Evening star., 1941-10-11

| success. Dr. lutte was SparlnR O1
details, except to intimate that
Archbishop D. T. Owen, primate Of
the Church of England in Canada, is
sympathetic and that the subject
might come up for discussion at the
next meeting of the House Of
Bishops.
Church leaders here believe, how
ever, that the movement is an out
growth of the first North American
Ecumenical Conference, held in To-
ronto last June, at which leaders OF
principal denominations of the
United States and Canada, as well
as of several Latin American coun-
tries, were present. Canadian reli-
gious leaders were reported to have
been more impressed with the con-
| ference than any other group. One
of the aims of this conference was
to strengthen the movement for
unity and cooperation among
! churches.
American q observers anticipate
that the present movement will de-
velop into a Canadian federation
similar to the Federal Council OF
the Churches of Christ In America.
This federation would conceivably
comprise the United Church of Can
/ ada, the Church of England in
Canada, and other groups which are
not members of the United Church,
such as the Baptists.
British Churches Act.
In England there were two I'M
portant church union developments.
One was the decision of the Free
Church Federal Council to pass on
to its constituent denominations for
further action a proposal that the
council appoint special commits
sion to explore Free Church rela-
tionships with a view to establish
ing United. Free Church of Eng
land.
The creation of United Free
Church was urged last month in a
statement signed by more than 100
clergymen of five leading Protestant
denominations as we'll as number
of prominent laymen. These visual
lied a single Free Church somewhat
patterned after the United Church
of Canada.
Delegates to the meeting OF the
Free Church Council-which Is
analogous to the Federal Council OF
Churches in this country-ex-
pressed a keen desire for close CO.
operation but frankly admitted that
certain practical difficulties stood
in the way of the organic union OF
diverse religious groups.
The Free Church leaders also
acted unfavorably on another unity
plaza proposal for union of the
Anglican and Free Church bodies
of England into a United Church OF
England. ,
Here. again. the council stated
that formidable theological differ
ences are obstacles to union.
The Free Church statement was,
in effect, a reply to documents ure-
ing reunion, which were prepared
three years ago by joint commits
sion of Anglican and Free Church-
men. While the statement did not
explicitly reject the proposal LOT
reunion, it was described this week
as a fiat rejection by the Church
Times. an Anglican journal.
In the United States, flnal steps
were taken in a merger OF three
national church women's organiza-
tions. with a total membership OF
more than 100000. The National
Council of Church Women, meet
ing at Columbus. Ohio, voted to
merge with the Committee on Wom-
ems Work Of the Foreign MISSIONS
Conference and the former Coun-
Gil of Women for Home Missions
The union previously was approved
by the latter two organizations.
In losing their Identities as sep
arate organizations and forming an
entirely new body, the groups COM
plete three years of work, to bring
about closer cooperation and pre-
vent costly overlapping OF actlVl-
ties.
More Expected From Russia.
Religious leaders expect further
Developments in the campaign for
religious liberty in Russia. They are
not convinced that the Moscow
statement, which merely reaff1rmed
the present Soviet policy toward
religion, represents the last word
from the Russians on this subject.
Church spokesmen were disap-
pointed at the Moscow statement,
but not quite as disappointed as the
White House is reported to have
been. One section of church opinion
expects little or no notifications in
the Soviet policy toward religion
as long as Communism exists. They
contend that the Soviets would not
dare to proclaim religious liberty be-
cause such liberty might spell the
doom of Communism.
Last July, the Rev. John La Fargo,
s. j., an outstanding American au-
thority on Russian affairs, expressed
the opinion that any real break
with religious persecution in Mos
COW would mean a break with the
revolutionary movement as such.
He pointed out that religion is 'po-
tential dynamite" in Russia and
that if it were released for free
action 1t would "rise again like a
sweeping gaint and sweep the ma
ton from Minsk to Vladivostok."
A group of important church
leaders in Washington, who are evi-
IDENTIFY in the confidence of the
White House, are commencing the
President for his efforts to restore
religious freedom.
Catholic Rural Life Movement.
A movement upon which Roman
Catholic leaders are placing increas-
ing Importance was in the news this
week when bishops, clergy, nuns,
laymen and youth came together
for the nineteenth annual conyen-