Evening star., 1962-09-24
(OONIH @sE<s*%
{ Voticon Council Will Seek
Better Interfoith Relations

men at Loyola-on-P Potomac Re,
treat House, Faulkner, Nd. Thl
last had 50 ministers-Episco
palians, Lutherans, Methodists
| IPresbyterians, Baptists. UniteC
| Church Of Christ-from /:
States present.
Two Lutheran actions poinI
up the new climate. In 1856
the United Lutheran Church
in America (now merged intC
the Lutheran Church in Amer.
ica) directed its board Of parish
education to produce q book
citing differences between
Catholics and Lutherans. The
project was Cancelled this year
DR.. Arthur H. Getz Of tn {
boards editorial division ex-
planned the emphasis Is now
on understanding each other
rather than pointing up diff
ferences.
Going farther afield, the
Lutheran World Federation two
years ago launched an inter-
confessional research study Of
contemporary Catholicism. The
Rev. David Granskou Of the
National Lutheran Council OBJ
served that such 9 study would
have been ''unthinkable o few
decades ago."
And the rather ungentle art
Of name-calling has been con-
siderably modified by both
sides. Catholic leaders no longer
call Protestants "heretics" but
rather refer to them as "sep-
arated brethen" and "fel-
low Christians" Protestants are
less inclined to label Catholics
as "papists."
Catholic spokesmen also are
stressing that all the sins and
all the faults are not to be
found on one side. The Rev.
George Tavard of Pittsburgh, q
consultant to the Secretariate
for Promoting Christianity, re-
Gently asserted Martin Luther
would not have been obliged
to set justification by faith in
opposition to q scheme of
salvation by merit II the Cath
olic theologians Of his time had
been free Of error.
Adverse Factors Noted
But these and other good
will expressions must not OBJ
scure the adverse factors to
union. They are many. and the
Rev. Thomas Doyle of Hatfield,
Pa, in The Ecumenical Coun-
Gil and Christian Unity"
frankly admits amy possibil-
ity of uniting the Protestant
churches with Rome must be
ruled out as exceedingly re-
mote at this time"
A significant reaction came
earlier this year from DR.. John
w. Behnken. recently retired
president Of the Lutheran
Church : Missouri Synod. He
said Missouri Synod is willing
to carry on theological discus
sions with the Catholic Church
"only when the Bible forms the
sole basis for such discussions. I"
When the official Vatican news
paper stated unity Is possible
only under the Pope, DR.. Behn-
ken declared his church could
not accept such terms. adding,
Unity is possible only under
Christ and the Word Of God"
The Methodist Christian Ad-
vocate of December 81, 1861,
reacted adversely to union
based upon the view "those
wishing a real approach must
adopt Catholic doctrine" And
the Virginia Methodist Advocate
of January 25. 1862, suggested
the Catholic Church join the
World Council Of Churches "if
a true discussion Of union Is
to be undertaken"
The Lutheran Witness Of
July "a, 1862. asserted that
"the heart Of the difference"
separating Protestants and Ro-
man Catholicism is the doc
trine Of the infallibility Of the
Pope.
A statement by DR.. Edwin
T. Dahlberg of st. Louis, former
president Of the National
Council Of Churches, may be
taken as representative Of the
Protestant position. Agreeing
that any move encouraging
unity is welcome. DR.. Dahlberg
insisted: "It would have to be
recognized that it was a mutual
coming together. not under
conditions laid down by one