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At Reagan Mondale debate l
Armageddon KANSAS CI1Y, Mo. (NC) President Reagan said Oct. 22 during his debate with Demo crati<: presidential candidate' Walter Mondale that while he enjoys discussing biblical pro phecies of Armageddon with like-minded friends, he does not warn that "we must plan ac cording to Armageddon" in de· fense policies. Mondale, who was not asked specificaUy about Armageddon, said the "ever-rising arms race madness makes both (Soviet and U.S.) nations ,less secure." The question on A:rmageddon, which was tied to the issue of whether a nuclear war would be survivable, was one of several during the debate, which dealt with foreign policy ~ssues. It was the second and dast Reagan Mondale debate dur.ing the 1984 campaign.
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Marvin Kalb, NBC News cor that this was true, that the pro respondent, ,told Reagan that phecies are coming together that "you've been ·quoted as saying portend that," he ·continued. that you do believe deep down He said, however, that no one that we are headed for some knows whether Armageddon "is kind of biblical Armageddon." 1,000' years away or the day Armageddon ds the fina'l, end· after tomorrow." of-the-world war between good "So I have never seriously and evi'l as suggested in the warned and said we must' plan Bible. according to Armageddon." Reagan responded: "I think Reagan also said that "with what has been hailed as some regard to having to say whether thing I'm supposedly as presi we would try to survive in the dent discussing as principle ds event of a nuclear war, of course the result of just some philo we would." Yet, he added, he sophical discussions with people also believes that "a nuclear war who are interested in the same cannot be won and must never things, and that is the pro be fought." phecies down through the years, Reagan's views on Armaged the biblical prophecies of what don have been raised during the would portend the coming' of . campaign by the Christie In A'rmageddon and so forth. s:titute, a Washingtollt-based "And the fact '(is) that a num ecumenical religious organiza ber of theologians for the 1ast tion. It said Reagan has said decade or more have believed Tum to Page Fifteen
Altar girl ban queried
WASHINGTON '~C) The ohairman of the U.S. bishops Committee on the Liturgy has questioned the Holy See's pro hibition against gi~ls or women servng at the al,tar. He also asked the Vatican to consider a new phase of "reg-' ulated ex,perimentation" in adapt ~ng liturgical practice to U.S. cu),tural conditions. The committee head, Bishop John S. .Cummins of Oakland, Calif., did not spell out what kind of liturgical experimenta tion or Vatican g,uidelines he had in mind, but other com ments he made indica,ted that experiments were needed for development of new liturgical texts, gestures and symbols. His suggestions came in a re port prepared' for a Vatican meeting of bishops' liturgical representatives from around the world. On the altar girl question, Bishop Cummins reported that "most Amel'ican Catholics, worn- . en and men alike, find it diff.i cuIt to understand, appreciate or accept the prohibition." He a~ded, "Many American Catholics perceive the prohibi tion symbolically exhibits a dis criminatory dichotomy between lay men and ~ay women, rather thall a theologically based dIs cipline. Attention might weB be
given also to the institution of women into the ministries of acolyte' and reader." 'Current Vatican regulations prohibit women from serving at the altar and reserve to men formal entry into the lay minis tries of reader and acolyte. In general, church law no longer applies differently to lay women than' to lay men, but those cases are notable exceptions. The October. 23-28 meeting now being' attended by Bishop Cummins is seeking to· assess· progress in Catholic liturgical re form and prospects for the fu ture. It ds sponsored by the Vatican's Congregation for Di vine Worship for chief officers of liturgical commissions of bishops' c'onferences throughou,t the world. iBishop Cummins' overview re Iport on diturgical reform in the United States was sent to the Vatican at the end of 'September. In it he called for further regu '1ated 'liturgical experimentation in response to questions by the Congregation for Div·ine 'Wor ship abOut what has !been done so far, what problems have arisen, and what still must be done to fulfill the Second Vati can Council mandate to adapt liturgy to local customs. The bishop said an unexpect ed result of post-Vatican II has
been its impact on non-Catholic U.S. churches. The reformed Ca,tholic lection ary ,introduced a three-year cy cle of Scripture readings for !Mass, repl.acing the one-year cycle which until then had been standard in Catholic and non~ Catholic churches. The three year cycle has been widely ini-
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ALL SOULS' DAY
IHave pity on me, have pity on me, at laast you my
friends.' Job 19:21
Tum to Page Fourteen
Prayer for the departed By Rev. Joseph P. Minturn
President, National Catholic
Cemetery Conference
RESPECT LIFE
a special section begins on page 3
As we 'celebrate the feast of All Saints, the Church triumphant, we recall and honor the canonized saints, those called saints by the voice of the people of the early Church and the multitude of unnamed saints down through the yea~s. On All Soul's Day we pray for the Church suffering: our departed loved ones who may be detained in purgatory, awaiting their release to swell the ranks of the Church tri umphant in Heaven. We, members of the Church militant, can join the saints in heaven to intercede for the souls in purgatory. By our prayers we may very well be hastening the re lease of those in purgatory and even be taking out an "in surance policy" for our own speedy flight to union with the triune God as members of the Church triumphant, for our prayers today will not be forgotten by. the saints_of to-. morrow.