Preface (Cont.) (6)

Whereas in the opinion of many the signs of the age clearly point to a strong and constant growth of the desire among the churches to see the restoration of such unity then

Resolved: in agreement with the House of Bishops that a joint committee of the two houses constituting the general convention consisting of an equal number of bishops priests and laity should be appointed as the organ of relations with other branches of the church and with various Christian communities which desire information or communication on this subject. Said committee should be called: Committee of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America for the Unity of the Churches.[1]

Having taken the first essential and necessary step toward the resolution of the question namely by establishing a special organ for this the general convention at the same time attempted to outline the first point in the development of the subject itself. It took into account the indication in the memorial of the “Eastern Church Association” of the proximity of the Orthodox Church to the Episcopal Church actually coming into contact with one another on the American continent and therefore adopted the following resolution:

“Whereas mutual friendship happily exists and constantly grows between the Russian and American peoples and a cordial drawing together of the entire Anglican community and the Orthodox Eastern Church toward better mutual understanding and recognition as equal integral branches of the Catholic Church of Christ requires careful concern from both sides to avoid misunderstandings as far as possible and in view of the petition of the lower house in England to the upper: to take measures to open relations with the Eastern Patriarchs and Metropolitans with the purpose of establishing such a relationship between the two communities as to enable the laity and clergy of both to commune in the sacraments and ordinances of one another without breaking their connection with their own church then

Resolved: in the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies assembled in general convention that we request the House of Bishops to take such measures as in its wisdom it shall find best not only for promoting more intimate relations and better mutual acquaintance between our and the Eastern community but especially for securing the spiritual needs of our people who shall settle in the territory of Alaska with proper respect for the rights and dignity of the Russian Church.”[2]

The practical results of the resolutions and measures adopted by the convention were to appear at the next regular convention. In the intervening three years the newly established organ on the question of church unity began energetic relations with the churches of the East. The special committee on church unity which received the name “Russian-Greek Committee” not only conducted written relations but also sent a deputation to the East for closer acquaintance with the condition of the Orthodox East and the attitude of the Orthodox Church toward Episcopalism. The committee had great comfort in the fact that the East for its part responded with lively sympathy to the seeking from its side of church truth: the Patriarchs and Metropolitans of the Eastern churches warmly expressed their desire to see church unity restored and for their part offered various means measures and conditions for this. When in 1871 the new regular general convention assembled the Russian-Greek Committee already had a store of material which shed some light on the relations of the Orthodox East to the Episcopal Church seeking unity with it. The data collected by the committee produced an encouraging impression on the convention and the House of Bishops submitted the following resolution:

“Resolved: in agreement with the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies that in view of the cordial reciprocal declarations of brotherly respect so frequently received in the course of the past three years from the Patriarch of Constantinople the Patriarch of Jerusalem the Metropolitan of Athens and the Most Holy Governing Synod of the Orthodox Russian Church by the prelates of the Church of England and the representatives of this (American) Church both clerical and lay she gratefully accepts the friendly action by which the authorities of the holy Orthodox Church have deigned to permit the holy rite of burial for the dead of our community and that she earnestly desires the continuation and growth of such brotherly relationship and mutual good exercise of love;

Resolved that the committee should continue its existence for relations with the holy Orthodox Church of the East and

Resolved that upon said committee is laid also the obligation to take further measures to acquire and communicate such information as may be mutually important and interesting to this Church and the holy Orthodox Church of the East and to publish it when it is found to be necessary and prudent.”[3]

Relations were actively continued and in the course of the following three years. The messages from representatives of the Orthodox East with even greater readiness expressed sympathy with the holy striving of the Episcopal Church and the Russian-Greek Committee considered the work of preparatory work on the question of church unity so far advanced that further continuation of it exceeded its original authority and it wished to transfer it to a more competent organ—the bishops. At the general convention in 1874 the Russian-Greek Committee submitted such a resolution:

“Resolved that the general convention had great satisfaction in learning of the love and brotherly tone of the messages received from Anthimus Patriarch of Constantinople Sophronius of Alexandria Hierotheus of Antioch Theophilus Metropolitan of Athens and President of the Holy Synod of Greece in response to the communication of the actions of the general convention sent through the joint committee;

Resolved that we believe that the establishment of full and free communion and mutual relationship of Christian brotherhood between the great Eastern Churches and our own constantly increases in importance and hope and we earnestly pray to the Supreme Head of the Church that His Spirit may direct our counsels so as to remove from both sides all obstacles which pride prejudice or error of human weakness may present to prevent its accomplishment.

Resolved that we desire the continuation and growth of friendly relations with our brothers of the holy Eastern Churches in full confidence that from both sides there will be full recognition of all feelings and rights which may be endangered by improper or unconscious intrusion.

Resolved that since the work to come in the future in case of relations will consist for the most part in communication with the hierarchy of the various branches of the holy Eastern Church which may be more conveniently done by bishops of the Church in arising cases the joint committee requests to be excused from further conducting this subject.”[4]

With the cessation of the activity of the Russian-Greek Committee there ended one period of the actual attempt of the American Episcopal Church at reunion with the Orthodox East. Since the further phase of the development of this striving has not yet been expressed in any more or less definite and tangible facts the clarification of the character of this striving can and should for now be limited to only this first period. If one looks at the matter from an external perspective the results of the attempts present nothing that could be considered as having more or less significant importance for the great question. All the more important therefore is its inner aspect. Both the very fact of the formation of a special organ for relations with the Orthodox East and its activity show how strongly the Episcopal Church was conscious of the necessity of seeking support from the East. Its significance emerges most clearly from those responses with which the Roman Catholic press of the country accompanied these attempts. Roman Catholicism itself claims the first role in the North American republic and cherishes the dream that it will become the single future church of the country. Therefore it is extremely jealous toward all other denominations and communities which make the same claims. The Episcopal Church is one of its first rivals in this respect and therefore it watches its movements with greater vigilance than all others. But at the same time it fully understands that with its own forces alone it is far from adequate to its claims to the first church-religious role in the country. More than that Roman Catholicism finds even that it with its existing forces and in its present condition has only so much significance in the country as to serve as an intermediary link for the unification of the American people under the banner of Roman Catholicism. In the opinion of an authoritative Roman Catholic publicist the Episcopal Church has positively a providential significance for the Roman Catholic Church and is destined by Providence itself to serve as the transitional point into Roman Catholicism for all seeking church truth. The prejudice against Roman Catholicism itself is so great and so deeply rooted they say that many seekers of truth would never have entered the bosom of this church if there had not been a transitional step in the form of Episcopalism. Not finding satisfaction in Protestantism and at the same time hating Roman Catholicism they choose the Episcopal Church seemingly free from both extremes. But having perceived the shakiness of its principles they then pass into Roman Catholicism with greater ease and consistency.[5] In view of such significance of the Episcopal Church for the purposes of Roman Catholicism for the latter it is very important that it continue its existence in its present shaky form and therefore it endeavors in every way to keep it in an isolated condition and places every conceivable obstacle to its strivings for reunion with other more firm and positive church organisms in which it could find reliable support for its own independent existence. Therefore when the Episcopal Church turned to the Orthodox East there arose in Roman Catholicism a great commotion the Roman Catholic press sounded the alarm and came forth fully armed to combat the dangerous tendency of Episcopalism. Journals became filled with articles having direct relation to the burning question all directed to one end—to prove the impossibility of union of the Episcopal Church with the Orthodox and to present the historical and dogmatic inadequacy of the latter which supposedly exhausts its own history and can find salvation only in the bosom of Roman Catholicism.[6] Not considering their own forces sufficient the American press brought up reserves of French Jesuits and in particular to humiliate the Orthodox Church put into circulation the well-known malicious pamphlet of an apostate from Orthodoxy Jesuit Prince Gagarin on the Russian clergy[7] and brought out an entire book on the present condition of the Russian Church in which someone concealing himself under the vague name “a former resident of Russia” with Jesuitical subtlety and cleverness makes a selection of facts cleverly directed again to proving the impossibility of union of the Episcopal Church with the Orthodox.[8] In all this literature together with the proof of the impossibility for Episcopalism to find recognition in the East with particular vividness runs also the thought that the East itself is in a process of church decomposition must itself seek support from without and that sound sense the “best sons” of it long ago already indicated where to seek support and salvation. As if factual confirmation of this thought there appeared extensive biographical literature. In it is presented a series of “noble sons of the East” who having perceived the “errors of the schismatic church” turned to the unchanging mother of truth that is into the bosom of Roman Catholicism and thereby factually proved not only the inadequacy of Orthodoxy to satisfy the religious demands of the best people but also marked out and paved the way for all the East to the footsteps of the Vicar of Christ on earth.[9] Apostates from Orthodoxy were brought forward as great heroes of truth and presented as noble pioneers of church truth and all this for the instruction and edification of Episcopalians who had shown the dangerous tendency in their striving for reunion with the “schismatic” East.