CHURCH DISPUTE IN HAMILTON.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18545, 20 August 1928, Page 10

CHURCH DISPUTE IN HAMILTON.

BISHOP CHERRINGTON DEFENDS POLICY. Per Press Association. HAMILTON, August 20. Referring to the trouble in the Waikato Diocese, Bishop Cherrington, preaching in the Cathedral last night, said that Hamilton had asked him to make St Peter’s Church his cathedral, and he had done so. If the people did not like it and preferred that the cathedral chair be removed they had only to say so and he would ask some other parish to have the chair placed in its church, but while the chair was where it was he intended to have a say in the conduct of the cathedral. The Bishop said that the trouble was never officially brought before him. The resignation of the Cathedral Chapter was a most extraordinary event. He was forced as Bishop of the diocese and head of the Chapter, to take action. As far as he was aware th? trouble concerned two points, the wearing of vestments at Holy Communion and the order service. As to the vestments he claimed that no change had been made since his arrival. Vestments were doctrinal, in that they had always been taken as manifesting the spiritual sacrifice which the church believed had been offered in the Blessed Sacrament. Referring to the order of service. Bishop Cherrington pointed out thal St Peter’s was a cathedral. The proper services in a cathedral every Sunday were morning prayer and Holy Coir munion together. The cathedral was not a district church in a country parish. He considered that the present order of services was good, but invited the parishioners to meet him on Aug ust 29 to discuss possible changes.-