MOTHERS' UNION AND DIVORCE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17836, 3 May 1926, Page 15

MOTHERS' UNION AND DIVORCE.

WILL NEW BODY ADOPT SAME ATTITUDE?

QUESTIONS REPLIED TO BY LADY ALICE FERGUSSON. Adherence to the rules of tne Church of England in regard to divorce is insisted upon by the Mothers L mon, and whether this will be maintained by a new organisation on similar line.'*, sponsored by Lady Alice Fergusson. L a matter which is touched upon in the latest issue of the “Church News. “Lady Alice Fergusson launched in Auckland last month her project to found an organisation similar to the Mothers’ Union amongst the non-epis-copal congregations,’ states the “Church News.” “The executive of the Christchurch Mothers’ Union . asked the president to make inquiries concerning the proposed relation of thd Mothers’ Union with the nfew body, and Mrs Roberts has meantime received a letter from Lady Alice which answers some of the questions raised. “Writing from Government House, Auckland, her Excellency says:

‘Dear Mrs Roberts, —A copy of a letter to the Christchurch Press has been forwarded to me (evidently written by a member of the M.U. though only signed “Mother”) on the subject of ’the proposed hew mothers’ organisation, As I am very anxious tha't there should not be any misunderstandings in the matter, 1 should be glad if you could make tire truth of it known. The writer of the letter is evidently not aware that an undenominational sister organisation to the M.U. already exists in the Scottish M.U., es-. tablished in Scotland in 1891, which has a membership of between -10,000 ami 50,000. It is affiliated to the M.U. and works in harmony with it in every way. The constitution is practically the same except for the rule that all officials and workers must be members the Church of England. Workers in Scotland are drawn from all denominations. There does not seem to be any fear on the part of the central organisation in London that the Scottish M.U., because it is undenominational in character. will ever fail to uphold the sanctity of marriage. This js its first object. just as it is the first object oi the M.U. The English and Scottish organisations are represented on each other's councils and give all sympathy and support to each other. It is on these lines that it is proposed to form an undenominational “sister union” in the country which may reach those women to which a purely Church oi England society is not likely to appeal. Although members of other churches are allowed by the rules to join the union, it cannot be denied that owing to its being a Church of England organisation its influence is restricted. The promoters of the undenominational union in New Zealand are hoping for the sympathy and support of the M.U.. especially in view of the fact that it was upon these lines that the M.U. was first started by the late Lady Glasgow in 1892. I feel sure that all of us who have the principles of the M.U. at heart will rejoice at an effort to extend them more widely. As Dominion president of the M.U. in New Zealand, may I express the hope that all Sympathy and good-will may be extended to the newc organisation. Yours sincerely, Alice Fergusson.’ “This letter was presented to the Dior eesan Council,” states the “Church News.” “The new organisation •,was approved by a large gathering of women of the non-episcopal churches, about 500 or 600 being present and the resolution being moved by Lady Gunson. Her Excellency undertook to ascertain bycable whether the English Central Council could approve of the use ofthe name ‘Auxiliary Mothers’ Union' and grant affiliation; we have not

heard whether any reply has been n ceived as yet.

“Two points of importance apparently are involved: first whether the new organisation will compete with the parent body, and second whether the same interpretation of the ‘First Object’ will be given and maintained. The ‘first object’ is ‘To uphold the sanctity of marriage,’ and an official footnote explains that this phase is interpreted to mean adherence to the rules of the Church of England regarding divorce. No divorced person may hold office in the M.U., it would seem. The ruling of the Episcopal Bench declares that the constitution of the Church of England in New Zealand forbids the blessing by the church 6f the re marriage of divorced persons whfte both.

of the partners remain alive. It is well known that a similar rule does not prevail in the non-episcopai churches. “It; will be seen that so long as the parent M.U. holds the interpretation of the First Object excluding Anglicans who have not received the blessing cf the Church of England upon their marriage. a similar rule will be necessary in the new organisation if affiliation is to be practicable and the objects ate to be identical. There can be no doubt that the members of M.U. will welcome the extension of the influence of the principles which bind them in fellowship, to other women not of Our communion, and the limitation of officeholding to Anglican members is a serious difficulty in the way of non-Angli-cans taking a close and practical inter-

est in the promotion of the union’s work among women. Competition does not seem to have been a serious menace in Scotland, though only experience can settle, whether it will be so in New Zealand."