ST. MICHAEL'S CHURCH.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16219, 23 May 1918, Page 6

ST. MICHAEL'S CHURCH.

CHAHGES AGAINST REV. C. E. PERRY. ALLEGED RITUALISTIC PRACTICES. Charges or breaches of ecclesiastical laws liave been formulated against the Rov. E. Perry, Vicar of St. Mit'lucl's. bv Archdoacon. C. H. Cossw. in whose archdeaconry St. Michaels parish is. Archdeacon Cosset- has lilo.l the charges with the Registrar of the CUristehurch clioceso, and he has resigned ius archdeaconry m order jo prosecute then:. In tiio d:ivs when Bishop Averill was its- viiMr, -St. .Michael's bore tiu> reputation oY he in p; comparatively "Lew Cnmvh," hut with the coming of Canon Ft. D. Burton, in 1910. Church" services became the practice. In 1910. Canon Burton iva* succeeded by the present \icai, a.ud complaints have bron made that- with his advent ritualistic practices iroro adopted, it being alleged that the Rov. C. JC. I'orrv recently celebrated mass in connexion "with the obsequies of a deceased lndy. This is stated to have broncht tho dissatisfaction of a section of the members ot the congregation to the culminating point, and Archdeacon Cosset considered if his duty to the Church to take action under Canon law. l"i:dr»r the procedure governing such cases, the Rov. C. 1-3. Perry is given fourteen days from the service upon him of a copy of tho charges in which to file an answer in writing. A cony of the charges is also sent to the Bishop, who refers them to a Court of Inquiry, which ascertains whether they constitute facts or not. .and then reports to the Bishop. The Bishop has then to adiudicato open thoni. He may decide that they are not established, or that it- is it matter to be dealt with by himself, or he may resolve to refer them to the B:shop's Court. Tn the first two cases, if Archdeacon Gosset is dissatisfied, lie may appeal to tho Ecclesiastical Conrt of Appeal, composed of the Bishops of the —rorincc of New Zealand. If tho case be referred to the Bishop's Court, its findings nre transmitted to the Bishop, together with the ohanro and notes of evidence, and subsequently ho passes sentence. From his decision an appeal may bo mado to tho Ecclesiastical Supreme Court.. Tho Bishop' 3 Court is presided ovor by the Chancellor of the Diocesc, and there are twelve assessors, composed of six clergymen and six laymen. From these aro drawn b'y tho Registrar, in tho presenco of the interested parties and their counsel, the names of two clergymen and two laymen, who sit as jurors at tho trial, and arrive at tho finding. Tho Court lias to be held not loss than ono month, nor more than six months, after the dato of the citation of the accused person. It is own to tho nublie at- the discretion of the Chancellor. It is understood that the charges initde have already been rr.frrred to the preliminary Court of EnquirySv Neither Archdeacon Cosset nor (V* Rev. C. E. Perry would mnko any riatoment when seen on the subject by a ''Press" reporter last night. The Rov. C. E. Perry, tho suuject of tho charge, graduated from Oxford in 1894 ■as M.A., with second-class honours in Modern History. Ho was appointed a deacon bv tho Bishop of London in 1894. and consecrated a priest by the Bishop of Melbourne) in 1895. After several years spent in the Melbourne diocese as curafe and vicar, ho was anpointed vicar of St. \[irhnel's 'and All Angels, Christehnrch, in 1916. We have received the following letter from tho Rov. C. E. Perry, Vicar J jf St. Michael's:— —Your reporter has asked me if I would like to make a statement on a matter which concerns me, of which an evoning paper writes tonight. I hope, sir, that the Press will observe what I- believrt to he a noble purpose, and continue to keep religious controversy out of its columns, as long as the war lasts. You have liberty to publish this letter, but I cannot give vou any statement of inv views on tho matter in question.

Yours very faithfully , r nn , CTTARLES PERRY. May 22nd, 1918. It is qtiito true that wo liav© endeavoured as far as possible to keep religious controversy out of our columns during tho war. AVo shall decline to publish any correspondence on tho trouble at St. so long as it is sub jndice, either as regards the Bishop or tho Ecclesiastical Court. But it is, of course, impossible for a newspaper, ovon in time of war, to suppress all mention of a matter of such public interest as that which has arisen in connexion with St. Michael's Church, especially if it is to bo made the subject of litigation in tho Ecclasiastical or any other Court.