Evening star., 1951-11-01
Protestant Group Calls
Vatican Nomination
Grave Disservice'
BY the Associated Press

NEW YORK. Nov. 1.-The pol
icy-making board of America s
largest Protestant group says
President Truman has done "a
grave disservice to our country"
in nominating an Ambassador to
the Vatican.
The General Board of the Ma
tional Council of the Churches OF
Christ in the United States OF
America said in a statement yes
terday:
Only a prompt withdrawal or
rejection of the Presidents pro-
posal can save this country from
most unfortunate and unneces-
sary controversy with reactions
that will be cumulative as the is
sue becomes more widely recog-
niZed."
The boards request that Mr..
Truman withdraw or the e>Senate
reject the nomination was made
at an emergency session.
Useless in Practice"
The statement, disclaiming any
religious prejudices. protested
what it termed IAN alarming
threat to basic American prin-
ciples."
1t called the nomination wrong
in principle, useless in practice,
and Z disastrous to the national
unity OF the American people"
The boards statement did not
mention the name of Gen. Mark
w. Clark. whose nomination as
Ambassador to the Vatican was
sent to the Senate by President
Truman on October 20. Congress
adjourned that same day, with
out action on the nomination.
The National Councils Board
authorized the councils president,
Presiding Episcopal Bishop Henry
Knox Sheriff.. to appoint a COM
mittee to carry out program of
education" based on the boards
statement.
Bishop Sheriff. indicated he
would announce the committee
membership next week. The COM
mittee will seek to coordinate
Protestant opposition to the am
bassadorship.
Protest Pilgrimage Urged.
The board is composed of 1875
representatives of % Protestant
and Eastern Orthodox churches.
1t was announced that the 80 Off
GERS and members of the board
who attended the five-hour spe-
cial session approved the state
ment unanimously.
Another development on the
issue came yesterday in Gary,
Ind, where the American Council
of Christian Churches urged a
Protestant protest pilgrimage to
Washington.
The council, which claims a
membership of 5000 churches,
called for a pilgrimage next jan
uary "a. The proposal was made
in resolution by delegates repre-
senting IA Protestant denomina-
tions at their 10th annual national
convention.
The Washington pilgrims would
Visit their Senators and send a
delegation to President Truman.
according to the Rev. w. w.
Breckbill of Altoona, Pa. general
superintendent of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church.
The boards statement in New
York said the group was "espe-
cially distressed" by reports that
President Truman, during a news
conference, said this is a time
to fight it our on the Vatican
issue.
This Is Different.
ut is normal and wholesome
in democracy to fight it out
on political issues. But this is
different. Religious convictions
lie deeper than politics"
The board rejected major argu-
ments advanced in support of the
Presidents proposal. One of
these was that diplomatic rela-
tions with the Vatican are needed
to gain access to its sources of
information on the world Com
munist movement.
On this point the council said:
"If both parties desire that all
resources Of information be util-
lied and co-ordinated against
communist, this can be achieved
through our Ambassador to the
government of Italy"