Archbishop McKeefry Supports N.C.C. On Tests

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30230, 7 September 1963, Page 13

Archbishop McKeefry Supports N.C.C. On Tests

The head of the Roman Caholic Church in New Zealand (Archbishop P. McKeefry) is in accord with the stand taken by the National Council of Churches in urging stronger and cont .nu ng protests by the New Zealand Government to the F tench Government over the proposed nuclear testing in the Pacific.

The associate general secre ary of the N.C.C. (the Rev D M Taylor) said in Chr stohurch last evening that on the instruction of his executive he had earlier written to the Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake) urging that the Government keep up its pressure on the French Government to abandon its Pacific nuclear-testing pro-

posaLs. At the same time it had been decided to consult Archbishop McKeefry about the possibility of his church joining with the N.C.C. in en approach to authorities in F-ance. The e xecutive alswrote to its corresponding body in France, the Protestant Federation of France asking it if it shared the concern felt in New Zealand would it be willing to join the N.C.C. in asking the French Government to cancel its testing plans. Mr Taylor said no reply had been received yet from (bis body. He added that e

Archbtihop McKeefry, in a reply, stated that he personally shared foe concern felt by the N.C.C. He said Pope Paul, like his predecessors, had made very clear the attitude of foe Roman Catholic church to nuclear threats. said Mr Taylor. Archbishop McKeefry said he felt some authorities in Rome were making representations through their normal channels to the French Government said Mr Taylor. He said Archbship McKeefry had suggested the N.C.C. should ell foe Protestant Federation of France that the Roman Catholic Church in New Zealand associated itself with it in the matter. He also said he would write to Rome end make it knovn that the views he was expressing were shared by the N.C.C.. said Mr Taylor.