CHURCH AND DIVORCE

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20255, 26 July 1937, Page 9

CHURCH AND DIVORCE

BRITISH MARRIAGE BILL. EXTRAORDINARY SITUATION. (Times Air Mail Service.) LONDON, June 26. The Archbishop of Canterbury’s speech on the Marriage Bill in the House of Lords last night calls attention to an extraordinary situation, says the Evening Standard. At present, said Dr. Lang, there is legal compulsion on clergymen “to marry divorced persons like any duly qualified parishioner, except parties found guilty of adultery In a divorce suit.” Dr. Lang added: “ The existence of the present legal obligation makes it difficult for Bishops to insist on what I think Is a rightful principle of what I may call religious honesty shall be fulfilled ” —that is to say. difficult for the Bishops to forbid clergymen to re-marry divorced persons. Compulsion. When the Rev. Anderson Jardine’s Intention to marry Mrs Wallis Warfield to the Duke of Windsor in France was announced, his Bishop Issued this statement: “If the marriage of the Duke of Windsor were taking pla’ce within the diocese of Durham, the Bishop of Durham would consider himself in duty bound to inhibit him, or any other •clergyman within his jurisdiction, from officiating at the marriage.” What the 'Bishop of Durham was doing, as the Archbishop’s speech last night made clear, was announcing that he was prepared to compel a clergyman In his diocese to break the law. Dr. Qelkle-Cobb’s Attitude. A olergyman who has made a practice of marrying divorced persons, both Innocent and “ guilty ” parties, is Dr. Gelkle-Cobb, Rector of St. Ethelburga’s, Bishopsgate. I understand that Dr. Geikie-Cobb was asked to officiate at the marriage of the Duke of Windsor,

He refused in this instance, however, to carry out the marriage unless he was specially asked to do so by Queen Mary.