Question for October

By the Episcopal Church's canon law the only divorced person who may have the church's blessing on a new marriage is the innocent party in a divorce for adultery. Last week the church's Joint Commission on Holy Matrimony began to sound out diocesan opinion on two proposed canons that would somewhat relax this rule. The findings will determine the Commission's final report to the General Convention in Cleveland next October.

Said one trial canon: "A marriage ceremony does not necessarily make a marriage. . . . Where there has been no marriage in the sacramental sense because of insurmountable defects of personality, the parties to the failure, under certain conditions, may be married to others by the church."

Lest all this seem as if the Episcopal Church were flinging the door wide to the divorced, the other canon provided that brides and grooms would be required to sign a pledge: "We, A.B. and C.D. . . . do solemnly declare that we hold marriage to be a lifelong union ... for the advancement of the Kingdom of God. . . ."

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