CHURCH UNITY

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 January 1928, Page 3

CHURCH UNITY

THE POPE’S ATTITUDE. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) ROME, January 10. In a Papal encyclical disapproving of a Pan-Christian movement specially in the interests of English Catholics, the Pope deplores the state of mind which holds that all religions are equally estimable. He says many urge a false religious unity between Christians thereby seeking to undermine the basis of Catholicism. It is impossible to have a Christian League in which the faithful are free to have a personal criterion, since it would lead to .indifferentism. , The Pope directs the Bishops to forewarn their people against such pernicious falseness, and to clarify the principles of religious unity. The encyclical confutes the various non-Catholic arguments in favour of the unionistic thesis, and affirms that Church unity is obtainable only by a return of the dissidents to the Roman Catholic Church —the only true Church of Jesus Christ from which they deserted. ANGLO-CATHOLIC REPLY. LONDON, January 11. On the eve of the Anglican Bishops’ meeting at Lambeth Palace to consider the Revised Prayer Book situation, there have been two unexpected- developments. One is the publication by Viscount Halifax (an Anglo-Catho-, lie (leader) of notes dealing with his .Malines Conversations (with the late Cardinal Mercier) on the reunion of Christendom; and the second is the Pope’s Encyclical. The Encyclical may be regarded ,as -Rome’s final pronouncement on reunion. Viscount Halifax recites the subjects upon which he claims that there is considerable agreement, such as Bap-! tisni and the all-sufficiency of the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ; but he does not disguise that the Papal claims have created -much discussion, and he con-, eludes by stating that the subject is so vast 'and so complicated that many similar conferences are necessary before real, progress is attainable. The opinion is expressed that these disclosures will probably strengthen the opposition to the new Prayer Book on the ground of the tendency toward Rome of the Bishops. The Pope’s Encyclical, however, makes-it clear that Rome stands where she always did, and stresses the infallible magistracy of the Roman Pontiff.

PROTESTANT COMMENT. LONDON, January 12. Mr Henry Fowler, secretary of the Protestant Alliance, expresses the opinion that the Pope’s pronouncement dissolves the Anglo*-Cathdlics’ dream of a reunion of the Anglican Church with Romo. Attempts at reunion must always result in a loss to Anglicans, because Rome’s dogma is rigid. ArigloCatholics, who alone - cherish the illusion of a reunion, would go to Rome. The evangelicals would turn Nonconformists. METHODISTS COMBINE. (A.P.A. & SunJ LONDON, January 11. The joint of the Wesleyan United' Methodist and Primitive Methodist Churches, adopted by sixtyseven votes to one, the general principles of the new proposals for union, including proceeding with an enabling Bill at the 1928 conference.