Concern of Vatican at English Primate’s Visit to Jerusalem Becoming Daily More Acute Says “morning P

The concern of the Vatican with regard to the visit of the English Primate to the holy places of Jerusalem is daily becoming more acute, the “Morning Post” reports to-day from Rome. The Vatican’s dislike of the projected-visit has already been expressed by the Holy See to the British Government, the correspondent says, adding that he understands, however, that, although noting the Vatican’s objections, no undertaking has been given in the matter by the British authorities. The Vatican emphasises that a visit to the holy places by the head of the Church of England would seriously disturb the status quo – namely, that the Latin, Greek, Armenian, and Coptic rites have their recognised share of time and place for their services, and that the Church of England has no locus standi.

The Vatican still concedes that it has no objection to the Archbishop of Canterbury visiting the shrines as a private individual and a worshipper, but that anything in the nature of an official visit or special ceremony would be distasteful, as calculated to disturb a position in Palestine already sufficiently delicate.

Apart from this objection on principle, the report says, the Vatican also views with disquietude two other circumstances likely to complicate the situation – the rapprochement of the Anglican and Orthodox Churches, and the fact that the English Primate’s visit will coincide with the Easter festivals of the Orthodox Church.

It is believed here that the Greek Orthodox authorities will do everything possible to facilitate an official entry into the Holy City by the primate, and would even cede to the Anglicans the use of their stalls in the shrines for holy office and for preaching, so that the Anglican Church would thereby gradually take part “without any right” in the Palestine sanctuaries.

I said a little time ago it was incredible that our Government should listen to any protest of the Vatican against the Archbishop of Canterbury paying a visit to Jerusalem, if he thought fit to do so; and so. of course, it was, Mr. J. A. Spender writes in the News Chronicle.” But a communication to the “Morning Post” from its Rome correspondent, he continues, now suggests that what the Vatican objects to is an “official visit” to the Holy Places, its ground being that this would “seriously disturb the status quo – namely, that the Latin, Greek, Armenian and Coptic rites have their recognised share of time and place for their services, and that the Church of England has no locus standi”.

Now, if the Archbishop chose to pay such a visit, he proceeds, I should again be opposed to our Government preventing him, for it is not a matter in which it should intervene. But the Archbishop is a sensible man, and I cannot believe that he has any intention of putting his head into this religious hornets’ nest. For that is what it veritably is.

Nothing indeed is less edifying in Palestine to-day, Mr. Spender says, than the incessant quarrels, jealousies and rivalries of the privileged Churches, Latin, Greek, Copt, Armenian and even Abyssinian, about their share in the alleged status quo. When I was in Jerusalem a few weeks ago, he adds, tempers were running high about the replacement of two rails which had been temporarily taken out during certain repairs at Bethlehem and put back, it was alleged, a few inches wrong. This was said to alter the boundaries between the Latin and Greek churches, to the prejudice of the former.