Evening star., 1942-02-28

influential body, but he unquestioni
sonal and official-wth church lead
than any other schurchman alive.
His connections include the chair
manship of the Provisional Com
mittee of the World Council OF
Churches, which comprises some %
religious bodies In 26 countries, and
the craftsmanship of the World Con-
ference on Faith and Order.
The appointment is therefore be-
ing hailed as a step Of great impor-
tance in the progress Of the Chris
tian unity movement throughout the
world, and 1t is widely believed that
the archbishop will be regarded as
world leader Of non-Roman Chris
tianity. Heretofore. because OF the
great variety Of religious groups in
volved In the worldwide Christian
unity movement, no single ind1vid-
ual, with the exception Of the late
Archbishop Soeberbiom Of Sweden.
was looked upon as big enough to
assume undisputed leadership. The
new Archbishop Of Canterbury. 1t IS
held. will receive the unquestioned
respect and allegiance OF all groups.
The reason for this, first OF all, is
that the Anglican Church Is a
"bridge" church. 1t maintains am
icable relations with both the East
ern Orthodox churches on the one
hand and the low church Protestant
bodies on the other. 1t is on the
friendliest of terms with the Roman
Catholic Church and generally
links church groups together CO.
operatively in a way that no other
body can duplicate.
To some extent this tendency
towards bridging" the various re-
lisious groups has also been dis
played by the Protestant Episcopal
Church in the United States, the
American sister of the Anglican
Church.
Cooperate With Cardinal.
The archbishop has often ap-
peared on the same platform with
Cardinal Hinsley. leader of British
Catholics. AS the Archbishop OF
York he was one of the few prom
inent British churchmen who had
such relations with the cardinal.
During December of 1910 he joined
with the cardinal and other British
church leaders in drawing up a
Joint statement-the famous 10
points"-of the principles upon
which the postwar order must be
based. There is every indication
that the cordial relationship be-
tween the new head of the Anglican
Church and the present head OF
the Roman Catholic Church in Brit
ain will continue.
DR.. Temples interest IN church
unity Is expected to speed the par
ticipation Of the Church OF Eng
land in the unity movement,
through creation of the British
Council of Churches, which would
federate the Anglican and Free
Churches in a body similar to the
Federal Council of Churches in the
United States. The archbishop has
been the leader of the movement
for q British council Of churches.
If the council materializes and the
archbishop becomes its head, as is
likely, it will be the closest rela-
tionship which any Archbishop OF
Canterbury has ever had with the
Free Churches Of England.
The archbishop's interest In the
church unity movement dates back
to 1910 when. as . student in Edin-
burgh. he attended the World Con-
ference on Missions and is quoted
as saying there that he would de-
vote his life to the furtherance Of
church unity. He continued this
interest In the student Christian
movement, then in the missionary
movement, later through his chair
manshhip of the World Conference
on Faith and Order, and most re-
Gently through his leadership Of the
Provisional Committee OF the World
Council Of Churches.
Leader of Postwar Movement.
Equally significant, in the opinion
of observers, is the fact that the
archbishop is the recognized world
leader of the church movement to
lay down the principles OF the post
war peace. He was the prime mover
of the now-famous Malvern Confer
ence which called for a new post
war order having for Its goal the
unification of Europe as a co-opera-
tive commonwealth, the revamping
of the Church of England's none
tarv system, the subordination OF
the profit motive to human needs.
and the rehabilitation OF outmoded
forms of worship. =.
The archbishop also had a hand
in the publication, last month, OF
a follow-up report Of the Malvern
Conference, issued by the Indus
trial Christian Fellowship OF the
Church Of England. This report
recommended far-reaching changes
in the British system OF land owner
ship. and condemned the Immoral
aspects of the profit motive.
It Is belived in some quarters
that the archbishop's concern with
drastic changes in the postwar
social order may be tempered oy
the opposition Of conservative ele-
ments in England within and with
out the church. But American
friends of the archbishop are con-
yinced that there will be no change
In his attitude. 1t Is believed, IN
fact, that DR.. Temple was reluctant
to accept his new post because ne