LAMBETH CONFERENCE

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 256, 25 July 1930, Page 11

LAMBETH CONFERENCE

Bishops at the Palace SPEECH BY THE KING Growth of Anglican Church PROGRESS OF REUNION (Rec. July 24, 5.5 p.m.) British Wireless. Rugby, July 23. The King anti Queen to-day greeted at Buckingham Palaeo 300 Bishops at present in London for the Lambeth Conference, and during a speech to them His Majesty referred to the effect of the war on religion, and the possibiities of Christian reunion. His Majesty expressed particular pleasure at meeting Bishops of the Anglican Communion, not only from the Dominions, but from the United States, and said he had observed with Interest that among the delegations visiting Lambeth had been an important one from the Orthodox Church. The King continued: “Looking back upon the beginning of this series of Lambeth Conferences, it must be a source of pride and thankfulness to reflect what testimony they bear to the growth and development of the Anglican Communion. A hundred years ago it was little more than the Church of a single kingdom. The present conference is a world-wide gathering of united, though mostly self-governing, Churches, and has attained the proportions of a general council.

Ideal of Unity. “I remember ten years ago that the question of the reunion of Christendom was foremost in your thoughts. You put before the world an ideal of unity and a plea for a new endeavour to heal the rents In the fabric of the Church. I am most happy to learn that this appeal has not been fruitless. It is my earnest hope and prayer that the work which your last conference began may prosper, and that the deliberations of this' present conference may result in some notable advance towards this great and desirable end. “The main subjects for your consideration are summed up under the general head, ‘The Faith and Witness of the Church in this Generation.’ The subject has been well chosen, and with keen insight into the needs of the present day.

Wounds of the War. “The obvious and material damage of the war is not now so manifest as when you last met. The wounds are to some extent scarred over. But men s minds and souls are still troubled by the wounds which war inflicted and perplexed through the shocks thereby dealt to old beliefs and spiritual loyalties. At such a time the Fathers of the Church do well to take counsel together how best to bring home to the world to-day, in ways most appropriate to the difficulties which beset it, the truths of the everiatslng Gospel. God ■reigns, and I pray that His blessing may rest upon your deliberations.