LETTERS
Nuclear development marked by disaster
The
Editor: Words have precise meanings. The French word “renaissance”
is made up of two parts “re,” to repeat and “naissance,”
birth.
It achieved
wide use in medieval times to describe Western Europe’s rediscovery
of Greek and Roman art, literature and architecture.
Note the word
involves three stages, a time of greatness, followed by a loss and then
a revival. In no way can the word be used to describe things nuclear.
Thanks to the
diligence by the media, there never has been an initial time of greatness.
Instead we have an easy-to-remember list of disasters and dangers: Hiroshima,
Nagasaki, Bikini Atoll, Nevada Desert, Chernobyl, Three Mile Island,
Sellafield-Windscale, Chalk River.
To these can be added the stockpiling of ballistic nuclear missiles basic to the Cold War rivalry, uncontrolled sale of uranium from nuclear weaponry following the collapse of the Russian communist state, the use of cancer-causing depleted uranium in ammunition by armed forces including Canada’s, and public protests alerting the world that no known safe way exists of storing highly toxic nuclear waste.
More recently, experts express fear that countries such as Iran, Israel,
North Korea, Pakistan and India have yet to agree to control of their
nuclear stockkpiles. — Tony Haynes, Saskatoon
Ouellet's leadership was needed in all of Canada
The Editor: Cardinal Quellet’s position in Canada appeared to me that he was to be a guiding light to all of Canada. The description of his good work was all about Quebec (July 14 PM). We in the rest of Canada sorely need his kind of direction.
Sad to say, but all over Canada you will find a high percentage of Catholics
who have reinvented the faith especially on life issues. In a short
survey of my own, five out of five, some of which were in my own family,
stated that during election time there were more important issues than
abortion.
I believe the one change that has the greatest impact on our loose faith
is that we pushed Jesus out of the church by way of moving the tabernacle
to another room. Now we yak at each other instead of yaking with Jesus
before mass and moments following. — Norm Herriot , Saskatoon
Church of future will be declericalized
The
Editor: The reading of “Kasper regrets lack of inter-communion”
(PM, July 28) served to reaffirm the belief that the church of the future
will be declericalized.
The Vatican, focused on the institution, misunderstood the gravity of
its attitude toward abused children, just as it misunderstands the gravity
of its attitude toward women’s ordination.
Karl Rahner understood when he wrote: “Church ministry is based
on the laity as personal believers and less on the institutional element
or on the clergy” conscious of its social prestige or vested interests.
Salvation is liturgy in life not in the imprisonment of grace, declaring
who is “in” and who is “out.” —
John Williamson, Calgary
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