CANON REBUKED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22401, 23 April 1936, Page 15

CANON REBUKED

CHURCH ANT) POLITICS CATHEDRAL INCIDENT POLICY OF THE GOVERNMENT COMMENT BY THE BISHOP [from our own correspondent] By Air Mail LONDON, April 4 The Dean and Chapter of Liverpool Cathedral decided, and intimated last Sunday, that as they did not approve the Government's policy in the European crisis thoy could not pray for the Ministers of State. Canon T. A. E. Davey, preaching in the Cathedral, said: "To-day wo of the Chapter of Liverpool have not been able in our customary manner to commend the proposals of tho Ministers of State to tho blessings of Almighty God." In a subsequent interview, Canon Davey said: "Tho Wliito Paper proposes that tho whole position should be discussed anew on the basis of equality. To continue an enforcement of the spirit of inequality upon Germany is unworthy of our creed and of our country. The traditional English way is to trust a man. You cannot approach a man with an olive branch in one hand and a weapon in tho other. "We feel that prayers for what has been done in our name by our Ministers in the cause of peace could only be offered with contrition and shame. To put vengeance before right challenges tho Christian point of view. Wo cannot ask our people to pray for the Ministers until the peace proposals aro put forward in a Christian way." Prayers to Continue The Bishop of Liverpool, Dr. David, mentioned the matter when he preached at tho Church of St. Nicholas two days later. "To ask a congregation to pray for the success or defeat of a particular proposal is in any case wrong," ho said. "Every congregation must almost certainly include individuals who dissent from the preacher's views on some political step, and to ask them to pray for what at any moment ho wants done would be highly improper. In tho cathedral, and in every other church in the diocese, we shall continue to pray that God will send a special gift of wisdom and courage to those who, on our behalf, and in the face of appalling difficulties, are seeking His way of peace." The congregation knelt and _ the bishop prayed for guidance to be given to those who took counsel for the peace of tho Avbrld, reading a prayer printed in tho revised Prayer Book. "Barging in" on Politics The Secretary for War, Mr. A. Duff Cooper, had something to say on the subject when lie spoke at the annual political dinner of the Birmingham Conservative Club. "Who are these ignorant clergymen," ho asked, "who presume to give His Majesty's Government advice on foreign affairs? I am a devout and loyal member of the Church of England and in ordinary circumstances should hesitate to give any clergynian my opinion upon a religious subject. But since they have burst in upon politics and made their voice heard and expressed opinions in a way that has made them the laughing stock of the country, I would venture to advise them and say I always understood it was the teaching of our religion _ to pray even for our enemies, certainly for the people who had made, in our opinion, a great mistake. "Really the attitude of some of these clerics who barge in on the political arena makes me feel some sympathy with Henry 11., who in a moment of haste expressed an opinion which led to an unexpected vacancy at Canterbury." Mr. Duff Cooper also spoke of the difficulties of recruiting and protested against a recent speech by Canon Raven in which ho said that nine out of ten of the most virile men in Cambridge would rather go to prison than into the army. He described this as a "shameful statement." FASTER MAIL SERVICE ENGLAND TO CAPETOWN [from our own correspondent] CAPETOWN, March 26 The weekly steamer mail service between Britain and South Africa is to bo accelerated by three days, reducing the voyage from 37 days to 14. The reconstruction of the mail fleet to make this possible will be the biggest undertaking of this kind ever handled by shipbuilders. It will involve the rebuilding of five big liners, two of them of 19,000 tons, and three of 20,000 tons. Under the present 17-day schedule tho mail ships must maintain an average speed of 15.J knots. The now schedule will require an average speed of 18£ knots. Actually tho vessels will havo to average 19-19J knots for tho first three-quarters of the voyage so as to havo some time in hand to allow for delays by head winds or heavy SeaS " - Ml It is estimated that it will take from nine months to a year to build and fit the new engines in the ships.