LONDON PROTEST

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 199, 23 August 1945, Page 5

LONDON PROTEST

Scenes At Confimation Of Bishop Rec. 10 a.m. LONDON, Aug. 22. There was an uproar from the congregation when the Bishop-elect of London, Dr. J. W. C. Wand, entered St. Mary's Woolnoth Church in London for the confirmation service. Cries of "I protest, we protest," came from all sides as Dr. Wand and the Vicar-General headed the procession up the aisle.

Two protests from the Protestant Truth Society and the National Union of Protestants against Dr. Wand's confirmation had to be presented to the Vicar-General before the confirmation service began. The protests, which were dismissed by a private meeting in the vestry, claimed that Dr. Wand was not a fit and proper person for confirmation to the See of London.

The disturbances continued unceasingly while the confirmation service was in progress. The verger left the church and returned with a policeman. The congregation chanted in unison, "We protest." It was impossible to hear anything of the service.

Mr. John Kensit, leader of the Protestant Truth Society, in his protest, claimed that the line of demarcation between the Church :of England and the Church of ; Rome had been altogether obliterated in a number of churches in the London diocese. Doctrines of Diocese "I have failed to gain from the bishop-elect any pledge that he will deal with these cases," said Mr. Kensit. "Moreover, Dr. Wand himself professes to belong to the Anglo-Catholic school. It can only be assumed that there will be no redress for the aggrieved parishioners if this election is confirmed. Dr. Wand is an unsuitable person to deal with the erroneous and strange doctrines of Roman Catholicism practised in the diocese."

Mr. W. Sinclair Taylor, directorgeneral of the National Union or Protestants, submitted a photograph, to the Vicar-General, Sir Philip Baker Wilbraham. He alleged that the photograph showed Dr. Wand and other members of the clergy participating in a Mass. Mr. Taylor later walked down the aisle and showed the photograph to members of the congregation.

After the service was over Mr. Taylor asked the congregation to remain. He said: "We have written to the Archbishop of Canterbury and we have seen the Vicar-General, but we cannot persuade these people how wrong they are." Protesting people leaving the church sang the battle hymn of the National Union of' Protestants. Mr. Taylor later disclosed that he was a member of the clergy. "I have got my collar on back to front because I wanted to protest as an. ordinary layman," he said.