CHURCH UNION.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 4157, 30 November 1920, Page 4

CHURCH UNION.

ARCHBISHOP O'SHEA'S AD-

VOCACY

Preaching in St. Joseph's Church on the "Lessons and Duties of Advent," Archbishop O'Shea touched on tho question of the reunion of Christianity, and exhorted his hearers to pray for it as one of the things most desirable in our 'times. There was, he said, no doubt that the need of reunion was becoming more and more evident to all thinking men, and, of course, it was admitted that there could be no real reunion of Christendom without taking the Catholic Church into account. The union of even all the non-Catholic Churches would fall far short of Christ's wishes and ideals, though no doubt it would gradually prepare the way for the complete reunion of Christianity, .and therefore would be welcomed by Catholics. There were" several obstacles in the way of reunion, one of the most serious being the imperfect understanding on the part of the different denominations of each other's view-points and real teaching. Of course, Catholics held that the only way to bring about the reunion ot' Christianity was for those outside the Church to'return to the fold which their forefathers had left. People of the present generations were not to blame for the division which took place a few hundred years ago, and however great their differences might seem to be, in purpose, at any rate, they were united. All surely wanted to believe what Christ would have them believe, and to worship and do as-He would bid them. The cause of reunion 'was certainly more hopeful than it was, say, .ten years ago, though it might be yet a long way offHe welcomed the earnest desire shown by some members of the. Presbyterian Assembly to co-operate with other denominations, even with Catholics, in combating the admitted moral and social evils of the day. Though corporate reunion might not come for many a day, they could and should combine in inculcating greater charity and friendliness towards each other,' and in using their energies against the common evils, especially against the* injustice and tyranny that had been more rampant than ever since the war. Ho exhorted his hearers to use incessantly the great weapon of prayer to bring, about greater charity and unity of purpose in all these things.