THE CATHEDRAL APPEAL

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 56, 4 September 1945, Page 6

THE CATHEDRAL APPEAL

Sir,—ln the campaign for the Cathedral we have an appeal to people of all denominations to help. Nevertheless, the proposed cathedral may prove a distinct step forward in Christian Protestant unity in the Dominion if developed on broader lines, making it available for use on national and civic official occasions. Unlike England and Scotland, New Zealand has no State Church and all denominations are equal in status apart from any claims raised on the basis of percentage of population adherents. But the Christian Protestant denominations, representing nearly 80 per cent, of the population, have m recent years combined to form the National Council of Churches, of which the Anglican denomination is a leading member. These denominations are united on the fundamentals and essentials of the Christian Protestant faith while they are divided on nonessentials only. Thus while retaining their separate individual identity they now have an organisation for united action; an important step forward m understanding and co-operation. This cathedral project offers an opportunity for a further decided step forward in Christian unity and witness. I am sure that the Anglicans have a big enough vision of Christian unity to make the concessions necessary to allow the cathedral to be used _on special national or civic occasions which are bound to be few for services arranged and conducted by the National Council of Churches on behalf of the State or City authorities. This should be made clear beyond doubt now, if the people of other denominations are to be expected to unite behind the campaign to erect a cathedral worthy of the city and the great Christian Protestant faith which it will symbolise. If the use of the cathedral on this basis were assured for such specia national and civic occasions several things would be gained:— (1) The State and City would have an appropriate building and an appropriate medium (National Council oi Churches) whereby they could give expression to their constitutional Christian Protestant faith on special national and civic occasions. _ (2) All Protestant denominations would be able to worship together on such occasions on a basis of equality, not as invited guests or visitors, and j sectarian ambitions for similar ap- j peals would be obviated. (3) It would eliminate any possibility of the feeling developing among non-Anglicans that the Anglican Church was endeavouring to secure position and authority as a State Church. „, . x. (4) All the Protestant Christians m the community would have a feeling of unity and kinship in worshipping together there,, and much of any sectarian antagonisms would be softened and perhaps eliminated as by this closer association a better understandjing of one another developed.—l am, etc..