Evening star., 1942-10-31

DR.. Cavert reported that churc
throughout Europe and is becom-
ing increasingly stronger in Ger
many itself. In fact, the American
religious leader indicated that a
widespread underground movement
has been developing among the
German churches to which the
people are rallying. DR.. Cavert was
careful to point out, however, that
this movement is in no sense one
of active opposition to the Nazis,
but rather takes the direction OF
the fostering of disaffection which,
at some future time may burst
into open resistance. The amount
of discomfort in Germany among
various sections of the population
is much greater than Americans
realize, he said.
One of the most important situa-.
tions in Europe, DR.. Cavert declared,
is the increasing gulf between the
Vichy regime and Catholic and
Protestant churches of France. The
churches have irrevocably broken
with the present government, he
believes.
"Unoecupied France" he said,
to-day affords the most recent Illus
tration of the moral yigor and spir-
itual freedom of the church. There
the church, after a period of con-
fusion, is finding its soul again IN
connection with the issue OF the
treatment of the Jews"
The outstanding impression left
by his visit, DR.. Cavert said. is that
the Church in Europe, in spite Of all
that it has suffered, has surprising
spiritual vitality.
I'm outward circumstances, in
many countries, it is pathetically
feeble, impoverished, restricted in its
services, unable to provide training
for it's ministers. Not a few of its
best leaders, like Bishop Berggrav
in Norway, Professor Hendrix
Kraemer in Holland and Pastor
Martin Niemoller in Germany, are
imprisoned or interned, but their
influence is even greater than II
they were free. In many cases the
Church, in both its Protestant and
its Catholic branches, is the greatest
center of resistance to Naziism.
"It is also of great significance
that both in Germany and in oc-
cupied countries, the church, in
the face of all obstacles put in its
way, and deliberate efforts to render
it ineffective, has been able to main
tain its parish organization. The
local congregations have withstood
the disruptive forces. In fact, the
church is the one institution which
has succeeded in maintaining a soi-
darity against totalitarian pressure"
Other European church develop
ments as reported this week by Reli-
gious News Service correspondents
Reports reaching London said
that, last May, 6,687 ministers of
the German Evangelical Church,
out of total of 18,047. were at the
front. Up to last April, 689 min
listers, assistant ministers and theo-
logical = students we're killed in
action.
The general convention of the
Hungarian Reformed Church issued
a declaration calling for a Chris
tiari victory" The declaration said:
I'VE pray, together with our foreign
brothers, that we may remain faith
full to God and 10 Christ our Saw
ior. May Providence prevent any
country from coming under rule
which would seek to extirpate faith
in God and Christ. We pray that
God and the doctrine of Christ may
be victorious in the war"
1t was learned that Bishop Eivind
Berggrav, primate of the Norwegian
Church, who has been under house
arrest for some months, is spending
his time translating the New Testa-
ment into modern Norwegian. Nor
wegian sources here believe the fact
that Berggrav is being permitted to
work on this project is a tacit ac-
acknowledgement by the Quislingites of
the imprisoned church leaders in
f1uence.
The last Bible translation in Nor
way was completed in 1880. Since
then the Norwegian language has
undergone such a metamorphosis
that a new edition is held to be
greatly needed. The trend in Nor
way in recent years has been to-
ward one general language, insti-
gated by the desire to break away
from regional dialects.
Religion Interests Scientists.
Social science is becoming increas-
ingly interested in religion. This is
tho conclusion being drawn from the
fact that the New School of Social
Research in New York City has Just
added five religion-related courses
to its regular and graduate school
curricula this fall.
One of the schools new courses
entitled 'The Impact of the War
on American Society" devotes 3 of
its Is lecture periods to the churches
and war. On successive weeks DR..
Arthur L. Swift Of Union Theolog-
ical Seminary, Msgr. John A. Ryan,
director of the department of social
action of the National Catholic We'll
rare Conference, and Rabbi Milton
Steinberg of New York's Park Ave-
nue. Synagogue are scheduled to
discuss the effect of the war on
Protestantism, Catholicism and Ju-
daism.