THE CHURCH AND THE STATE

West Coast Times, 25 June 1912, Page 3

THE CHURCH AND THE STATE

OUR CABLED ITEMS

NORWICH COMMUNION CASE [.FEE PRESS ASSOCIATION.—COPYHIGH3.] LONDON, June 20. The House of Lords unanimously dismissel, with costs, Canon Thompson’s appeal in the Norwich communion case. A MOOT POINT. LONDON, June 24. Lord Halifax, in a letter to the “Times,” referring to the Norwich case, argues that if under the State law a clergyman is no longer able to refuse to give the Holy Communion to violators of the church law, it becomes questionable whether the Church possesses any principles which it is entitled to maintain and enforce upon its own members.

[Tho question involved in tho above case is whether a clergyman of tho Church of England can refuse Holy Communion to a person who has married his deceased wife’s sister is now being considered by the House of Lords. Mr. Banister, a par-

ishioner at Eaton, in the diocese of Norwich, married his deceased’s wife’s sister in Canada just before tho Royal Assent was given to the Deceased Wife’s Sister Act. Whoa ho and his wife returned home Canon Thompson, the Vicar of Eaton, refused to admit them to Communion. Tho matter came before the Court of Arches and Canon Thompson was admonished iiot to repeat his conduct. In order to bring the matter before the Civil Courts, Canon Thompson then obtained a rule against the Doan of Arches, but a majority of tho Divisional Court which heard the rule decided against him. The Court of Appeal affirmed this decision, and Canon Thompson then appealed to t*n House of Lords.]