BRITISH NEWS.

Northern Advocate, 25 August 1913, Page 3

BRITISH NEWS.

"CASTE" IX THE CHURCH

A. BISHOP 4XD THE MIXER WHO TS

"LOOKED DOWX OX."

LONDON, July H. The Bishop of Southwell, (Dr Hoskyns) at a Visitation at Alfreton Church yesterday condemned the "caste" in their church life and those clergymen who by its practice repel from their congregations independent-ly-minded working men. The Vicar had mentioned that in a parish to which there had been a large influx of the working people the new■omers were frequently shy in associating themselves with the Church owing. to these class distinctions, and the Bishop declared that this was a not uncommon occurrence in some parishes in his diocese. They must, however, insist that no social barriers must remain between the classes and the newcomers must be made to feel that they were welcome in the house of God. He found in colliery villages where the pitmen were called upon to mix with other i classes they were looked clown upon |by the classes who thought they were i above them. I | They sometimes talked about "caste" in India but in some of their parishes there was a "caste" distinction almost jas much marked, and it was doing a I great deal of aamage. In parishes ! where the population was almost en- [ tirely of the colliery class the. miners 'made excellent church officers—church i wardens as well as sidesmen. One thing which distressed him in many colliery villages was the miserable way in which the people were housed. They could not expect a higher tone of life when the people had to endure 1 the difficulties under which they lived.