Early in September a declaration of inter-church co-operation and goodwill was signed by 350 Church leaders, including the Archbishop of Canterbury and the R. C. Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Hume. It is to be read from the pulpit in Churches throughout Britain in October. The Roman Catholic Church has now agreed to play a full part in a new structure of inter-church co-operation, leading it is hoped to the eventual unity of all Churches in Britain. As the Roman Catholics had remained aloof to a large degree from the British Council of Churches, this new commitment means a large step forward for them, and a step they would never be prepared to take unless they had some reason to believe that they were to make some substantial gain from it. Even Dr Runcie described the Cardinal’s announcement as a historic moment — yes, no doubt historic in the sense that the Roman Catholic Church is actively on the move to swallow up what is left of the once Protestant Churches in the land. What Cardinal Hume aims at is eventual “full communion, Communion which is both visible and organic.” The Clerk to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland gave his Church’s welcome and endorsement to the declaration. What a sad day it will be for Scotland and for Britain as a whole if this new approach to Church Unity is successful, and how exposed to harassment and persecution those Churches would be who remained outside this united Church. May the Lord in His mercy prevent it.