EIGHT ROADS TO UNITY
"C.H." Liverpool Correspondent A RCHRISHOP HEENAN has formulated eight rules for fostering Christian Unity. They will be read from all the pulpits of the Liverpool Archdiocese on Sunday as part of the Lenten Pastoral. Meanwhile the Archbishop is in Rome attending meetings of the Secretariat for Christian 'Unity.
In his message the archbishop says: "In recent months the desire for unity has quickened. The legacy of hatred of four hundred years cannot disappear in as many days. But the whole climate has changed. We do not live at enmity with others merely because they practise a different religion.
" Our Lord taught us to love, not to hate our brethren. But the relationship is new. Any false steps taken now would later have to be retraced and this could lead to renewed bitterness.
RULES
• (1) Never accuse non-Catholics of being in had faith. God judges both them and us. Assume that members of other religions are at least as sincere as ourselves in their beliefs.
(2) Always keep calm when the ignorant attack what they wrongly believe to he Catholic doctrine. It is not their fault if they have been brought up to think, for example, that Catholics put the Blessed Virgin in the place of Almighty God.
• (3) Be ready to answer questions about the faith, but never argue if you are unable to keep your temper.
• (4) In discussions with nonCatholics never, in an effort to please, pretend the differences in doctrine do not matter. That would be insincere and untrue. • (5) Don't deny that the Catholic Church claims to be the one true Church. Non-Catholics know that this is our claim. They despise us if we attempt to disguise it. But, on the other hand, don't allege that only Catholics can be real Christians. That is not only false but absurd.
• (6) Christian charity does not require us to take part in the worship of other religions. But we should not he more Catholic than the Pope. We may recite publicly the Lord's Prayer and the Apostles Creed with other Christians. We may also pray with them in private. That is quite different from taking part in public worship in which we do not believe.
• (7) loin with non-Catholics
in working for the good of the community. In social services. trades unions and political parties, Catholics should give a good example of public spirit. The old, the epileptics, the spastics and all suffering, sickness or misfortune should be given our compassion irrespective of their redlUy w iugnioiytn(. e to bringing all men to a8)f While fostering Christian e must never forget our iugnioiytn(. e to bringing all men to a8)f While fostering Christian e must never forget our
knowledge of the truth. The return of our country to the Old Faith must be the object of our constant prayer and apostolic effort Remember, however, that the tragedy of England is not that many Christians are not Catholics but that so many citi7ens have no religion at all."