Archbishop of York Issues Warning Against State Control of Church Affairs

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26485, 12 June 1947, Page 5

Archbishop of York Issues Warning Against State Control of Church Affairs

Rec. 10 p.m. LONDON, June 11. A warning to the Church against subjection by the State, even to the point of disestablishment, is given by the Archbishop of York, Dr Garbett, in a new book. He declares that, it is not certain if Parliament will ever agree on legislation which will remove its veto on proposed changes in the Prayer Book, nor does there seem much hope that it will agree to revision of the Church Courts. “ The State increasingly exercises control over every department of the community’s life, and it is unlikely that the Church will escape from this movement,” Dr Garbett continues. “ State control over the Church is more likely to be intensified than eased. It would be possible through the appointment of bishops, deans and through patronage of many benefices for the State to control the Church for its own purposes. “ It would be no longer the laity expressing in the House of Commons their views,” the archbishop says. “It would be Parliament, detached from and uninterested in religion, manipulating the Church for political ends. A Church so controlled would be unable to develop freely its spiritual life, organise its worship, express its faith and bear its witness against political justice and social wrong.

“ The Church should frankly face the dangers of its position.” Dr Garbett says. “Parliament at the moment has no desire to exercise control over the Church or gratuitously interfere in its concerns, but within a few years a neutral attitude may be changed into hostility and the Church will then find it is useless to ask for reform or greater freedom. It should not acquiesce any longer in a relationship with the State which might suddenly prove to be inconsistent- in, practice as well as in principle with religious freedom.”