CENTENARY OF OXFORD MOVEMENT.

Waiapu Church Gazette, 1 June 1933, Page 3

CENTENARY OF OXFORD MOVEMENT.

His Grace the Archbishop has released for publication the following letter on the above subject recentlyreceived from His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, which will prove of great interest to our readers: Lambeth Palace, S.E., 2nd February, 1933. My dear Archbishop, I do not know whether your province of any Dioceses within it propose to observe m any way the centenary of the Oxford Movement thissummer. Here m the Church of England while different dioceses, parishes and sections of the Church are left free to observe the centenary m such ways as they think best, I have appointed a general committee representative of various types of Church fellowship, including many who do not approve of some of the later developments of the Oxford Movement, under the chairmanship of the Bishop of Salisbury. It is the desire of this committee, m which other sections of the Church cordially join, that the occasion should be marked not only by thanksgiving for such other gifts as the Oxford Movement bequeathed, but especially for the revival of the sense of the corporate life of the Church — its corporate responsibility and mission. It seems to follow naturally that any observance of the centenary should be marked by prayer for that internal peace and unity and fellowship without which this corporate life cannot be maintained. All over the world, as well as m England, the Christian faith is menaced by the growth of a purely secular civilisation and by a new bitterness of attack. This situation calls indeed for every effort to unite the forces of Christendom m one visible Church, but it makes a special demand upon the conscience of those who are members of the one communion and fellowship of the Anglican Church. It is, therefore, hoped by the committee, here m England, that Sunday, July 9th, the Sunday immediately preceding the accepted anniversary of the Oxford Movement, prayer should be generally offered throughout the Anglican Communion for its own peace and unity and renewed strength to fulfil its primary task of witnessing

to the Faith of Christ and to His Kingdom. It is for you to judge whether you are able to associate yourself with this hope m your province or m any diocese thereof, and, if you are willing, to take such steps as you may think desirable. You will, of course, understand that I write this letter purely personally, and that I do not presume to write m any kind of official way. I have written at the earnest request of the committee of Churchmen m this country. Yours very sincerely, COSMO CANTUAR.