Church Parades

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 25, 22 June 1905, Page 17

Church Parades

A wrong idea— in reference to church parades— seems to have taken up its quarters in the heads of many of our \olunteers. And the sooner it is dislodged the better. It is commonly supposed that attendance at church parades is compulsory. And it is, moreover, currently reported that men of various creeds are frequently urged to appear at parades in the churches of denominations to which they do not 'belong, The Rev. J. J. Pendray, a Methodist clergyman, of Waitara, has— for good and sufficient reasons affecting members of his own congregation-ibfeen lately poking up the volunteer authorities on the subject. A letter to the commanding officer of his district elicited a reply which he Seemed unsatisfactory. He therefore wrote to the Defence Department, and receiiveS from Col. Webb a reply which runs in part as; follows .— ' 1. Under existing regulations, any volunteer corps is entitled to an honorary chaplain. He t like "jother

officers, is elected by the corps, and may be any denomination, but one chaplain only is allowed. '2. No chaplain has authority to order a. church parade. If a church parade is ordered under the authority of the Officer Commanding the District, or any officer to whom such authority may be delegated, the attendance at such a parade is optional and ca,nnot be enforced. ' 3. Members of a volunteer corps may attend divine service according to their respective religious denominations, or may absent themselves altogether. There is no restriction or compulsion whatever, neither is preference given to any ChuTch or religious body in New Zealand.' The facts, says the ( Outlook ' (from which we take these •exstracts from Col. WeWs letter) ' are well known among people who have troubled to understand the ma(tter, but these are not as numerous as some suppose. Many of the volunteers, and a large numlber of the parents of the fcadets, are quite ignorant of the fact that nlo church parade is compulsory, and that when on parade they can attend any church they wish.' Catholic volunteers should mafce a note of Col. Webb's reply. There is no body of our defenders whom it affects so intimately.