ANGLICAN CHURCH.

Shannon News, 8 January 1929, Page 3

ANGLICAN CHURCH.

POSITION IN AUSTRALIA- v FEARS OF A CRISIS. , : SYDNEY, Dec. 20. It is feared that the proposals for/ a new constitution for the Church., of' ■; England in Australia may cause a ~. crisis in tho activities of the ChurcH -. owing to the reservations that been demanded by .the Sydney diocese.,, / The position was considered at a meeting of the bishops held in camera in . ; ,: Sydney last week, and a special meeting of the synod was called for De-, •-; cember 18th to consider the judgment, of the leaders on the attitude of, the a Sydney diocese. _ > In-dramatic circumstances, this spec- 1 ;' ial synod was cancelled by the arch- » to ~ bishop, Dr. Wright, and he declined , to give any reaison for his action ex- , ■ ', cept that unforeseen circumstances had . : \ arisen. However, it is generally felt that his action has postponed a pendj f. inlg crisis, as evidence was not lack- ; \- ing that the Sydney diocese would re- V ; fuse to support the decision of ,the bis- . -, hops. The exact nature of that decis-;; .;. don has not been made public, but eyv ' 1 - erything points to the fact that it did > not favour Sydney. •. . "'-", The • decision to cancel the special,synod caused what has been termed a first-class Church sensation. Sydney's. ;._.".- amendments to the, constitution had al-.,'-; ready caused a'deadlock, and it seems" / to be recognised that any attempt by,;.., the bishops to "discipline" Sydney-,.v. will be resented, and a crisis m Jhe , r • ; •-. ■Church precipitated. Sydney is intent en reservations that will prevent the v . possibility of' the Church losing, any .'■ of its character. In short, they mean ■ putting a padlock on the Evangelical .•;. Church against possible inroad? 0* ,; Anglo-Catholics. A recent uttaranee of Bishop D'Arcf Irvine's is recalled. It was: "When ' . we tighten up our laws certain people- . will have to go where they belong." ■,; The majority of the Australian, dio- ".' . coses rejected the Sydney .amendments,. ■ and it was in order to find a way out ■ of the difficulty that 19 bishops met in . Sydney last week. It is obvious noiy that they failed to arrive at a solution % that would be acceptable to Sydney.: Archbishop Wright is himself in Uf- „ our of the constitution, and it thought that his influence in Sydney - would have been sufficient -to' swia>' ; Sydney opinion, but, this has not bepfi. - - so. If no compromise is arrived at, •. Sydney will be compelled to remain . outside the Church of England in Aus- ',■* tralia, thus bringing about an anomal- ' - ous position which will certainly not -A be in the interest of the Church as a...\ whole. It i's even said that an influ- ,' ' ential section in Sydney has fought ;;,<' haid to keep without, and this plan for', \ isolation means that Sydney would ru- .-' tain its spiritual and legal nexus wijth the Church of England in England. The whole idea of the movement is to stop Anglo-Catholic practices. ' -_ , In view of the failure of the to find a solution of the problem,'-"' churchmen are wondering what is ga- '.'." ing to happen next. The moves ar» ( ■• certainly shrouded in mystery.-