CHURCH UNION.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 December 1923, Page 5

CHURCH UNION.

ANGLICAN AND ROMAN. LITTLE PROGRESS MADE. By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright. Received Dec. 27, 5.5 p.m. London, Dec. 27. The Archbishop of Canterbury’s Christinas letter has been issued from Lambeth Palace. Addressing the dignitaries of the Anglican communion he states the reunion of the churches, especially the Anglican and the Reman, which .‘he 1920 Lambeth conference discussed, has made only the smallest headway. The archbishop, reviewing all that has happened since that conference, discloses that private conferences have since ;>een held at Malines, initiated by Cardinal Mercier and a few Anglicans, with the object of discussing outstanding and familiar barriers between the Church of England and the Church of Rome. The archbishop explains that these conferences canegt be designated as negotiations, since the Angiicans participating were in no sense delegates of the whole church. The archbishop adds that the meetings merely sought to effect some restatement of controverted questions and the elucidation of perplexities, and that further conversations must follow, but he concludes the difficulties are immense, and that they may prove, for some time to come, insuperable. The Times says that while the efforts of conference deserve the warm approval of every Christian there is still a deep feeling of suspicion of Romanism in this country, and the present claims of Rome, as formulated by some leaders to-day, do not serve to allay the ancient fears, but careful observers are aware that on both sides there is a growing willingness to look facts in the face and a greater disposition for mutual charity.