Religion: Capitol Prayers

Each House of the U. S. Congress has a chaplain; each pays its chaplain $1,680 a year. His only duties: a prayer at the beginning of each day’s session. Senate Chaplain Ze Barney Thorne Phillips* and House Chaplain James Shera Montgomery each have one funny name and a sonorous baritone. Both are popular, convivial; both officiate at more Congressional funerals (no extra pay) than at weddings and baptisms. Chaplain Phillips, 63, Episcopalian, has held office for twelve years, conducts a Washington parish on the side. Chaplain Montgomery, 74, Methodist, has been on the job in the House for 18 years, has given up his Washington church.

Chaplain Montgomery prays every time the House meets,† but last year Chaplain Phillips prayed only four times in the Senate. Reason: by Senate rule he prayed only on legislative days; and (because the Senate often recesses without adjourning) one legislative day sometimes went on for weeks. Last week, overjoyed by a resolution introduced by West Virginia’s hard-bitten old politico, Senator Neely, and passed unanimously, Chaplain Phillips was, according to its terms, praying every working day.

* Dr. Phillips does not know why he is named Ze Barney, believes it is an old Norman surname of which he is the only living possessor.

†Mr. Montgomery prays extempore, never repeats himself. Excerpt from one of his prayers: “Father in Heaven, free our understanding from all fatal errors and release our souls from the clogging and binding fetters of sense. . . .”