CHURCH AND WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3053, 14 April 1917, Page 7

CHURCH AND WAR

REUNION MOVEMENT COMMISSION OF CARDINALS INTEREST IN RUSSIA. Til© Pope's suggestion for -union among tho Churches of the .world .is hailed as an auspicious augury for 1917, in. which year many editors of the religious Press hope prayerfully for peace- among the nations at war. This is the supreme chance for Christianity "to assert her authority and guide tho world .out of the darkness enshrouding it," observes "Tho North-western Christian Advocate"; (Methodist, Chicago), and it wonders whether tho organised Christianity that "failed—iugloriously failed" —in 1914 will again "miss her, golden opportunity by coining into the new world without a programme." If for no other reason, this is why thero sl'to'uld b» ij. "congress of Christendom, a democratic congress whore all believers in Christ shall meet on a plan of equality, and naught but tho spirit shall be master." Yet this journal points, out that "what Rome hero has to offer ,is still uudor cover," and it adds, "we shall see what wo shall see." In this connection it is important to note that the plans of tho Vatican toward Christian unity ,aro suggested rather than specified in a manner wholly unofficial by Dr. A. Palmieri, of the Library of Congress, who is a writer on ecclesiastical subjects. Ho is the authority in Washington dispatches for the statement that Pope Benedct XV is about to appoint a commission of four cardinals to consult on the reunion of Christianity and the cultivation _ of friendly relations with tho Anglican Church. The movement mil be particularly directed,, according to Dr. Palmieri; toward tho establishment of a conciliation of the Russian Church and the Papacy, and a re-examination into the validity of Anglican and Episcopalian ordinations. In summarising the information ho received in private letters from tho Vatican, 'Dr. Palmieri recalls that "efforts of Leo XIII for carrying out the rounion of Christianity were • abruptly stopped by Pius X, who aimed at an inner reform of the Catholic clergy"and turned all his energies to tho crushing of Modornism," and ho r.dds: "Benedict VX thinks it is timo to renew the policy of I/eo VIII, and also that a rc-estabiishmeut of a political peaeo would bo "the first stop toward renewed attempts to stop the'splitting of Christianity into a great number of sects. ... "It seems to' the Vatican that the Orthodox Slavs will he very soon called to take a morjg active part in the lifo of Western nations, either Protestant or Catholic, and that it is necessary to como to an understanding with them in .order to avoid evils produced by religious intolerance. . . . "Ono of tho most important tasks of tho new commission will bo a thorough re-examination of tho arguments pro and con on the validity of Anglican ordinations. Tho bull, Apostolicoe Sedis, by Leo X, lias settled in, the negative the problem of that validity, but generally theological schools assume a more favourable attitude toward acknowledgment of tho validity of Anglican orders, and the new commission of cardinal? will carefully ponder the reasons set forth by Russian and Anglican divines against tho decision of Pope Leo X. "■ Tho friendship of the Anglican Church -is appreciated by. Rome, for she may he as a

link between Roman Catholicism .and Russian Orthodoxy. .

"The interest of the Vatican in the problem of Christian unity has been aroused by the recent progress of the world-conference, tho well-known initiative movement of tho American Episcopal Church. The movement toward Christian unity, started by the worldconference, excited interest and. sympathies in Rome, and Cardinal Gasparri, in the namo of the Popa, wrote to tho secretary of the world-confer-ence, Robert H. Gardiner, several letters which seem to reproduce the style and the feelings of Loo XIII. But that correspondence would not have had any tangible results if the conference had not met with a great success in Russia." As' an indication of Russian feeling toward the project, Dr. Palraieri gave to the' Press a letter received from Professor Ekzcmpliarski, editor of "The Christian Thought," in which the Russian writer says that "it is with a feeling of joy that Russians seo their American brothers'take in hand tho initiative of _ Christian unity witli energy and assiduity." Among American religious journals those representative of tho Catholio Church seem at the moment to bo reserving comment. "The Churchman" (Protestant Episcopal, New York) believes that the "sympathetic welcome accorded the publication of tho papal programme in this country is ■ a most hopeful sign," and it speaks of the peace-spirit as "brooding over the face of the world." The hard lessons of tho war are learned by. neutrals as well as by belligerents, and "criticism of opponents is giving place to a more healthy desiro for self-criticism and self-improvement." .Again, "The Living Church" (Protestant Episcopal, Milwaukee) says that it behoves Episcopalians to receive Rome's advance with "full recognition of its ironic value and with a dignified reliance upon the facts of our history." It points to the record of the Church of England and her daughter churches since the unhappy split with the churches of Europe, and asks that on that record, "though it is full of grave faults, and though there is very much in it of which as churchmen, we are, ashamed, there bo a restoration of communion between the churches." We read then: "After intercommunion has been restored, we shall bo glad to discuss the questions that aro at issue between tho communions, but we wish to discuss them as friends and brothers, from within the recognised communion of the Catholio Church, and not as strangers and aliens to each other. Wo doubt whether tho Anglican churches will wish to lift a finger or to say a word in behalf.of tho recognition of Anglican orders. • That is an internal question which Romo must decide for herself." / As representative of tho 'Lulhoran viewpoint we havo tho statomerft of Dr. Junius B. Remensnydcr, pastor of St. James's Lutheran Church, New York, and. chairman of the Commission on Peaco and Arbitration of the Federal Council of the Churches, who is quoted in the Now York "Sun" as saying:—"l do not think denominations should bo separated except for fundamental differences, but I do not believe we are yet ready for the obliteration of. denominational linos." ' In New York also Dr. Howard. Duffield, pastor'of tho First Presbyterian Church, expressed through tho "Sun" hearty _ sympathy with tho movement, and said that while he did not "know exactly how the union may bo brought about," yet nevertheless ho would "welcome any movement to unite tho different bodies of Protestantism or to [ bring tho Greek, Roman, and Protestant Churches together."—"Literary ' Digest.'' I