An explanation as to why they have dissociated themselves from the United Christian Front is given in a letter to the "Times" this week by the Anglican Archbishop of York, the Bishops of Ripon and Lichfield, by Rev. J. Scott Lidgett, Free Church leader, and Rev. Sidney M. Berry, for many years secretary of the Congregational Union of England and Wales, among others. They say!
"Some of us who specially eager to promote Christian unity and co-operation felt unable to associate ourselves with this newly initiated movement, because it is mainly concerned with the Spanish conflict, and adopts a view of it which seems to us ill-founded. Reference to Spanish history completely dispels the idea that anti-clerical outbreaks in Spain must be prompted by Communism, for they were familiar long before the day of Karl Marx. We regret that so admirable an inspiration as the union of all Christians in resistance to the enemies of the Gospel should be bound up with judgments on contemporary events which are certainly precarious and to us appear mistaken."
Perhaps I am mistaken in my interpretation of the letter, but it appears to me that the signatories base their apologia on two main reasons—first, because the Church has been persecuted by Liberalism in Spain for over a century, therefore Communism cannot possibly be helping in the good work today; and, secondly, the United Christian Front would be admirable if it did not adopt the foolish policy of grappling with current attacks on Christianity. Much better to wait until the whole affair has finished, and then make up its mind whether any damage has been done. That would, naturally, be the right time for action.
It seems to me that whoever wrote this from the Catholic church/community was a little bit narky and seems to have (deliberately) misinterpreted the letter.