Word: vatican
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...most simply, voice mail. In the past six years, tens of thousands of voice-messaging systems have been installed in stores, offices and government agencies. The units answer phones, route callers and dispense information ranging from baseball scores and movie reviews to weather reports and horoscopes. Even the Vatican has a voice-mail system, allowing devout callers to hear messages recorded by the Pope...
John Paul's letter reiterated the Vatican's view, set forth in a 1977 decree, that ordination of women is "a break with tradition of a kind we have no competence to authorize," since Jesus chose only male apostles and only men have been ordained since. The Pope criticized the Anglicans for plunging ahead without giving sufficient attention to "the ecumenical and ecclesiological dimensions" of the innovation. The need for such consideration, he stated, is now "urgent" to "prevent a serious erosion of the degree of communion between us." The women's issue, says one Vatican expert, constitutes "a grave...
...complained that "the Roman Catholics are not giving anything away" in the negotiations, and she expects no concessions because John Paul is "an unrelenting man and firmly entrenched in his views." The Pope's stern letter by no means ends ecumenical discussions or such friendly contacts as Runcie's Vatican visit planned for next September. But reunification now seems far more remote than before -- if not downright impossible...
Since the Second Vatican Council (1962-65), Roman Catholicism has shown the most readiness to embrace Africanization. One of the boldest steps came in 1967, when the newly built St. Paul's Church in Lagos opened its doors to reveal frankly pagan symbols and statues. A black Nigerian priest protested at the time, "You are taking us back from whence we came -- paganism." But prominent Nigerian artist Bruce Onobrakpeya notes that the Yorubas "worship God through the spirit Orisha, who will pray to God for them and obtain the blessings they desire -- not so very different from parishioners kneeling before...
After solitary confinement, the camaraderie is energizing. From memory Sutherland recites the poetry of his beloved Robert Burns, in the brogue of his native Scotland (he once played professional football with the Glasgow Rangers). Father Jenco takes the hostages on an imaginary tour of Rome and the Vatican. Anderson makes a deck of cards from paper scraps, and they all play cutthroat games of hearts...