Religion: On Mars' Hill

When the Apostle Paul made his famous speech on Athens' Mars' Hill, declaring to the pagan Athenians the reality of that unknown God whom they ignorantly worshiped, some mocked, and others said, "We will hear thee again of this matter." But most of them doubtless went away and forgot all about it.

Last week Greece's Primate Archbishop Spyridon climbed the same hill to conduct vesper services and speak in commemoration of St. Paul's declaration. Not much of Christian Athens turned out for the occasion with King Paul, Queen Frederika, Prime Minister Venizelos and the diplomatic corps. But 200-odd pilgrims from 57 Christian denominations and a score of countries listened and were moved. Said Episcopal Bishop Lauriston Livingston Scaife of Western New York, afterwards: "Chills went up and down my spine."

For 15 days, gowned and bearded Orthodox priests and black-coated visiting clergymen toured points of Pauline interest. Among them: Philippi (where he preached his first sermon in Europe), Salonika (where he established his first church in Europe), Corinth (where his First and Second Epistles to the Thessalonians and the Epistle to the Romans were written). The pilgrimage was under the sponsorship of the Greek Orthodox Church and the government, but Roman Catholic priests from France and Belgium were there too.

Declared New York's Methodist Bishop G. Bromley Oxnam, representing both his church and the National and World Councils of Churches: "This pilgrimage enabled us to present a united religious front of the West to confront the united materialistic front of the East."