Evening star., 1946-08-04
Protestdnts Ask
Vatican Accord
On WorIdAction
Leaders of 8 Nations
Favor Agreement to
Influence Statesmen
BY the Associated Pres.


leaders of eight nations today
disclosed that they favored Joint
action on world problems by
Protestants and Roman Cath
olics, based on "some kind of
satisfactory understanding at
the highest level, presumably be-
tween the World Council of
Churches and the Vatican"
Replies to QUESTIONABLE on pol
icy OF the World Council pointed up
Protestant plan to seek collabo-
ration with the Roman Catholic
Church in putting World Chris
tlan viewpoint on peace problems
before the statesmen of the world.
The announcement said that, un-
less some high level agreement was
reached, the extent of cooperation
would f1uctuate with changing per-
sonalities and you never know where
you are
Meeting in Cambridge.
The views were released by DR..
Walter w. van Kirk of New York.
secretary of the Federal Council of
Churches of Christ in America, who
came here with a dozen other
American leaders to attend a four
day conference of international
church leaders, under the sponsor
ship of the World Council The
meeting opens tomorrow at Cam
bridge.
The QUESTIONABLE was answered
by representatives of Protestant
bodies from the United States, Eng
land, Scotland, Canada. Australia
New Zealand, Denmark and the
Netherlands. In order to encourage
candid replies, names were not dis
closed.
One reply, referring to rela tions
with the Vatican, said "co-operation
with Roman Catholic bodies seems
difficult" This reply noted that
"co-operation with Jewish bodies
has increased"
Another said collaboration with
the Roman Catholic Church on
matters of world order needs to be
prepared sympathetically and with
an understanding of that church's
difficulties and background"
High-Level Talks Urged.
"It must" this reply said, ''be
preceded by conversations between
the highest courts on both sides, and
must also include a discussion of
the alternative theories Of the rela :
tionship between church and state"
II such an approach should break
down, the reply continued, the
question Of collaboration should not
be taken up ION a mere humanistic
or good neighbor' basis"
John Foster Dulles of New York
chairman of the Federal Council of
Churches Commission on Just and
Durable Peace, who is expected to
be named chairman of the confer
ence. has said that parallel ac-
ton of the Catholic Church and
the World Council at least would be
sought.
Moral Pressure Urged.
DR.. Frederick Nolde of Philadel-
phia, dean of the graduate school
of Mount Airy Lutheran Theologi-
cal Seminary, told a news confer
ence 'it is imperative that the
churches of the world seek in every
legitimate way to bring moral pres
sure to bear on the leaders of the
world"
IF 1t is appropriate for labor and
business to put pressure on the
United Nations Organization, 1t Is
necessary for churches to do the
same thing" he said.
The only group identified in the
responses to the questionnaire was
the New Zealand Council OF
Churches, which said that in New
Zealand there has been no expert
ence OF collaboration with Jewish
| bodies, and the national council
would probably not favor such an
approach, which could not, in the
nature of things, be on a thought
out, Christian basis
The New Zealand group added
however, that there is good evil
dence of friendly relations between
Christian and Jew on the individual
level"