Religion: New York v. Canterbury

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No Bishop in the Episcopal Church relishes a tussle over principle more than New York's stern, small William Thomas Manning. He has taken on and worsted many a smart tussler, including Judge Ben B. Lindsey, Bertrand Russell.

Last week Bishop Manning tackled no less a personage than William Temple, Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate of all England and Metropolitan. At first glance it looked as if Bishop Manning had tackled one of his own men from behind; but as usual it turned out that he had broken no rules. Cause: Canterbury had penned a pleasant note to California's retired Bishop Edward L. Parsons commending him for furthering the current plan for Episcopal-Presbyterian unity in the U.S.A. Plump, painstaking Dr. Temple was careful not to "form any judgment" as to the complex plan in question, but declared that unity would be "a very great contribution toward the cause we all have at heart." Bishop Parsons, who has had rough going because of high church opposition (with Bishop Manning in the van), was tickled pink, got the letter published in Episcopal church papers.

To the same papers Bishop Manning sent a sizzling letter denouncing Canterbury's action as "highly improper . . . ecclesiastical intrusion." British-born Bishop Manning pointed out that Canterbury has not a whit of authority in the Episcopal Church, whose members merely honor him as head of "our mother church, the historic Catholic and Apostolic Church of England." Canterbury's letter was doubly presumptuous, Manning declared, since the Episcopal Church's own head, Presiding Bishop Tucker, "has not felt it right to express himself publicly on this controversial question."

Since the Episcopal Church's Commission on Approaches to Unity recommended the plan five years ago (after mulling it over for half a century), high churchmen have flatly opposed it. Among Presbyterians the plan has created less stir, but in the main liberals have liked it, conservatives have not.

Lay folk in both churches think closer friendship all to the good, doubt that any "organic unity" is in the offing.