GROUNDS FOR DIVORCE

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 134, 8 June 1935, Page 10

GROUNDS FOR DIVORCE

"SHOULD BE ENLARGED"

PRIMATE'S OPINION

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, June 7.

"An important part of the report to my mind is the passage relating to the nullity of marriage," said Archbishop Averill, Primate of New Zealand, when asked to express his views upon the cabled summary of the report of the joint committee of the Convocations of Canterbury and York on marriage and divorce.

"I am very strongly of opinion that the State should enlarge the grounds on which marriage can be declared null," the Archbishop continued. "What I have in mind particularly are cases in which one party has knowingly deceived the other before marriage by concealing vitally important facts which, if disclosed, would have caused the marriage to be abandoned. Such a change in law undoubtedly would prevent a great deal of misery which now leads to the Divorce Court.

"It seems to me that the Church would be quite justified in concurring in the annulment of such marriages by civil courts and in regarding them as no marriages at all in the sight of God. If this came about it would no doubt be necessary for the Church1 to set up some tribunal to inquire and report before the remarriage of the innocent party in a church was authorised. Possibly the principle might be extended by granting dispensations for the remarriage of innocent divorced persons who had obtained divorce on grounds which would justify a decree of nullity. However, I -to not think that this should be done Unless some general legislation on such lines had been adopted by the whole Church."

The joint committee expressed the opinion that addition.! causes for nullity of marriage should include certain abnormalities, diseases, and concealment of .hereditary mental and physical disorder.' ' ' ■ |