Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-01-17
Church UNITY OCTAVE
TO BRING ABOUT UNION
The Eleventh Anniversary Near Al
Hand
UT oMNES UNUM SINT
Annapolis Clergy Urgea 10 Join In The
Drixe THAT All HAY Be
One"
tContributedl


January is. 10 the Feast OF the CSA-
version Of 81 Paul, January 25th
This week Of prayer for Church Union
& being devoutIy observed with one
heart bv Christians OF all denomina- /
tions elsewhere, notably New York
and Washington not in Annap-
oils? The Anglican Commission for
X Worlds Conference on Faith and
order has earnestly recommended
that all denominatiC make Of this
week time Of prayer for the re-
union OF Christendom. Benedict XIV
EXPRESSED great sympathy f0r the
proposed Worlds Conference to the
Anglican Commission The Holy
Father has given his heartieat aD-
.proval to the Church Unity Octave
ana by a papaI brief extened it to-
the whole Church. The Lamp,
Catholic monthly, devoted to Church
union and missions, has always OBJ
served this Octave, and invited al who
arc disciples Of Christ, Anglican,
Orthodox, Protestant, to Join with
their Roman Catholic brethren in fer
vent prayer for the reunion Of
Conscientious Ut Ommes Unum Sint
Chat all may be one). as Christ pray
ed. Again The Lamp makes its earn
csc appeal for the observance Of the
Church Unity Octave to bring about
that union Of all men in one heart
and mind for which Christ prayed,
that the world might believe that He
has come. Why should not the
Christians of Annapolis observe this
Octave together with Christians else
where2 Annapolis Protestants have
an edifying custom of observing the
second week in the New Year by
union service Of prayer, why should
not Annapolis Protestants and An
napolis Catholics observe together
this Church Unity Octave? The Ma
val Academy Chapel is non-sectar-
! ian place OF worship. The present
Chaplain is an Fpiscopalian, but the
Office is open to clergyman Of any
| REORGANIZATION It also maintains an
open pulpit and any form Of Christian
service may be held there. Sunday
after Sunday scores of men of all
Protestant denominations kneel side
bv side In the Naval Academy Chapel.
Surely the Christians in the Naval
Academy, as weli as those in Annap-
oils City, viii find~ft easy to partici-
pate in the Church Unity Octave.
The requirements are simple and suit
able to all; no controversy Of any
kind, merely prayer, public or pri-
yate, by individuals, family groups or
congregations, in concert or alone, it
does not matter. the important thing
IS for al to pray for the same object,
Christian unity. and that the Holy
Ghost. the Spirit Of Truth, viii remove
all obstacles thereto which man has
erected.
Therefore, Catholics everywhere
earnestly extend a fraternaI invitation
to their non-Catholic brethren to join
their hearts and minds with them
from January Is to January 25, in the
following form Of prayer to Almighty
God:
"That they all may be one as Thou,
Father in Ne, and ! in Thee; that
they may be also one in Us, that the
world may believe that Thou hast
sent Me-
4 say unto thee that thou art
Peter
And upon this rock viii build My
Church"
Let US pray: ooh Lord Jesus
Chrust, Who said unto Thine Apes
ties, Peace I leave to you, Ny peace
give unto you. regard not cur sins,
but the Faith of Thy Church, and
grant to Her that peace and unity
which viii enable Her to do Thy viii,
who livest and reignest Cor, forever
and ever Amen"
This is the authorized form Of
prayer which is to be recited daily by
all Christians, wherever they be, in
their churches or in their homes. On
February %, 1916, His Holiness, Bene-
dict XIV, called the whole Catholic
world to its observance
The Friars Of the Atonement, with
whom the Church Unity Octave origi-
mated. have received hundreds of cor
dial and fraternal replies to the cir
culars they have sent TO the Bishops
and clergy Of the Anglican Church in
the United States AS a distinct serv-
ice to the Cause of Reunion The Lamp
published extracts from some Of the
letters received, Of which the follow
ing (from an Anglican clergyman is
a sample:
Dear Brethren: Far be it from
ma 10 sscaru' vn5fr invitation IN rrav
together in holy concert for Christian
unity, a thing for which I long end
wait more than watchmen wait for
the morning. But surely, at this time
when the whole Christian Church Of
whatever name. in America as well
as in Europe. has seemed to fail ut
terly Of having any influence upon
the opening or the closing Of this
present absolutely unfraternal, I'M
Christian war. which IS nothing but
pagan in its inception and in the
manner Of its continuance, I think
that the whole Christian world should
humbly and gladly follow any one or
any branch Of the Church who shall
seriously propose a period Of sincere,
heart-searching prayer. that in order
that the Christian Church may lead
the way 10 world peace, as It is her
mission to do. she promptly take steps
looking toward peace in her Own
household. where conflict, often truly
bitter, has ragged for centuries.
Church Unity must come before the
world viii again take the Christian