New Britain herald., 1917-01-05
CHRISTIAN REUNION
 IS AIM OF '. POPE
Benedict to Appoint Commission
 to Take Up Project

ters from the Vatican received by pr. A. Palmieri of the Library of Con- rress, writer on ecclesiastical sub- jacts. announce that Pope Benedict XIV. is about to appoint commis- sion of four cardinals to renew a
 movement begun by Pope Leo XIII,
 and abandoned by Pope Plus X..
 looking to reunion of Christianity
 and the cultivation of friendly rela-
 tions with the Angelican church. A
 public announcement on the subject
 from Rome is expected soon
 Dr. Palmieri said last night that
 tho new movement, as outlined in his a5vices. would be directed par 1 ticulariy toward the establishment of
 a cor,ciliation of the Russian church l and the Papacy and a thorough re-
 examination into the validity of An ] ehcan or Episcopal ordinations which l was settled in the negative in Papal
 bull "Apostoiicae Sedis." by Pope l Leo x.
 The honor of presiding over the
 commission of cardinals, Dr. Palmieri 1 has been informed, will be bestowed upon Cardinal Marini. one of the 1 new cardinals created at the last con- sistory, who has devoted many years l to scientific research and to the cause of reunion of Christianity. The in 1 terest of the Pope in the problem of l Christian unity IS said to have been 1 intensified by the recent progress of 1 the world congress initiated by the American Episcopal church.
 "The new Pope" said Dr. Pal l mieri, summarizing the information received from Rome, "has taken a | considerable part in the efforts of neutral nations to establish peace among nations, and the Vatican's ef- forts have been suggested not only by a humanitarian spirit, but by longing for Christian unity and the ending of the conflict which has long l divided Christian churches. Efforts of Leo XIII. for carrying out the re- union of Christianity were abruptly stopped by Plus K, who aimed at an inner reform of the Catholic clergy and turned all his energies to the crushing of modernism.
 Benedict XIV. thinks it is time to renew the policy of Leo XIII. and also that a re-esta ablishment of political peace would be the first step toward renewed attempts to stop the splitting of Christianity into great number of sects. For this pur- pose the Pope intends to set up a com mission or four cardinals, who will de- vote their intellectual and moral ener- gies to the study and solution of the difficult problem of religious dtseen- sions within Christendom.
 'It seems to the Vatican that the Orthodox Slavs will be very soon called to take more active part in the life of western nations, either Protestant or Catholic, and that 1t is necessary to come to an understand ing with them in order to avoid evils produced by religious intolerance. The newly planned commission Of cardinals will pay attention to the yearnings for unity which from time to time manifest themselves in the Orthodox churches and to the culti- vation of friendly relations with the Anglican church.
 cone of the most important tasks of the new commission will be thorough re-examination of the argu ments pro and con on the validity of Anglican ordinations. The bull 'Apostolicae Sedis,' by Leo x. has , settled in the negative the problem of that validity, but generally theo- logical schools assume a more favor U of the validity of Anglican orders. and the new commission of cardinals will carefully ponder the reasons set forth by Russian and Anglican divines against the decision of Pope Leo X. The friendship of the An glican church Is appreciated by Rome. l for she may be as a link of union be- l tween Roman Catholicism and Rus sian Orthodoxy. ,..... >
 '"The interest of the Vatican in the problem of Christian unity has been aroused by the recent progress of the l world conference, the well-known in- | itiative movement of the American [ Episcopal church. The movement toward Christian unity. started by the | world conference, excited interest and 1 sympathies in Rome. and Cardinal Gasparri, in the name of the Pope, l wrote to the secretary of the world 1 conference, R. H. Gardiner. several letters which seem to reproduce the style and the feelings of Leo XIII. 1 But that correspondence would not l have had any tangible results if the l conference had not met with a great l success in Russia The official organ l of the Holy Synod has praised the ini- 1 tiative of the world conference and | exhorted the Russian hierarchy to l give their cooperation to it."
 Dr. Palmieri made public a letter he had just received from Professor w. Ekzempliarski. editor of the Christian Thought, in Russia. in which the Russian writer said:
 Tt is with feeling of joy that Rus sians see their American brothers take in hand the initiative of Christian unity with energy and assiduity."
 Of course Rome cannot see with indifference the growing friendship between Anglicanism and Orthodoxy"