THE GENERAL SYNOD.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 715, 14 January 1910, Page 5

THE GENERAL SYNOD.

, SOME IMPORTANT QUESTIONS. AN INTERVIEW f WITH BISHOP JULIUS.. .. ®y Telegraph.— Special OorrcßDondcni.) ; Christchurch, January 13. :. An interesting ; summary of important matters .to be dealt with; by; the ;General Synod, wliich moots in- Wellingtonoh January .• ;20,-.,was' given- to.' a reported of Tin; Dominion by tho .Bishop of Christ-' church . (Dr. Julius) to-day. / ' ; ' First of all, there is' tho; question of securing an alteration in the' 'constitution' so that a fuller . measure of independencemay; be given. t'o tho Church. in this country- ' This question was. humorously 're-, ferred to by tho .Bishop as Tk "standing dish.";; The' Wellington' and Christchurch: Synods .'have expressed themselves in • fav-. our:ofi a.change; Auckland is opposed to it; Dunediii . is also, thought to be op» posed, and the Nelson and Waipu.Synodsj Bishop Julius thoUght.Vhave' not yet pro;nounc6d Upon.-the question.. The Bishop did not thuik. it very likely that anything' would bo-done by the General Synod to bring i .about an-aiteritian in. the constitution. . "I don't know why the idea Bliould.be opposed," he said. "A good many/people" . prefer,'breaking, .tho law :to imending it;' I; think, for. instance,/.the constitution .binds,;u9 to a '.literal obedience :to /the Book of.: Common Prayer, which could scarcely;.be found; jn any Church in the' province.; v Some'-of: us also prefer to; bring the rubrics of tho Prayer Book more .into: line/with: the .possibilities of colonial church life." ■ > The • question of tho Maori Mission is ■ uhother-:;important. subject to.yibo; considefed.. canon was. framed-: six /years', ago :for tbe'appointment: of a Maori Mis-, siou Board, and the board has done much to ! stimulate , interest in the mission aiid to maintain-'recognition of- its. colonialcharacter','; so that the South Island: has lent substantial' help to the work in the North /Island. .Fropi . many causes/this method of .-.'carrying , oh: tho work has broken, down, and: it has become necessary ,to frame sou:o new constitution to further, the same ends. . . The' question of theological degrees: will also', be ' brought, up. TEq .university re-, fuses to grant.theological; degress, and it is now;under. consideration, whether; some schemo may ; riot be "adopted by which the' Church, either alone or in conjunction with other bodies, should grant facilities for obtaining thern. '• '/ A-good, deal of interest'wiß be'taken in, the -visit of the. forerunnefs of the- Gene-. ral Mission, who are to .meet: the Synod,' and also in tbe visit of the Rev. 11. S. Woolcoihbe, organising 'secretary .of the Churchof;, England. Men's. Society,; who. will- confer with the Bishops;and ,others' regarding theextension of tlie work of that society in New Zealand. Discussion will, doubtless take place on the .question -of appointing a' primatial see," and \'oi the;' title of ; the Primate. When .it was stated some months ago' that the formation, of a primatial see had: been suggested, ana . that Auckland and Wellington were agreed as to the special (claims of-:Wellington to the disI tinction, representations...were made in the'Christchurch'Tress"that in view of its buildings and endowments, and the •number of Chiireh buildings in the diocese, Christchurch, had a stronger claim to the honours.- Against;these.advantages jt: Christdhurch ' the'/.principal v recommendations of the:other cities are,.in .the case -of Auckland, . the earlier establishment of the Church in that province, ■and in the case of Wellington/its centfality of position. - Dr. Julius stated that while the Christchurch' Synbd lias con-, sidered the question generally,'; it had never gone into the question as to which should be the primatial see if oni> is con- 1 stitiited, arid, as a'matter of fact; prefers the present system. '