The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-12-13
AN EARNEST APPEAL TO PROTES-
TANTS.
Bishop of Cremona Sends Good Wishes
to Those who Advocate Unity
Urges the Practice of Charity.

constructive quarterly LOT SepCem-
Der, says:
ITO feel the necessity, and to seek
the ways of gathering together the
scattered members of Christ-that is
all the souls who believe in Him,
love Him, and thirst for religious
TRUTHS a surprisingly noble and
beautiful aim, and worthy to be
studied and translated into action;
and it is very consoling to see how
our Protestant brothers are striving
for this end with evident sincerity
and good will. Yes, we must all re
unite under one banner; in union is
the only means of obviating relig-
ious pulverization and preventing
the crumbling of faith under the
constant gnawing that is independ-
ent of every consideration of tradi-
ton and authority. Therefore
send my salutation and good wishes
to the Protestant brothers who in
the World Conference of the United
States have studied the question and
made wise proposals for reunion.
Il cannot, however, shut my eyes
to the very grave difficulty of the en-
terprise: first of all, the situation of
the Roman Church, which cannot re
cede from it's position, or yield upon
any essential point of it's doctrine,
without being renegade to itself
The Roman Church, with it's defin-
itions, with the aff1rmations repeated
thousand times of it's divine char
acter, has cut down and is cutting
down every bridge behind 1t. 1t can
we'll allow itself to be joined by the
diffident churches with unconditional
submission; but it cannot turn back,
review it's own decisions, modify it's
it's authority. In this, l believe, con-
sists the greatest obstacle to that
unity, the need of which is so deeply
felt.
For those who love the truth and
sincerely aspire to unity, there must
be some point of contact, some terri
tory where it is impossible to meet
one another and clasp hands; and if
the truth must be only one there is,
nevertheless, a need that we should
reach at some time or other the per-
! feet union of minds and hearts. We
are still for from this, but the mere
consciousness of the need, and wish
ing for it, is in itself great step. For
the present, the best plan is to unite
ourselves in charity. This most eX-
allied thing is what was implied by
Christ in the sublime prayer, the
Pater Noster, which is the universal
prayer, which prescinds from all dog
matte divergence and from every form
of authority, and which asks no other
faith but the faith in the common
Father who is in heaven. Charity,
the teacher of patience, of tolerance,
of prudence, of kindness permits the
fusing together of the most discord-
ant elements and knows how to find
the hidden ways of concord. We can
love each other, then, and pray to-
gether; pray to God that He may
smooth out the difficulties which ap-
pear to us insuperable; pray to Him
that way out may there be found
where our powers are insufficient;
that He may conquer the resistance
of our pride and our other passions;
that He may pour into us that spirit
of generosity which tolerates, over
looks, sympathizes and pardons; that
He may place in our hearts the
sweet ointment of grace which per-
suades and overcomes without VIC
| ~ h. Who
is in heaven can work this miracle
and fulfill in us the prayer of Christ
that we all may be one as He and
the Father.
Still, we too must work with our
powers, we must study the occasions
which have produced the lamentable
division in the Church; we must re.
duce doctrines within their just
limits, and place them in their true
light; we must separate what is
essential and irreducible from what
can be modified; we must endeavoI
to cut down distances as much as
possible; but after this we must
again make and commend, fervent
prayer to our Father and await from
Him that spirit the consummatior
of which is perfect unity. May il
please God that this be not long il
coming!
Reading over these few lines, il
which l had desired to pour out m!
whole soul into the breasts of m!
brothers who are outside of oul
Church, l feel the need of addins
one word more. Previous to the def
; initions made by the Roman Catholi,
, Church, in the various ecumenica
councils, union between the three
churches was not difficult so long a
they were of one accord to submit
themselves sincerely and unreservedl,
, to the judgment which the Universe
: Church itself should in future pre-
} nounce; if they all united in the 81
) preme dictum of the whole Church
r no church would feel itself offended
E and the truth receive no INJURY there
: by. But now that the decisions hav
j, been irrevocably pronounced, whs
n further way can be found to secuT
b the supreme authority of the Roma
/: Catholic Church? How can we, 8
e it were, put in doubt what has bee