ANZAC OBSERVANCE

Greymouth Evening Star, 30 July 1946, Page 9

ANZAC OBSERVANCE

STATEMENT BY COUNCIL OF CHURCHES PLACE OF—RELIGION (P.A.) WELLINGTON, July 29. A statement concerning the Auckland Returned Services’ Association and Anzac Day services was made to-day on behalf of the National. Council of Churches by the Rev. D.‘ Spence and the Rev. M. Underhill. In this they referred to a published statement made by Mr A. P. Postlewaite, president of the Auckland Returned Services’ Association. “We would like to point out,” they said, “that recently a Roman Catholic delegation called on the Dominion executive of the Returned Services’ Association requesting that Anzac Day services should be of a civic rather than of a religious nature. Following this delegation, the National Council of Churches asked two of us to approach the Dominion executive and put the other side. At its request, we attended a further meeting, at which two Roman Catholic representatives were present. “A report of this joint meeting, summarising the two points of view, is as follows: —The Roman Catholics appreciated the deep religious significance of Anzac Day and wished io be present at its official observance. However, their church forbade them to participate in any service where clergymen of any other denomination took part. An address could be given, but not by a clergyman, even a returned chaplain; and if the service was taken by a layman it could not include prayers or any reading from the Bible. “The Roman Catholics would like the form of service used in Auckland and Te Awamutu to be universal. This form of service consisted of hymns, the laying of wreaths, the words of Laurence Binyon, and the sounding of ‘Last Post’ and ‘Reveille.’ They advocated religious services being held by denominations in their own churches earlier in the The statement added that the National Council of Churches would welcome the presence of Roman Catholics. It considered that Anzac Day services had nearly always been undenominational. Many loyal church members felt that Anzac Day was the one occasion when different churches could and should worship together, despite doctrinal difference. “The Auckland Anzac Day service. we understand, has no reading from the Bible, no prayers, no participation by any clergy,” it was stated. “In the New Zealand use of the word ‘religious’ we maintain, such service is not religious; also to the vast majority of New Zealanders the word ‘religion’ means Christian. To them Christianity represents spoken prayers, and the reading of the Bible led by a Christian minister. Accordingly, we disagree with Mr Postlewaite’s opinion of what constitutes a religious service. feel that if the recent resolution of the Returned Services’ Association in regard to Anzac Day means the elimination of the religious part, this will be agiiinst the wishes of most people in New Zealand.” _