LAMBETH CONFERENCE

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 131, 1 December 1930, Page 11

LAMBETH CONFERENCE

SUMMARY OF WORK

VIEWS ON" BIRTH CONTROL

One of the delegates to the Lambeth Conference was the Eight Rev. li. Newton, Bishop of Now Guinea, who arrived at Wellington on Saturday evening. The conference was attended by 300 Anglican Bishops and was presided over by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Bishop Newton said that the most important discussions related to the Christian doctrine of God, the reunion of Christendom, with special reference to the problem in South India, the organisation of the Anglican communion, and social morality, under which heading enme the question of birth control. As far as the reunion question in South India was concerned, the conference approved of the Anglican diocese- there separating themselves in all official matters from the rest of the Church of India, Burma, and Ceylon so .that they might negotiate with the United Church of South India without compromising the rest of the Anglican communion. The most important event in th-e conference was the reception of a deputation from the Eastern Orthodox Church by the conference in full session. The deputation, was headed by the Patriarch of Alexandria, Archbishop Meletios, and represented all churches of the Greek communion, except Russia. Perhaps the most important result of the conference was the widening of the outlook of the Anglican communion. Bishop Newton said that the outstanding figure at Lambeth was the Archbishop of York, who, by his brilliant intellect, simple language, and attractive personality, exerted a very great influence over, the other delegates. While in England, Bishop Newton assisted at the funeral of Baron Davidson, late Primate of All-England, and also attended the reopening service at St. Paul's Cathedral, which he described as a magnificent ceremony at which the King and Queen and the Prince of Wales were present. Referring to the question of birth control, Bishop' Newton said that the conference, needless to say, did/ not condone, the. indiscriminate use of contraceptives. The resolutions passed on the subject were very carefully worded and guarded. The conference allowed the use of contraceptives only in very special circumstances, and for very special reasons, strongly condemning the use of them for luxury or any selfish purpose. The importance of the family life was stressed from every point of view, and birth control as a solution of social and economic problems- was condemned. Further,., the conference emphasised as . strongly as possible the supreme importance of purity, and laid down the principle that the avoidance of consequences did not do away with the sin.