ANGLICAN SYNOD.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume II, Issue 528, 19 October 1915, Page 11

ANGLICAN SYNOD.

OPENED TO-DAY. The twenty-second Synod of the i Diocese of Christchurch opened at | Christ's College this afternoon, o The Right Rev. Churchill Julius, D.D., Bishop of Christchurch, presided. In his address to the members of Synod, Bishop Julius iirst referred to the changes yi the diocese during the year. He then referred to the extension of St. Saviour's Guild. His [Lordship said that it was felt that the membership of St. Saviour's Guild was so much confined to the city and neighbourhood of Christchurch that it did not represent the diocese. The guild had therefore thrown open so widely the doors of its membership that, unless they made objection, it included all members of Synod, and all subscribers to its funds, whether for building _or maintenance. This made the guild practically diocesan, and should serve to allay those local jealousies, so common and so injurious to the social health and well-being of this country, and which were specially deprecated as alien to the spirit of Christ and.His Church. . ,

The question of patronage and pf the new canon which was adopted at the last General Synod was discussed by the Bilhop at considerable length. From that, subject his Lordship passed on to the need for an executive body to deal with matters of special urgency between one General Synod and-another, "For-the best of reasons," he said, "the General, Synod appointed no committee to deal with matters arising from the war. In consequence of this, we have fallen into great confusion, we have been.weak when we ought to have been strong, the number of our chaplaincies has been comparatively small, and the quality of our chaplains, with some exceptions; very far from the best we could have given. It was obviously impossible to convene a special, meeting> of General Synod for such a purpose as this; hot because it Was not serious enough —for-nothing more serious,and important' has ever passed jpr\slipped through our hands,—but. because General Synod would have been an altogether unsuitable body to deal with it. On the other hand, an executive of the General Synod would have" enabled "us" to act'asone ; bodjy, and saved us from inflictihg a grievous wrong upon the men who are giving their lives for the country. Of course, it is more easy to see the necessity than to supply it: "One solution of the difficulty, often discussed, is the creation of an Archbishopric in one or other of our principal cities. I need not dwell upon the practical difficulties of this proposal, arising in part from local jealousies, in part from geographical conditions. It is enough to say, whether or not the proposal is good in itself, it does not supply the executive of which we stand in need. I am therefore driven to the conclusion, which I can only state in outline, that a Standing Committee of the General Synod be elected by each General Synod, to serve for the ensuing three years, such committee to consist of the bishops of the province, with one priest and one layman from each; diocese, being members of the General Synod, and nominated for election by the representatives of their own diocese. This committee should meet once a year in Wellington, and at other times, on a special requisition signed by such proportion of its members as may be determined. The need for such an organisation has been frequently expressed, but never, to my knowledge, discussed. , , ,If the plan I have so lightly sketched meets with your general approval, a■ ; resolution to that effect will probably encourage communications on the subject with our dioceses and the preparation of a Bill for General Synod." After a lengthyreference to the war (reported elsewhere in this issue), the Bishop ■ spoke of the special duly of the Church in relation to the war. The first duty, he said, was prayer. • The war was a war not so much of things as of ideals. Our armies Were but the expression of spiritual forces. Behind the noise of guns and the cries of battle was the true conflict in the silences of the spiritual world. The Church had her part in this, and prayer was her most potent weapon. It was natural enough that, after the first shock of war, men would slacken prayer. He bade his brethren of the clergy to maintain their services of prayer and intercession, to make I them frequent, short, and attractive, and to encourage, by every means in their power, a spirit of prayer among their people. Referring to what are known as joint services, the Bishop said: "It is not lack of charity that makes me dislike them, but a hatred of sham and inconsistency. In the case of Church parades, it is sometimes impossible to avoid, or unwise to refuse, them. But, and especially in the case of memorial services, which, alas! will be more and more frequent, such joint services are neither necessary nor desirable. A memorial service should be very solemn,, very sober, and restrained, and, if possible, said in the "churches." (Proceeding^;