With reference to J. Neilson’s letter to the editor [Copycats? March, p. 5], may I point out that the Roman Catholic Apostles’ Creed is the same as our own, since our origins and liturgical traditions are identical. We have been saying in the Apostles’ Creed in both morning and evening prayer since the year 1612: “Was crucified, dead, and buried: He descended into hell; The third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven…I read once that there is a theory that Jesus descended into hell for three days in order to save the lost souls who were in limbo, before bringing them with him into the resurrection. This sounds like a nice idea, but I don’t know if it is theologically sound. I should consult our new parish priest about this. Of course, the basic tenet of our faith remains that Jesus died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins, and that he was resurrected that we might live for him.
John Harwood
Christ Church
Belleville, Ont.