BURIAL OF SUICIDES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3306, 26 August 1911, Page 8

BURIAL OF SUICIDES.

ANGLICAN CHURCH’S ATTITUDE. As one reason for the increasing number of suicides an unusual explanation was given by the Bishop of St. Albans in the Upper House of Convocation of Canterbury. In a report read by the Bishop on the question of the burial of suicides, it was stated that there was a widespread belief that burial with full rites of the Church was not likely to be withheld- from suicides in cases where the verdict was “Suicide,” unqualified by any other conditions. The Bishop of Bristol referred to part of the report which stated that it did not seem necessary to refuse to allow the body to be brought into the Church. He thought a little outward form of severity in this respect would strike parishioners, and might do a great deal of good. The Bishop of Oxord said that a man who had lived notoriously in sin. who had done all he could to cut himself off from the Church, would be a proper one to whom to' refuse admission to the Church.

But in other cases, if they could carry the relatives of the deceased with them in the matter, they would gain incalculably with regard to the feeling in the neighborhood. He thought this could he done by admitting the body to the 'Church, hut making it clear that certain words could not be used in the service by the graveside. The House adopted a resolution to the effect that in any case in which a clergyman might be compelled to believe that serious harm would result in the parish if the service in the Prayer Book were used in its entirety, lie should bring the case before the bishop, and be guided by his judgment. It was also agreed that, with a view to uniformity of. practice, it was desirable forms of service should be provided which might be used when the service in the Prayer Book could not rightly be used in its entirety. q