ELECTION OF A BISHOP.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17528, 4 May 1925, Page 4

ELECTION OF A BISHOP.

I SPECIAL SESSION OF SYNOD. The following information regarding the procedure to be adopted at the special- session of Diocesan bynod for me election of a bishop in success.on to Archbishop Julius, is published : n the ‘'Church Sews.” The Commissary (Dean Carrington) has convened Diocesan Synod lor the election of a bishop, to assemble at 11.10 a.m. on Tuesday, June 9. The resumption of school after the epidemic having niacin it impossible to secure the use of Christ’s College, the Commissary has appointed St John’s parish hull/Latimer Square, as the- Synod’s meeting place, the vicar having placed the church and the hall at the disposal of the diocese for the occasion. In order that the laity may have opportunity to be associated in the election, an inter cession service will be held in the cathedral on Monday evening. The fol’owing morning at 7.30 ‘if Celebration t i the Holy Communion uni be held in tlie cathedral with the same intention. Probably breakfast will be arranged for the members 0} Synod, who thereafter will proceed to &t John’s Church for a “quiet hour” beginning at 10 a.m. Synod will formally assemble in the hall at 11.15 io* roll-call, the president’s address, and tile formal business of inaugurating Synod. In all probability Synod will then resolve to adjourn to a later hour m order to form itself into, an informal conference preliminary to the formal nomination and election of n b. si. op. Lp to this moment,the proceedings will be open to the public, though accommodation for them is necessarily limited, for there are a couple of hundred members of Synod, and thev h.ive to be provided with tables. Immediately Synod adjourns for the pur pose of going into conference, the j ioceeJmgs become strictly confidential, and no details of any kind mav be divulged or should be divulged, as a point ol strictest etiquette. Tile election of a bishop being .such a rare occasion in the diocese, we may be pardoned lor insisting so much 011 this point, which no doubt will be duly impressed on members before the' proceedings in conference begin. JVlemlieis of the laity will themselves show consideration if they will put restraint on their natural curiosity ami l’orbeai ii-iiii submitting Synod members to ‘•third degree” inquisition on the point. We are to deal with the names of men who are not “candidates," whose consent to nomination or even mention lias not been and cannot be asked. We are entitled to debate their fitness for the sacred office of a bishop only so long as we do not bandy about tlieiV names and their comparative qualifications beyond the walls of the Svnod hall. Tlie committee of inquiry has accumulated a good deal of information which will be available for Synod’s private information. Most of it is of a public character, such as is to be found in “Crocklord” and “Who’s Who”; some of it is reliable opinion expressed at the wish oi tlie committee in strict confidence. The committee lias drawn up a method of procedure in the conference (for which there is no procedure laid down in constitutional form) which will be suggested to memI bers, but which they are not thereby bound to adopt or follow. Jt is based on the experience of other dioceses in similar conferences, and no doubt will simplify procedure and facilitate intelligent election. At present it is the intention to suggest that Synod shall meet formally twice or thrice during the day ,for formal business, and then immediately adjourn into conference j until unanimity, or at least prac- : tiral unanimity, is reached. Then will ! tollow the formal reassembling of Synod and the nomination and election of the bishop as laid down in the Canon. An adjournment will then be necessary while the invitation is being forwarded to and considered by the bishop-elect. With good fortune a successful election may be achieved within the week. In certain comparatively recent elections in New Zealand it has been achieved within a couple of days. j '