German and Austrian Opinion

Extract

The Second Council of the Vatican continues to exercise religious opinion in Germany and Austria. The Herder-Korrespondenz, vol. 15, No. 2, Nov. 1960, pp. 80-83 gives a survey under the title Vorschau auf das ökumenische Konzil. People expect great things of it, but there is a note of anxiety lest it be too timid and miss some of its opportunities.

The dominant event of 1960 in Germany was the Eucharistic World Congress in Munich. A very full report is contained in the Herder-Korrespondenz, vol. 15, No. 1, Oct. 1960, pp. 7-34. Details are given of its programme, meaning, the sermons preached, its liturgical shape, and details of the help given by the Evangelical Christians in particular with accommodation. It was noted that the Archbishop of Paderbom stayed with the Evangelical bishop of Bavaria, and that several Spanish priests stayed with pastors’ families. No. 2, Nov. 60, reports on pp. 91-94 Evangelical reactions to the Congress. These were in many cases appreciative, but doubts were expressed about the spiritual value of mass events, requiring enormous organization.

During the Congress, a Una Sancta Feier was held in Munich, i.e. a meeting between Catholic and Evangelical theologians. The leading address was given by Otto Karrer, the well-known advocate of Christian unity. He explained certain doctrines concerning the Eucharist to which Protestants object particularly strongly and showed that Luther and Calvin were perhaps closer to the Catholic position than is generally realized.

Of articles concerning the Orthodox Church, we may mention a note in the Herder-Korrespondenz, vol. 15, No. 3, Dec. 1960 on pp. 115-117 on the possible reasons for postponement by one year of the proposed pan-orthodox conference in Rhodes.