Seek to Bring Work of U.S. Inter-faith Bodies to Pope’s Notice

Efforts are being made to obtain recognition by Pope Plus XII of inter-faith movements in the United States to foster religious and civil liberties and stem racial and other hatreds, it was disclosed today. The National Conference of Christians and Jews confirmed that it had cabled its representative in Rome asking how best the conference’s work may be brought to the attention of the Pope and the congregations of the Holy See so that its purposes might be understood. The cable was signed by Dr. Everett R. Clinchy, director of the N.G.C.J.

The conference withheld the name of its representative, but according to a dispatch by Michael Williams, Catholic editor, to the New York Times, he is also a member of several other organizations of similar character, such as the American Committee for Religious Rights and Minorities and the Council for Combating Intolerance. He has communicated with these groups here to suggest a joint memorial to the Vatican on their converging principles and activities.

Meanwhile, the inter-faith National Committee for Religion and Welfare Recovery authorized a Catholic co-chairman, Judge John P. McGoorty of Chicago, to communicate to the Pope “our deep interest in his elevation to the Holy See and….our earnest desire to do anything within our power to assist him in the service of the Church.” It was also learned that The American Committee for Protection of Minorities (not connected with the Committee for Religious Rights and Minorities) will shortly send a representative to Rome on a Mission as yet undisclosed.

At the office of the N.C.C.J. it was recalled that in April, 1937, the late Pope Pius XI elevated to the position of Papal Chamberlain the Rev. E.L. Sands of Birmingham, Ala., who had been active in the conference’s work for inter-faith amity and Father Sands declared in a speech that the Vatican looked with favor on this work.