NEW ARCHBISHOP

Stratford Evening Post, Volume II, Issue 223, 19 April 1933, Page 3

NEW ARCHBISHOP

Dr. MowlPs Election OUTSTANDING PERSONALITY feival Parties' Efforts (Auckland Star Correspondent) Sydney, April B.—lt would lake a. lull issue of any daily paper to give ,a complete and authentic account of the proceedings which culminated in the selection of Bishop Mowll as Archbishop of Sydney. Naturally enough, throughout the election campaign—for it was nothing less—conflicting currents of feeling manifested themselves between Liberal Evangelicals and Protestant Evangelical:, and Morenists, and the other types of Anglicans here, and the methods adopted by the various parties were subjected to severe criticism by their opponents. Strong objection was taken to a circular which appeared some days ago, appealing for the selection of Bishop Mowll and assuming a monopoly of public and ecclesiastical virtues which was rather hard for other people to bear. Bishop Kirkby, the Bishop-Coadjutor, of Sydney, took exception to the active part played by several of our newspapers in the ■contest; and the Sun .after claiming that it had adopted a very moderate tone .expressed a desire to show Bishop Kirkby some of the clerical correspondence which it "had not dared to publish." After all, the appointment of an archbishop who is likely to become Primate of Australia is a very important public matter, and fit seemed to me that the journalists were quite justified in taking some interest in the proceedings, which, by all accounts, needed a certain amount of public attention. Objection to Tactics The Diocesan Reform Association, which is liberal evangelical in character, objected strongly to some of the tactics employed by the "inner group" at the Synod meetings. It contended that "in canvassing and boosting candidates, in issuing a booklet containing the careers of English nominees and in holding meetings to which prominent clergy were not invited, a seetidn of the Church had violated all etiquette in regard to the election of the Archbishop." In this rather unpleasant and heated atmosphere the work of selection went on. The Diocesan Reform Association was anxious to see an Australian bishop elevated to this august office, and failing this the association was prepared to help the liberal evangelicals to secure the man of their Choice. On the other hand the Protestant evangelicals believed that their views could be represented adequately only by a bishop trained under English conditions, and they therefore supported English nominees from the outset. This brief and inadequate explanation may serve to account for the number and variety of the nominees put forward by the various parties. Twelve Nominations

There were altogether 12 nominations. The Australian element was represented by Bishop Batty, of Newcastle Dean Talbot, of Sydney, Bishop Kirkby, of Sydney, Canon Milliard, of Sydney, Bishop Hart, of Wangaratta, and Bishop Moyes. of Armadale. It is no discredit to the other clerics in this list to say that their merits were obscured by the long public experience and well-tiied administrative ability of Bishop Hart and Bishop Moyes. However, there were two definite objections to Bishop Hart—his age and his sympathy for the High Church conception of Anglicanism; and so Bishop Moyes was the first choice of the Diocesan Reform Association and some of the liberal evangelicals. But if Bishop Moyes were eliminated they were prepared to transfer their votes to some able anil distinguished English cleric who might, not commend himself entirely to the Protestant evangelicals. The Protestant evangelicals had a considerable list of nominations ready. The Rev. C. Chcvasse, of St. Peters, Oxford, who is one of the heads of the evangelical party at Home, was nominated early, but declined to stand. But the evangelicals at once adopted •Bishop Mowll, of Western China, as their choice, and gave him wholehearted support. Bishop Moyes Eliminated After the work of elimination had well begun, it seemed likely that Bishop Moy'cs would be found—if I may venture on a sporting metaphor —"in the final" along with Bishop Mowll. But Bishop Moyes was cut out of the last four from whom the eventual choice had to be made, and the Liberal Evangelicals and the D:ocesan Reform Association then seem to have cast their votes for Archdeacon Hunkin, of Coventry, and Canon Grcnsted, of Liverpool, to prevent the election of Bishop Mowll. Rut all was of no avail, for the final majority for the Bishop of Western China was a substantial one, and he is now duly elected Archbishop of Sydney.