Answer to Correspondent.

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume XVII, Issue 2, 2 August 1926, Page 61 (Supplement)

Answer to Correspondent.

THE GRANTING OF FACULTIES; In our last issue a correspondent asked m whom was vested the power of granting faculties m New Zealand, and we replied that m view of the importance of the matter we would obtain expert opinion on the subject. Accordingly we consulted. Mr. H. D. Andrews, of Christchurch,, and! Mr. A. A. Finch, of Dunedin, and append a summary of their considered opinions:- — (a) The Ordinajbipn of a Deacon under the '.;/•. age;of 23 years. vx : . "In New Zealand • neither the Archbishop, Primatej nor any other Bishop- :has^ been authorized to grant the Dispensing Faculties whitih the Archbishop of' Oan" L ; ; terbury has been expressly empowered to grant; aiid power to grant these cannot be held' to' be inherent m the episcopal office, as- m England no Diocesan Bishop possesses, or apparently has. ever possessed*

such power. Therefore m New Zealand there is no person, or authority, who has the power to grant a faculty dispensing with the observance of the Prayer Book rule. "It may, arid probably does, lie within the power of the General Synod to enact a Canon under the latter part of Clause 13 of the Constitution to authorize the Archbishop or other Bishop to grant a faculty to permit the admission as a Deacon of a person under the prescribed age. — .(H. D. A.)" (b) Additions to, or the removal of ; Churches, or of their furniture, ornaments, and so forth. ",The authority to grant these is, as m England, vested m the Bishop of each Diocese.— (A. A. .)" The above is a very condensed summary of the opinions asked for. If anyone desires to see the opinions, we shall be glad to afford an opportunity for doing so. We think that eventually they should be handed to the Provincial Secretary for filing.