ANGLICAN CHURCH

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16839, 31 December 1928, Page 9

ANGLICAN CHURCH

CRISIS FEARED IN AUSTRALIA -SYDNEY, Dec. 13. It is feared that the proposals for a new constitution for the Church of England in Australia may cause a crisis in the activities of the Church owing to the reservations that have been demanded by the Sydney diocese. The position was considered at a meeting of the bishops held in camera in Sydney last week, and a special meeting of the synod was called for December IS to consider the judgment of the leaders on the attitude of the Sydney diocese. In dramatic circumstances, this special Synod was cancelled by the Archbishop (Dr. Wright), and he declined to give any reason for his action, except that unforeseen circumstances had arisen. However, it is generally felt that his action has postponed a pending crisis, as evidence was not lacking that the Sydney diocese would refuse to support the decision of the bishops. The exact nature of that decision lias not been made public, but everything points to the fact that it did not favor Sydney. The decision to cancel the special Synod caused what has been termed a church sensation. Sydney’s amendments to the constitution had already caused a deadlock, and it seems to be recognised that any attempt by the bishops to “discipline” Sydney will be resented and a crisis in the church precipitated. Sydney is intent on reservations that will prevent the possibility of the church losing finy of its character. In short, they mean putting a padlock on the evangelical church against possible inroads of Anglo-Catholiccs. A recent utterance of Bishop D’Arcy Irvine’s is recalled. It was: “When we tighten up our laws certain people will have to go where they belong.” The majority of the Australian dioceses rejected the Sydney amendments, and it was in order tb find a way out of the difficulty that nineteen bishops met in Sydney* last week. It is obvious now that they failed to arrive at a solution that would bo acceptable to Sydney. Archbishop Wright is himself in favor of the constitution, and it, was

thought that his influence in Sydney would have been sufficient to sway Sydney opinion, but this has not been so. If no compromise is arrived at Sydney will be compelled to remain outside the Church of England in Australia, thus bringing about an anomalous position which will certainly not be in the interest of the Church as a whole. It is even said that an influential section in Sydney has fought hard to keep without, and this plan for isolation means that Sydney would retain its spiritual and legal nexus with the Church of England in England. The whole idea of the movement is to stop Anglo-Catholic practices. in view of the failure of the bishops to find a solution of the problem, churchmen are wondering what is going to happen next. Tile moves are eertainiv shrouded in mysterv.