the matter of divorce had proved to be unsatisfactory in its operation, he stated, and had given rise to grave abuses detrimental not only to marriage itself but to public morality. The present Bill contained some valuable remedies against this and he eould not honestly vote against its second reading. On the other hand, as a representative officer of the Church, an his judgment divorce and certainly re-marriage after divorce, was inconsistent with the principles laid down by Christ and the Church and he eould not take the responsibility of promoting legislation inconsistent with those principles. Dr. Lang said that he would consequently take no part in the division and he advised others of a like mdnd to follow the same course. Packed benches and galleries- listened with intense interest to the debate. The Archbishop of Canterbury said that adultery was being treated with shocking levity. He referred to false evidence being given in divorce actions and continued: "I am astonished that honourable men eould employ devices only describable as ' constructive per jury. ' It is difficult not to place wilful desertion in the same eategory as adultery as a ground for divorce, but I would not support the inelusion of insanity. " The Bishop of Durham said that the Bill would bring the law of England into deeper and truer harmony with the law of Christ.