Evening star., 1951-10-29
All Saints Pastor
Favors Mamma
Vatican Envoy
Not Religious Issue,
Declares DR.. Lowry,
Episcopal Minister

SS ~" @OW'yS
Episcopal Minister
The Rev. Charles E. Lowry
minister of the All Saints Epis-
copal Church. has parted with his
fellow Protestants and declared
he is in favor of the United States
being represented at the Vatican
in Rome by an Ambassador.
Delivering his Reformation
Sunday sermon yesterday, DR.
Lowry startled his church con-
gregation by stating:
Il believe that we should be
represented there and in the most
worthy and effective manner pos
sible."
He declared the question of
diplomatic representation at the
Vatican is mot a religious ques-
tlon in any direct sense" He
summed it up as a matter OF
eXpediency. pointing out that the
Vatican is probably the best lis
tenlng post anywhere in the
world today.
On Uneasy Ground"
The minister entitled his SER
mon, Should America Be Repre-
sented at the Vatican? An Epis-
copalian Viewpoint" He said he
ventured upon the uneasy
ground" of this subject without
the desire to attack any one nor
to force on any one his opinions
Il do not want on Reformation
Sunday to pour fuel upon the
flames of existing intolerance.
do not want to make a red-hot
situation any hotter. My prayer
is rather that of John Wesley,
o Lord. give us light. not heat "
DR.. Lowry said he had the i'm
preston that during the past six
years, there has been a steady
and progressive boiling up of the
passion of intolerance, especially
between Catholics and Protes-
tants," in the United States.
When President Truman, a
Baptist from Missouri and a per-
sonality as enthusiastically and
indubitably American as any who
in the 100 odd years of its exist
ences has presided over the
destinies Of this republic, an
nounced WITHOUT warning the ap-
pointment of Gen. Clark as AM
basSador to the Vatican, the bull
letin burst upon an unprepared
public with the force of an atom
bomb
Protestant Ministers Shaken.
Catholics could not believe the
bountifulnesS of the news. Protes-
tant ministers, already at work
on Reformation Day sermons,
were shaken to the depths of their
professional and theological being. -
WAS the President fright, not
necessarily in the details or man
ner OF the appointment. but in the
hard core of his action? Or is the
President a traitor to Protestant
principles? Is his action also a
violation Of the American tradi-
ton OF. the separation of Church
and State. and a contradiction of
the Constitution of this country?"
DR.. Lowry said these are great
issues. vital to America and the
world. He said he was going to
give his answer as "an American.
q Christian and an Episcopalian. )"
The question of diplomatic
representation at the Vatican is
not a religious question in any
direct sense" he declared. ut is
an issue of expediency, a prag-
matte question. a problem of
American interest and welfare"
80 Nations Represented.
why are 80 nations now rep
resented at the Vatican, 18 of
them with ambassadors and is
with ministers? The remaining
five have charge d'affaires.
IheSe nations maintain fully
accredited representatives at the
Vatican for one reason and one
reason only. They think it is in
their interest and in that of the
world generally to do so. This
should be the test of American
policy-Is it in the national in
terest: is it in the interest of
Christian civilization; is it in the
interest of humanity that we have
a representative at the Vatican?"
He traced the relations of Eng
land with the Vatican, pointing
out that the King of England and
the people "are presumably still
under the sentence of ex-com-
munication pronounced by Pope
Plus V in 1870 in the reign of
Elizabeth" The Church of Eng
land is a national church, estab-
lished by law, he continued, and
for all these reasons England
might be leary of diplomatic re-
latlonS with the Vatican"
I'VE can be sure they would
never have been established if
there were any direct religious
issue involved" he said.
He continued:
Il am convinced that this view
of the case is correct and unas-
sailable unless one is so unhis-
torical and unrealistic as to de-
sire to rewrite the facts of the
ages and to eliminate as potent
factor in~t4fe life of humanity the
Roman Catholic Church.
II could not be Roman Cath
olic. I could make many trenchant
and damaging criticisms of that
body, as I could of Episcopalian-
ism or even of the Baptist
Churches, were I so inclined.
Mighty Power for Good.
II believe. in particular, in spite
of all it's faults and even its funda.
mental, deeply rooted theological,
intransigence, that the Roman
Catholic Church is a mighty power
for stability and good in our trou.
bled world. I believe that it ha.
,a1exyal a,oS eA;I -.