LAMBETH CONFERENCE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2894, 5 October 1916, Page 9

LAMBETH CONFERENCE

THE PiIESEXT UNCERTAINTY. Tho Arclibislioj] of Canterbury has writton tlic l'ollowiug letter to the Metropolitans of tlio 'Anglican Church throughout tho world: — "Lambeth Palace, S.E., July 24, 1916.—The Central Consultative Body of tho Lambeth Conference mofc hero a few days ago, Tuesday, July 18. All the members now alive woropresent except tho Archbishop .of Ruportsland and the A'rc'hbishop of Sydney. I took advantage, of the meeting to lay before tho members of the Consultative Body certain questions which have arisen respecting the proposed meeting of the Lamboth Conference in tho summer of 1918. It is my earnest hope that the Conference may be enabled to meet at that date, and I should in ordinary circumstances have hoped to be able now to set forward the arrangements in a definite and final way, and to invite tho suggestion of subjects for discussion. But it is evident that there are possible difficulties about which I ought to forewarn you at once. I havo received from the Primato of Australia an important letter written on behalf of the Australian Bishops, laying before mo their feeling that if tho declaration of peace should be long , postponed they might find it difficult to attend the Lamboth Conference in 1918 in consequence of tho problems with which they would havo to deal in their own Dioceses. The meeting at which ; the Australian Primate was requested to send me this lottor was attended by all the Metropolitans' and cloven of the Diocesan Bishops. "I also laid before the .ConsultativeBody corresponding expressions of opinion from individual Bishops belonging to Canada, to South Africa, and to different parts of the mission field. From these it was evident that the gravest difficulty would be found by many Bishops whose dioceses are far distant' from England, were the Lambeth Conference to be held at tho time when man who have served in the war are returning home. Serious apprehensions were expressed that 1918 might for this reason be an impossible year for the attendance at the Lambeth Conference of many Bishops who are anxious to take part in its deliberations. These •communications seem to point to the expediency of postponing the conference to a later_ year. On tho other hand, I have myself felt, and my brother Bishops who were present, shared my opinion, that it is in tho highest degree undesirable to postpono the conference if such postponement can , possibly, be avoided. In these circumstances,. tho Consultative Body, after full deliberation,, advised mo: to write, as I accordingly do, to-the Metropolitans of our Church throughout tho world, calling attention to the difficulty above described, and intimating that there must for those reasons considerable uncertainty as to the possibility of , holding tho next ■ conference in 1918. To forecast- the events of the next twelve months is obviously most difficult, and I propose accordingly (and I havo the concurrence of my colleagues ou tho Consultative Body) to issue a further letter towards tho end of this year or early next year (1917) stating definitely at whau date we can hope that the conference may bo held. Our brethren of the Church in the United States will recognise our difficulties with Teady sympathy. My most anxious wish is that thero shall bo no postponement, but it would bo : futile to hold a conference at which the' attendance of tho Bishops from Australia, Canada, and South Africa would bo difficult or impossible.—l am, yours very truly, "RANDALL CANTUAR,"