| Show FOR FOB UNION OF CHURCHES CHURCHE the conference for the purpose of arranging if possible blet a union bet between the roman catholic church and the various ancient christian organizations io in asia aia was opened wednesday oct 06 at rome home his bis boll holiness ness pro pm siding biding reference Be ference to this important movement in which the prevent decumbent noum bent of the papal office hike ta alien lidit the initiative has baa been made on pro pre alous occasions in these columns the dispatch concerning the he opening meet ing contains cant ains but few details but it ap pears peare from the ibe account of the participants that no representatives of eastern dissenting churches were present two catholia Cat bolio patriarchs of syris syria and a delegate representing the Maroul te patriarchs being the only ones mentioned except the cardinals representing the western division of we church full fall details must be awaited before the success or the importance of this conference can be ba estimated tho the are a meet fleet oi of very ancient origin located chiefly on the western of mon mount nt lebanon but bat spread all over the surrounding country as aa far as aa aleppo in the north and nazareth in the mouth at present they number about souls in the century they recognized the authority of the roman church and renewed the contract of union in a following century in their faith and practices they dider somewhat irom rome i thus they admi administer the sacrament to in both emblem emble mp in their liturgy they use the ancient syriac language instead of latin and their it married before their ordina ate re permitted to cou continue tiDus their martial relations they also have some bolde festivals and saints mint not known by taits tho roman church their chief eco h loRl at head beades Is a patriarch who b 0 o 4 baw e eve e acknowledges the iuka of t tm the pope and reports report 4 ta him oar ayery 4 tenth oth year the lower clergy fy support I 1 themselves theme elves mainly by their own labor if the roman homan church undertakes in earnest to bring the creed of these theme marosites Maro ultes in more perfect harmony with her own faith and also to establish mare friendly rel relation ationo with other eastern aiters churches her ber efforts will probably be successful most moat of those religious bodies are now maintaining an existence in poverty and ignorance oppressed reseed by their still more ignorant 9 mohammedan oham neighbors their union with rome borne would bring them better education more liberal support and a degree of political protection they otherwise cannot edjon these ad vantages have long been among churches located to in asia minor and it is not probable that the invitation to join the great catholic denomination would woula be rejected if the change in rites were nut not too radical at first the chief importance of such a union would undoubtedly be in the increased interests achieved by tb theroman eRoman calbo catholics in those eastern countries where so 0 o many sacred places are located interests te rests which france italy or austria might some time be called upon to defend from encroachments encroach ments wita the extension of ecclesiastical territory and jurisdiction over a country ally amily a highway of all nations some political complications would be sure to arise for this reason the sLa statesmen teamon of the world will be interested in the ire results aults of the conference now hold held at rome borne |
