HELP FOR CLERGY IN EUROPE

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25677, 14 December 1948, Page 3

HELP FOR CLERGY IN EUROPE

APPEAL BY COUNCIL OF CHURCHES

at j™?J Council of Churches nLw- r w Zea land is appealing thi<? Christmas for money to help to feed V lergyri ‘ en Sn E hnnlol Ugbout . Europe, 3000 parish le® than w e „ totally Mt P cent ’ have been reOhrkf , 6 men who should be m h laaders Of Europe are living bv thl^ arS ' S n ys a statement issued by the council. “In many European countries the ministry of the churches continues its work, although theto <tothomted«ar!Shes cann °t afford to pay them sufficient to buy the inadequate official rations. In the east S “rZ? many 6000 clergy are working on Sartbe lO orthAd tS ’ In - Ju B°slavia many of HungaJv d °th Priests are barefoot. In Hungary the minister’s salary is equivalent to about 25s a week with Prices at American levels. These men r'l, d i e unless the World Council of Churches comes to their aid. , L.nristiar. leaders are completely exnoV 5t h e a d d Phys k ca . 1 - 1 J y ’ The majority have vears h d Th a o holiday for eight or 10 , -T- result of exhaustion and «i ta ls tuberculosis. In some Ml Z er , cl L nt - of , the churches’ World A gen t s have this disease. The Council is establishing homes - Switzerland to which these men and women are being taken for Test and treatment from all over Eurone i,' > s U .‘1 st . ‘“possible to train the Churches future leaders. Most librarY e be £ n destroyed. Theological f^5 e J? ts . ln Hamburg have been selling nal_ tneir rations to secure money for support. Exhausted, underfed students, cannot study effectively. The World Councfi of Churches is selecting the ablest of these men from all over Europe and training them in Britain and America, on condition that they Jhe front-line in Europe." . , fc World Council of Churches is doing its best to help these men. but it is felt that a special effort is necessa,ry, ast year the National Council of Churches made a similar Christmas appeal for the feeding of children in Europe. People throughout New Zealand responded generously and £14.000 was raised. Jt is hoped that the response this year will be equallv generous.