MINUS STOCKINGS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 61, 9 September 1941, Page 8

MINUS STOCKINGS

BARE LEGS IN CHURCH

IF SUPPLIES RUN OUT

NQ OBJECTION HERE

Bare-legged women, according to a cablegram from Switzerland, have been permitted by the Vatican to enter St. Peter's, Rome, owing to the shortage of stockings in Italy, which is apparently suffering in that direction even more than New Zealand. Should stockings become virtually unprocurable here, how would the Churches view the question? This was referred to representatives of the leading Churches today by a "Post" reporter.

"I don't suppose the poor Poles, and others in Europe at present, are properly dressed; but the churches are still open for them," said Archbishop O'Shea. "The wearing of correct attire when possible is not a matter of faith", but just one o,f discipline and good order.

"We are guided in ordinary normal times, of course, by certain rules, I which include the wearing of hats by women in church, but if they could not get hats they could come without. For instance, if a man came to dinner he might be supposed to wear evening dress, but if he did not have one he could come all the same. In the case of the stockings in Italy, it is evidently a case of necessity,- and that is. the whole point." "DEPEND ON THE LEGS." "I should think it would depend largely upon the legs," said Canon D. J. Davies, of St. Paul's, laughingly. He added, in serious vein, that, should the position arise here, the Church could be relied upon to take a sensible view of the situation. He recalled that, particularly in the summer time, members of the congregation often appeared in the church |in sports attire, and there was, of course, no thought of turning them away.

Presbyterian opinion was summary ised by the Moderator, the Very Rev. D. D. Scott, who said that the question of wearing stockings or not was left to the individual to decide, and that the Church had no rule laid down. "I don't think there would be any difficulty should the stocking shortage become acute here," he said.