CHURCH UNION.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 December 1923, Page 5

CHURCH UNION.

ANGLICAN AND ROMAN. MANY DIFFICULTIES. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright London, Dec. 27. The disclosures concerning the Anglican and Roman Church negotiations have aroused the liveliest interest among all denominations. A leading Anglican believes the discussions made a substantial advance and points out that a reunion restricted to Nonconformists and Anglicans would not fulfil the whole vision of Christian unity, which must embrace all the churches of Rome and the East. Sir Robert Perks, a leading Methodist, ridicules the idea of Angio-Romish reunion. declaring that the whole procedure savours of a holiday amusement for clerics. Union was impossible, because it would smash the English Church to nieces. She was already torn by dissensions. The Romans would nqt unite on equal terms; they would only take Anglicans back as prodigals and would enforce reorganisation and the acceptance of the Romish creeds. Moreover Parliament would not allow the Anglicans to present Rome with a Protestant church’s endowments. Sir Robert says that Nonconformists are making steady progress towards re-uniting themselves and do not desire reunion with the Anglicans and Romans. The Rev. Dr. Barry, secretary of the Congregational Union, savs that even the most fen-id Proteetant could not imagine a successful issue out of the negotiations The Free Church leader does not think there is a ghost of a chance of AngloRomish union. If the war had continued longer Anglican and Nonconformist unity might have been achieved, but private prejudices ere now insurmountable. A Catholic dignitary, interviewed in London, said: “The Vatican silently watches and waits, but there is no doubt what it will say at the end of the negotiations. The reunion of the churches is too great and too sacred a course to be brought about by more r.on-representa-tive table talk, however well-meant and amiable.”