The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-04-01
CHURCH AND STATE
WANT To SEPARATE
Question Threatens to Become
All important
REFORMS ARE NECESSARY
Metropolitan Clergy Wishes to Keep
Church Free From lmputation
of Mixing In Worldly
Affairs.
REFORMS ARE NECESSARY

st. Petersburg, April I, a. m.-The
movement for severing the traditional
bonds between church and state, and CIV
ing to the holy Orthodox church inde-
pendence and self-rule, which will increase
its influence among the people of Rus
sia, has found favor with an important
group of clorgy at the capital. A note
worthy document, setting forth the views
of those of this persuasion, was presented
to Metropolitan Antonious of st. Peters
burg and has been recetsed with suffi-
cient consideration to insure this, the
Church Messenger says, the semi-official
organ of the diocese of ST. Petersburg,
and one of the most important religious
papers in the realm.
The document after arguing that the
church should free itself of obligation to
the state, in order to lend all it's ener-
gies to the prosecution of its own special
work and eliminate the suspicion that its
ministrations may be inclined toward
worldly things and interests, demands the
summoning of a general council of the
church to consider means of attaining
the greater freedom required. Its pub
lieation in the Church Messenger has oe-
casioned much comment in ST. Petersburg
and in religious circles generally, and it
is reported that the holy SYNOD mas decid-
ed to recommend to Emperor Nicholas the
summoning of such a council
Question is Hard One.
The question is a hard one in Russian
social organism, and that it has been
raised and pressed at this time indicates
the extent to which Russian society is
stirred at the present hour. Inc movement
is believed to be now largely contned to
a group of Metropolitan clergy and ii IS
not known to what extent the priests
in the country at large are affected. TAX
ing as It's text recognition in the imperial
rescript for the necessity of charging the
horizon of the religious life OF Russia, as
we'll as for adherents of non-Russian
faiths as for the orthodox and heterodox
elements in the Russian church, the docu-
ment says true believers must rejoice at
the liberation of conscience from certain
restraint placed upon heterdox Russians
and non-Russians and must ed ally recog-
nize the necessity of reforms for the orth-
odox church If its influence is to live and
grow 'if the spread of Indifference TO re-
lieion is to be checked. and IL the church
Is TO realize it's high, God-given calling.
Is church's Only Hope.
The document declares that only a
church free from external influence in
the direction of all of its affairs, thereby
ay yoiding the liability Gs>being considered
a force or faction under the influence
OF obligations toward the state can
hope To check the spread of other faiths
and creeds in Russia, and retain the ma
lion in the faith of the fathers.
The address urges that the apostles
and founders taught that the church
..stand for the freedom which Christ
gave. and subject yourselves not to the
state" and calls for a return to the
original canonical freedom of the Russian
church. It is reported that the committee
of ministers will soon take UP the ques-
tion of administration of the church prop
erty of Armenians.