Christian Unity Christian Unity

THE majority perhaps of those who wistfully look to Christianity for the lines of a solu. tion to the problems of a warring world find in the divisions between Christians the biggest stumbling block in the way of making further enquiries. It is well that once a year at least we on our side should interest ourselves in this difficulty.
The week of the " Church Unity Octave " is the appropriate occasion.
It is well known—and accepted at last by everyone—that the Catholic Church cannot of its very nature sacrifice anything in faith and morals in order to further even this ideal.
Union under such conditions would not create unity, but destroy it, since the one faith would have been lost.
This truth seems so obvious to us that we are inclined to feel that nothing further can be done about the matter except to pray.
Dogmatic Divisions
Forty years ago, when Christians of all kinds were experiencing the full impact of the latest scientific philosophy, and, as a result. were in many cases greatly troubled in mind about the interpretation—and sometimes the very substance—of their own faith, such an attitude was more understandable. Christians in this atmosphere really were keenly and sincerely divided over faith and morals ": and since the Catholic position was an intransigent one. there was little that could be done.
But it is not too much to say that today this controversy is largely outdated. The claims of science to lead and dictate in the fields of religion and philosophy have been notably weakened, and the trend of the most serious thinking has been in the direction either of actually supporting traditional Christian teaching or at least of admitting its rightful place.
As a result there has been a general and marked return to dogma. which is in itself a striking vindication of the Catholic Church's steadiness in the heyday of modernism.
Obviously division about doctrine remains. but the centre of gravity of the differences between Christians has shifted. And one may even go so far as to suggest that it is now to be found in what are almost accidentals.
It is, of course, true that the refusal of our separated brethren to acknowledge, for example, the Catholic claims about the Pope is, from our point of view, very far from being an accidental. But one observes that even in this vital difference the dispute concerns itself more with the desirability of such a closed authoritative system than with arguments about the Petrinc claims. In other words Christians—and nonChristians—are thinking more in terms of the outward effects of differing Christian standpoints than with theology and history.
A Challenge To Us
Whether this weakening of interest in theology is altogether a good thing may be disputed. But at any rate it offers to Catholics a very precious chance of giving definite and concrete help towards the restoration of the unity of Christendom.
For if men are for the moment more concerned with the outward effects of Christianity and more ready to judge of the worth of Christian dogmatic claims by the behaviour of Christians, then Catholics are being offered a challenge which it is fully within their power to accept.
Certainly no dogmatic difficulty can possibly stand in the way of a Christian life so full, so uncompromising, so essentially free, because spontaneous, so intimately concerned with the immediate troubles and perplexities of the world that others will be forced to exclaim: " There indeed must be the truth!"
And in a world so filled with strange and extraordinary things, in a world whose own dogmas have been blown sky-high in a night, in a world hopelessly puzzled about what will be taken for granted tomorrow, there can be no Christian dogma or " mystery " that can be held to pass the bounds of the intelligent man's belief.
The Christian Performance
It seems, then, that in two main respects we Catholics arc being given a remarkable opportunity of bringing about Christian unity through our positive actions, as well as through our prayers.
In the first place, we can make a very strong appeal to separated Christians, who today are far closer to us in matters of dogma and morals than they were even a few years ago. Instead of despairing about the essentially grave, but often accidentally-motivated, differences that still divide us, we can aim at proving by our behaviour the compelling necessity of the adoption of the fullness of Christianity.
Too often we have been content to reiterate the superiority of our claims, while acquiescing in a performance that is not so noticeably superior. Today we are clearly being given the chance to tackle the problem the other way round. Let us prove the superiority of our claims by the strongest of arguments enshrined in the homely maxim : the proof of the pudding is in the eating.
And, secondly, we shall not limit such practical apostolic activity to separated-Christians, There are millions in the world who have lost all faith, and not faith in God and God's Church alone. Painful as their position is, it remains one of hope, for man, of his nature. is not content until he finds, or thinks he finds, God. And it is those who feel themselves to have lost all who are quickest moved by a new hope, whether it be political or social or, maybe. religious.
But these are eminently looking for effects. for evidence. We may say that they are almost ready to swallow anything. if only it proves itself in its effects on men's lives to be a genuine cause.
If they do not turn to Christianity again we may be sure it is not because of the difficulties of Christian teaching. but because they are not inspired by Christian performance.
Practical Octave
When, then. in this coming Octave our prayers and thoughts turn again to that prayer of Our Lord Himself. Ur Unum Sint, we may well ask ourselves how far the fulfilment of that prayer is being delayed by our own failure to accept the challenge that is being made to us Catholics in these unique times.