The sun., 1917-01-05
POPE TO SEEK
CHURCH UNITY
Commission Will ReeXam-
inc Validity of Episcopal
Ordinations.
EYES ON RUSSIA ALSO
Vatican Interest Intensified
by Progress of Recent
World Congress.
EYES ON RUSSIA ALSO

WASHINGTON, Jan. 4.-Private letters
from the Vatican received by DR.. A.
Palmieri of the Library of Congress.
recognized writer on ecclesiastical sub
jects. announce that Pope Benedict XIV.
Is about to appoint a commission OF
four Cardinals to renew a movement
by Pope Plus y. looking to a reunion
Of Christianity and the cultivation OF
friendly. relations with the Anglican
Church. A public announcement on the
subject from Rome Is expected shortly.
DIR. Palmieri said tonight that the
movement. as outlined in his advices,
will be directed particularly toward the
establishment OF a reunion Of the Rus
sian church and the Papacy. and to a
thorough reexamination into the validity
OF Anglican or Episcopal ordinations.
which was settled In the negative in a
papal bull. "Apostolicae Sedis," by Pope
Leo Y.
The honor of presiding over the COM
mission of cardinals, DR.. Palmieri has
been informed. will be bestowed upon
Cardinal Nicola Marini. one CT the new
cardinals created in the last consistory.
who has devoted many years to scien-
tfic research and to the cause of re-
union Of Christianity. The interest OF
the Pope in the problem of Christian
unity is said to have been intensified
by the recent progress of the World Con-
gress. initiated by the American Episco-
pal Church.
POpe's Peace Effort.
"The new Pope" said Or. Palmieri,
summarizing the information received
from Rome, has taken considera BILE
part In the efforts Of neutral nations
to establish peace among nations. and
the Vatican's efforts have been sug-
gested not only by humanitarian
spirit but by n longing for Christian
unity and the ending OF the conflict
which long since has divided Christian
churches Efforts of Leo XIII. for carry
! ing out the reunion OF Christianity were
abruptly stopped by Plus n. who aimed
at an inner reform of the Catholic
clergy and turned all his energies to
the crushing of modernism.
Benedict XIV. thinks II is time to re-
,
that a reestablishment of political peace
would be the first step toward renewed
attempts to stop the splitting of Chris
tianity into a great number of sects.
For this purpose the Pope intends 10
set up commission OF four cardinals
who will devote their Intellectual and
moral energies to the study and solution
of the difficult problem of religious dis
sensions within Christendom.
thodoN Slavs will very soon be called
upon to take more active part in the
/ life of western nations. either Protestant
or Catholic, and that 1t is necessary tc
/ come to an understanding with them ir
order to avoid evils produced by re-
l!gious intolerance. The newly planned
commission of cardinals will pay atten.
tion to yearnings for unity, which from
time to time manifest themselves in the
| orthodox churches. and cultivate friendl,
relations with the Anglican Church.
To Rcexamine Arguments.
"One of the most important tasks OF
the new commission will be thorough
reeXamination OF the arguments, pro an,
con, on the validity of Anglican ordina
tions. The bull 'Apostolcae Sedis,' b,
Leo ". has settled in the negative IN,
problem of that validity, but generally
theological schools assume a more IA
vorable attitude toward acknowledgment
of the validity Of Anglican orders, anc
the new commission of cardinals will
carefully ponder the reasons set fortl
by Russian and Anglican divines agains
the decision of Pope Leo Y. The friend
ship of the Anglican Church IL apprc
ciated by Rome. for she may be as :
link of union between Roman Catholi
clsm and Russian orthodoxy.
'The interest of the Vatican in tn
problem of Christian unity has bee
aroused by the recent progress OF tn
World Conference the well known initia
tive movement of the American Epsco
pal Church. The movement towar
Christian unity, started by the Worl
Conference, excited interest and sym
pathy in Rome, and Cardinal Gasparr
Papal Secretary of State. wrote to tn
secretary of the World Conferenc,
Robert II. Gardiner several letters whic
seem to reproduce the style and the fee
ing of Leo XIII. But that correspondence
would not have had any tangible result
II the conference had not met with grea
success In Russia. The official organ c
. the Holy Synod has praised the initiativ
of the World Conference and exhorte
the Russian hierarchy to give their &C
operation to it"