The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1954-01-15
That They All Nav Be One

Next week. January Is to 25, Catholics of the
Columbus Diocese and their brethren throughout
the world will join their hearts and minds with the
will of their Divine Master and pray His own prayer
for the unity of all men in the true Church.
THAT they all may be one, as Thou, Father, in Me
and in Thee; that they also may be in Us
that the world may believe that Thou hast sent
Me- John. 17:2D.
1t is of particular interest that this Chair of
Unity Octave, once called the Church Unity Oc-
tave, of Protestant origin II IS unique IN this
respect being the one practice TO be started by our
separated brethren to be now an officially promul-
gated practice OF the Church.
1t is moreover the such practice, Of which
there are several, to be the pudding in which
the proof in the eating. The group of Protest
ants who inaugurated the movement observed it
one year-and then came into The Church.
Besides the Chair of Unity Octave. there are
three main Protestant Ecumenica movements which
come under the heading of the World Council of
Churches.
The first is the International Missionary Council
which seeks union OF hearts by personal emotional
conversion through exhortation and Bible reading
The second follows more liberal line and strives
for what they call union of hands by common
action in social service This is known as the Life
and Work Movement
The third main group stands in between the two
aforementioned groups in practice but is more CON
else in intent as it looks more 10 the root Of the
problem and seeks union Of minds and organlza-
tion BY cosescence of the teachings Of faith and
theories of church government This is the Faith
and Order Movement.
With the World Council OF Churches. these three
main groups have never produced a clearly defined
goal toward which to work They are for the time
being striving or wanting TO strive toward some un
defined unity some of doctrine some OF govern
ment and others of practice
Even though this unity for which these people
thirst is unspecifed their desire and their goodwill
strivngs are laudable things. We pray for them
that Almighty God will bless their efforts with the
ultimate success for which His Divine Son and His
Church prays daily and especially throughout the
Chair Of Unity Octave.
Much is said today Of Understanding 1t is
pointed 10 By our Protestant friends as the one
prime ingredient which eventual unity Wll be
based We agree-but ii Is as know the hnder-
standing which is illumned by Gods Divine Grace
and not the understanding which is the supposed
and forced comprehension Of contradictions.
This policy Of convergence Of contrary doctrines
into happy oneness is doomed 10 failure
The picture OF the World Council and IFS various
related unity movements is this Some believe in
personal God some are not too specific. Some be
Divine some say he is only man. others hedge
and say he is divine with small ID, whatever
that means). Now take only these few examples and
stir them together with Understandings you
still have an uncomprehensibIe mass, entirely indl-
gestibe by the rational. logical mind Of man.
Let is be our special prayer during the one
proven unity movement, the Chair Of Unity Octave,
that out Of this confusion OF words and ideas the
one idea the Word, may become apparent 10 the
minds Of all Let us pray that our brothers IN God
NAV soon all come Home