The Council
CHRISTIANS all over the world are praying about the Vatican Council which, symbo- lised by the benevolent personality of Pope John, has already had a press out of all,proportion to its probable outcome. The Roman Catholic im- pulse towards non-Romans is itself a deeply Christian one, for Christians have always been encouraged to round up lost sheep
and let the
others look after themselves. But there are several factors which may dull this impulse when the time comes for the Council's findings to be pro- mulgated. There is the nature of the Council itself, with its divine authority and human pro- pensity to give the floor to the most dogmatic talkers; and there is the sure knowledge that behind the cardinals and theologians and the Prayerful contacts of the regular conference- goers are serried and impregnable ranks of good Christians committed in their foremost loyalty not (as might be expected) to the founder of their religion, but to some particular point of deriva- tion' some particular aspect of truth hypostatised Into the Whole Truth. Ecumenism, now almost tor the first time acknowledged to be respectable by Rome, has hitherto been pursued by few, and regarded as a matter, if not of stupefying outside at least of low priority to most tstide as well as inside the fold of the Christians T
r u e bore- Church. eone
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