BISHOP JULIUS.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 17021, 18 December 1920, Page 2

BISHOP JULIUS.

I | RETURN TO CHRISTCHURCH. j After nine months" absence from thJ I Dominion, during which time ho j iended t'ne Lambeth ! Bishop Christchurch, Dr. Julius, returned to Christ-church ycsteWay. xl<? and Miss.Julius, who accompanied hint on the trip, landed at Wellington oU Wednesday by the Moeraki. two days behind scheduled time, through tlie vessel being delayed on the trip across from Australia by storms. His Lordship, who is looking invigorated^a.tcr -his oversea trip, although suuerm from a slight cold, came south. o3 ' ferrv steamer on Thursday night, ana on arrival in Christchurch ycsterilay morning he was entertained at JjreaKfast, at which between 50 and b0 nieinbers of t'he clergy and laity atteiideu. At 9.15, Dean Carrington conducted a short thanksgiving service in the Cathedral. Children troni Church orphanages and schools were present witli banners, and formed an avenue through which the Bishop entered at the northern door of the Cathedral. At the service spccinl hymns were sung by i!:ia children. Dean Carrington said that members of tlie congregation had been called together to thank God for the presence of their Bishoo amongst thorn once more. Later, Bisihop Julius had a conference with several of the clergy. Dr. Julius accorded an interview to a '"Press" reporter at his residence, ' 'Cloudesleyyesterday. On being asked to speak on the qttes- ] tion of Church union, he said that this was a matter so complex*,• and there was so much risk of misconception in what he might say briefly, tliat he would r.ov. care to deal with it- unless he wont fully into th* subject under proper conditions. It; was" the * .greatest work which t'lie Lambeth Conference tra- • versed in comparison with any other matter which had been dealt wil'li. The report of tho committeo and its reception by tho bishops surpassed anything that ho could have thought possible, and I though the immediate result may seem I to be slight, he was confident tjh::.t it j would make, for peace and unity. _ The reporter referred to Sir Arthur • Conan Doyle's statement that only i about 10 per cent, of tho London population attended church services, and Dr. j Julius commented: "There is undoubt- • cclly a falling-ofT in general church attendance, due, in my• judgment, not so, much to unlvelief, but to. tlie pressure of material things, and a partial failure in the modern presentment of Chris-

tianity to satisfy the* spiritual needs o£ humanity. I am fairly sure, however, that the neglect of worship is now. ;ks it lhas boon of ion in the past, only a passing pha*e. '/Great lirnain," the uis!iot> proceeded, '"at present, is in a state or unrest, owing to the trouble in Ireland. strikes in every part of the country, now' honied and again breaking out afresh, enormous rises in the costof living, ami at the same tsmo ail amazing extravagance on the part or those workers and others who have recently isetjuived wealth and do not know liow 'to make the host use of it. _ There seemed to lie, howovor, a growing determination throughout the country, on. the part of all classes, to pull together and by a. eommou effort save the country from the disaster which threatens it." Speaking with regard to the recruiting of curates. Bishop Julius said that the war caused a great scaroitv in Who supply of younger clergy, owing to the closing of training eolieges and the practical closing of the universities, but it seemed as though the remedy would soon bo found. The universities and colleges were crowded now. and not a few men who had returned from the war wero being prepared for Holy Orders under conditions wjiieh willniako it possible, for them having their experiences at the front being taken as inoro than Equivalent for much of the I usuat course, of study.