THE LAMBETH APPEAL

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 41, 17 August 1921, Page 9

THE LAMBETH APPEAL

AN INTERIM ESTIMATE

INTEREST OF THE ROMAN

CHURCH.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPOXDONI.)

LONDON, 6th July. As chairman at the Canterbury Diocesan Conference, the Archbishop of Canterbury gave an address on the progress of the Lambeth appeal, saying that he meant to go forward, but.ndt lightly or with mere sporadic independence and adventure. The Central Committee appointed by the Federal Council and the National Council of the Evangelical Free Churches had circulated an exceedingly important pamphlet, entitled "The Free Churches and the Lambeth Appeal." It was forming the basis of separate discussions which were taking place in the various annual assemblies of the different Free Churches in England. Many of these have already passed resolutions which, generally speaking, expressed a cordial willingness to enter into conference and negotiations on the appeal.

In Scotland the General Assemblies, both of the Church of Scotland and of the United Free Church, had appointed committees to report. The Consultative Council of the Scottish Episcopal Church only last week decided, * on the motion of the Scottish Bishops, to initiate action of a legislative kind* on the lines underlying the Lambeth proposals. In Ireland the General Synod of the Church of Ireland passed a resolution of welcome last month and requested the House of Bishops to initiate conferences with representatives of other Churches. Similar action was taken by the Presbyterian 'Assembly in Ireland. The Irish Churche^ .mtside the Roman Church wonld, therefore, be in steady intercourse with one another on the question. The Dominions had the subject well in hand, while as for the United States, it seemed probable that any action of a formal kind would await the great General Convention next year. But/ no one who was in touch with the life of the Churches in the great Republic could be. unaware of the living interest' to which the Lambeth Conference and its utterances had given rise. Tho great movement for the proposed world conference had its headquarters in the United States, and owed to the Anglican' Church there its healthy'birth. . . - India had a great place in what they were trying to do. Indeed, Southern India would, in days to (come, be regarded as having been in no unimportant degree the seed plot of'pioneer activities of a vitally important kind. Then they would certainly not remain long without important tidings from China and Japan. . As!to!the Church of Rome, there was abundant evidence of the interest which the appeal evoked among Roman Catholic priests and laity in different lands. The Archbishop's formal communication to, the Pope received a courteous acknowledgment. With Cardinal Bourne and Cardinal Mercier he had aleo been in communication. With regard to the Greek Orthodox Church, the duty of steady inter-communication had been committed to the permanent Eastern Churches Committee. The formal report which the 'Eastern Delegation renders to the Holy Synod was on the eve of being presented.