New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-01-05
Vatican FaVOrS Idea
i'm Letter Sent to
PrOteStantS.
ONE BIG CHURCH
FOR ALL CREEDS
Garden City Conference
Sees Religious Merger
as Way to Peace.

49, W ~ W
by star Correspondcn; @; The Tribune
Garden City. Long Island, Jan. f.
"That unity Of faith and communion
may at last prevail throughout the
world Of men" is the prayer Of the
Pope. expressed in letter by Cardinal
Gasparri. Papal Secretary Of state Thc
letter created profound impression
here tonight at the opening Of the
North American Preparatory Confer
ence at the Garden City Hotel.
This conference is preliminary to a
world conference for the purpose of
combining Christian churches Of all!
denominations. Catholics were invited,
and although none took part the letter
from Cardinal Gasparri raised strong
hopes that the greatest division of
Christianity might eventually be rep
resented in the international gather
ing.
Cardinal Gibbons, who had been in-
vited as head of the Catholic Church
in America TO be present, wrote that
he could not attend, and TO some this
seemed that Catholics would frown on
the plans for unity. Cardinal Gas
paris letter however, was looked upon
as important and significant of closer
relations between Catholic and Prot
estant Christie dom.
Pope Sends His Answer.
Cardinal Gasparris letter follows:
your project of an international
convention of all who believe in Jesus
Christ as God and a'iCLr TO accom-
plish the speedy fulhimert Of the final
prayer Of the Lord, that all may be
ore. | have. in obedience TO your re-
quest. submitted to the Most Blessed
Father. need not here describe the
affection with which saw the august
Ponttf kindied Tor you, for you we'll
know that the plans Of the Roman
Ponufs, their cares and their labors
have always been specially directed TO
the end that the sole and unique
church which Jesus Christ ordained
and sanctifed with his divine blood
should be most zealously guarded and
maintained, whole, pure and ever
aDound.ug IN love, and that it should
both let its light shine and open wide
It's door for all who rejoice in the name
of man and who desire TO gam holiness
upon earth and eternal happiness IN
Heaven.
The august Pontif, therefore, was
pleased with your project Of examining
i'm sincere spirit and without preju-
dice the essential form Of the Church,
.or the inner essence Of the Church,
and he earnestly hopes that under the
spell of its native beauty you may
settle all disputes and work with pros
perous issue TO the end that the mys-
,ical body of Christ be no longer suf-
fered TO be rent and torn, but that by
harmony and cooperation of mems
minds. and likewise by the concord Of
their wills, unity Of faith and COM
munion may at last prevail throughout
the world Of men.
Thanking you, then, that you have
thought well TO request the ana ana
suuDort OF the Roman POntin 10 eN-
pedIting your worthy project, his
Holiness expresses his earnest desire
that the end may answer your eNpecta-
tion. He asks the same Of ChIlsJ
Jesus with fervent prayeh, an the
more because, with the voice OF Chrlst
Himself sounding before and biddlnB
him. ne knows that he himself, as the
one TO whom all men have been gwen
over TO be fed, is the source and cause
of the unity Of the Church.
Hope for United Church.
To a request for permission TO give
this letter some publicity MS eNlI"ei''e
replied in part: ,.l
|Tbe august Pontif, therefore, kind
Il, permits that copies Of my letters,
which. though a faithful, are yet but a
faiut. portrait of the poutihcal love,
shall be sent 20 all 70 whose welfare
and pcace you believe they Will con-
tribute.
"It Is pleasure 20 repeat the en-
couraqcment that the aid and earnest
nrayers of the Roman Ponuh "lA
never be lacking TO any one "ho' nav O.
mo freed himself from preJudlced
opipions. with a true and sincere Viii
strives with all his strength that the
unitv Of faith and fellowship institute
ed nv Christ and built upon Peter may
Inc restored and that all who are en-
rolled i'm the name of Christian may
bo,ake themselves to the bosom Of the
one most loving Church, and may be
ioined and associated as members
with Christ the head
What seemed 10 be the sentiment OF
the gathering on the subJect OF the
ideal 10 which the conference Is dedl-
Gated was stated by the Right Rev.
c. p. Anderson, Bishop OF Chicago, who
I'm the midst of Europe rent with
war the world as: 'Fas not Chris
tianity failed" II is a far question
whether united Church might not
have preserved the peace Of the world.
We look upon the Church to-day, and.
instead Of interior undlsturbed and
united we find II rent and torn asun-
der. largely disintegrated and incapable
Of moulding "a nat ral conscienc-.
"A bewildcrcd world and "a dlsinte-
grated Church are cryiu How long, o
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