Silly: Forbes ranks Pope Benedict 11th most powerful person

Ranked directly ahead of Italian Prime Minister (and full-time buffoon) Silvio Berlusconi and right behind richest-man-in-the-world Bill Gates, Forbes profiles Pope Benedict:

"Spiritual leader is highest earthly authority for 1 billion souls, or about one-sixth of planet's population; runs Catholic Church, world's oldest, largest multinational. A staunch traditionalist, unbending on reproductive matters, yet conservatism comforting to many."

Actually, the pope is the highest human spiritual authority for Catholics on this earth (not counting Jesus, duh).

Well, if the pope had a hard time impressing Stalin (who famously asked, "how many divisions does the pope have?"), it's no surprise that Forbes can't even place the pope in the top 10.

Video: Automatic holy water dispenser to avoid swine flu transmission

I think this is completely overblown:

Really?? Holy water fonts are high transmission zones?!

Cool: Benedict XVI surfs the web and uses email!

Or should I say, totally cool:

The president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, shared this week that the Holy Father has an appreciation for new developments in technology and is comfortable surfing the internet and using email.

During an interview with the program “Studio Aperto” on the Italia 1 TV network, Archbishop Celli added, while the Pope doesn't have a personal email address, he “sends his own personal emails. He does! He has great appreciation for new technology.”

The archbishop explained that while the Pope “cannot respond to the millions of messages that arrive in his inbox,” he is committed to “offering his prayers for all who write to him.”

“The internet is an excellent means of communication,” he continued. “We are seeking to be present where the people are, especially the youth.” (CNA)

I wonder if the Pope reads AmP?!

To my knowledge, we still don't have a picture of Pope Benedict using a computer.

John Paul II preferred Dell laptops (with some papal customization, of course):

Totally 1337.

Offbeat: Vatican sponsors conference on extraterrestrial life - Alien reunification imminent?

A series of study sessions this week on the topic of astrobiology sponsored by the Vatican Observatory and the Pontifical Academy of Sciences is drawing all sorts of silly speculation and headlines in the mainstream press - everything from "Does Jesus save aliens?" to "ET calls the pope?"

The Catholic News Service story provides a fairly sober analysis of what was actually discussed in the meetings. 

And for those seriously interested in the theological implications of extraterrestrial life, the senior apologist at Catholic Answers Live, Jimmy Akin, has actually spent a good deal of time thinking about the subject. Maybe drop him an email.

Photo: Old Navy's new Graphic Tee might look familiar to you

Someone call Old Navy, Jesus wants His Sacred Heart back:

I'm not kidding.

Papist Half-Time Report: Priest coach finishes regular football season 8-1

After watching Notre Dame lose (barely) and the patriots win (big) this weekend, but before tuning-in to the trouncing that the Chargers are going to get from the Broncos tonight, it's the right time for a papist football story.

AmP reader Douglas lets us know about a newly ordained Priest for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis who is the chaplain and an assistant coach at Cardinal Ritter High School which is the #1 ranked school in class 2A (for football that is).  

They just finished the regular season 8-1.  Father Hollowell is one heck of a coach it seems.

The local diocesan paper reports: Faith, football and a fatherly instinct: Father John Hollowell knows joy and passion as a priest, teacher and coach

Also: A football Friday in the life of Father John Hollowell.

Spooky: This Halloween, Protestants celebrate "Reformation Day"

As we prepare for the Holloween season (which seems to become a bigger and bigger deal in the United States each year, and that probably isn't a healthy sign), let's see what our Protestant brothers and sisters are planning.

PCANews at the Christian Broadcasting Network website has come up with a way to overcome the satanic/occult aspects of Halloween - a Reformation Day party! They explain it:

October 31 celebrates the day that the Reformation in Europe began with Martin Luther posting his 95 theses on the Wittenburg church door, leading to a firestorm response in Germany. Why not use this occasion for a celebration of our Reformed heritage. And yes, this can be fun for the kids too!

[Here is what Reformation day involves:]

Why not have a celebration at church where all get dressed up as characters from the Reformation (I've dressed up as John Calvin, Martin Luther, a peasant, and even John Tetzel (the salesman of those infamous indulgences)? When I couldn't get a 16th century idea then I dressed as a Bible character. You can transform the fellowship hall into Wittenburg, Germany or Geneva. Here is an opportunity to go over the great "solas" of the Reformation: by Scripture alone, by grace alone, by Christ alone, by faith alone, and to God be the glory alone. Have people explain them. Show a video of one of the reformers. Draw murals of Reformation events.

Here are some other things our church has done over the years: Medieval line dancing (a lot like Scottish line dancing), Medieval relay races (put the indulgences in the bottle), bobbing for apples, German cover dish dinner, acting out your character (don't tell anyone who you are, but act it out -- the ideas are limited only by time and background).

It's ironic that protestants are choosing Holloween to celebrate the Reformation, considering that many Catholic families celebrate All Souls Day by dressing as Catholic saints. Of course - protestants probably won't be up for a good old-fashioned cult of the saints party like we are.

Then again, if protestants can play "put the indulgences in the bottle" to get in touch with their historical roots, and baptists can have bonfires burning Catholic bibles and books on spirituality by Catholic saints, maybe Catholics could celebrate Reformation Day by starting bonfires and burning figurines of heretics to get in touch with our historical roots? ;-)

(... I'm totally kidding of course. Well ... mostly.)

Offbeat: Poker-playing priest has chance to win $1,000,000

This is a *classic* off-beat Catholic story....

The Aiken Standard:

Andrew Trapp's interest in becoming a priest dates back to fifth grade at St. Mary of Help of Christians School in Aiken.

He followed through on that path. Now 28, Trapp is serving as the assistant pastor at St. Michael Catholic Church in Garden City Beach.
Father Trapp has a new moniker in recent weeks - the poker-playing priest. He's good at it, too. In a tape-delayed broadcast from Los Angeles on Fox on Sunday, Trapp beat a professional poker player to win $100,000 - an unexpected prize he will donate to St. Michael's fundraising efforts for a new church building.

... But he's quick to point out to the kids that he's not advocating serious gambling. The online qualifying tournaments had no entry fee, and his trip to Los Angeles was provided expense-free.

Earlier, Trapp had gotten permission from his parish priest and bishop to pursue the poker challenge.

I think there should be a ministry dedicated to people in casinos.

I've seen poker players use sunglasses to confuse their opponents.

I wonder how the other players felt this time around about playing across from a roman collar.

... I mean, I wonder if they fell for the Trapp.

*zing!*

Photo: Spot the Page 6 error!

Can you see what the New York Post's gossip column "Page Six" got wrong?

And their fix wasn't really even any better (I mean, seriously).

Ph/t: Dawn Eden.

Video: Spider bugs Pope

I'm trying to figure out why this video has over 225k views....



So - it's a spider on the pope. Okay...?

BC residents hand out copies of "Da Vinci Code" to oppose Opus Dei retreat center!

In follow-up to my previous post, these folks need to work on their critical reading skills:

Residents of a quiet West Coast community say they will fight plans by a Catholic organization featured in the novel The Da Vinci Code to build a spiritual retreat in their town.

Opus Dei was depicted in the fictional bestseller by Dan Brown as a powerful and insidious secret society involved in a bloody conspiracy that reached up into the highest levels of the church. The real-life organization, however, says there is nothing sinister about its plans.

... The project will have benefits for the community, but those opposed to the plan have been handing out copies of The Da Vinci Code to encourage opposition, Sarraf said.

Here is a picture from the planning meeting:

"Skeptical residents search the slides for Opus Dei's hidden plans of world domination."

"Pope holds meteorite during visit to Vatican astronomers' headquarters"

Pope Benedict Phone Home:

When Pope Benedict XVI officially inaugurated the Vatican Observatory's new headquarters in Castel Gandolfo, a Jesuit astronomer let the pope hold a meteorite from Mars.

"The pope very much wanted to be involved with our new headquarters," U.S. Jesuit Father George Coyne told Catholic News Service Sept. 17.

Pope Benedict spent the evening of Sept. 16 in the company of papal astronomers who conduct study and research in Castel Gandolfo, outside of Rome, and at another research center in Tucson, Ariz.

His hourlong visit began with "a very beautiful prayer and blessing" for the staff and official inauguration of their new headquarters, said Father Coyne, the former director of the Vatican Observatory. (CNS)

Sounds like a stellar time.

MSM shocked that Catholics see connection between prayer, sex

Just because its off-beat news day:

Roman Catholic couples are being encouraged to pray together before they have sex.

A book published by a prominent Church group invites those setting out on married life to recite the specially-composed Prayer Before Making Love.

It is aimed at 'purifying their intentions' so that the act is not about selfishness or hedonism.

The prayer, which appears in the Prayer Book for Spouses, implores God 'to place within us love that truly gives, tenderness that truly unites, self-offering that tells the truth and does not deceive, forgiveness that truly receives, loving physical union that welcomes'.

It adds: 'Open our hearts to you, to each other and to the goodness of your will.

'Cover our poverty in the richness of your mercy and forgiveness. Clothe us in true dignity and take to yourself our shared aspirations, for your glory, for ever and ever.' - UK Daily Mail

Tsk-tsk, those Catholics and their unhealthy views about sex.

Friday off-beat: Lego my Cathedral!

I really look forward to AmP's friday offbeat news day.... I get to post stuff like this:


In Minnesota, "LEGO ambassador Roy Cook sizes up the dome of his LEGO Cathedral that he completed recently in the Ryan Room of the Cathedral of St. Paul." (The Catholic Spirit)

They even have a lego kit to create a mini Cathedral of St. Paul.

And afterwards, you can have a lick of "Immaculate Con­fection, a new Sebastian Joe’s ice cream flavor dedicated to the Basilica of St. Mary." I'm for serious.

Update: 'Waltons' actress converts Dallas Catholic church into her home

update: more and better pictures here.

(<-- unfortunately, this is the best picture I could find to accompany this story:)

'This was never intended as a habitat – except by God and Catholics," says Ronnie Claire Edwards of her offbeat residence in Old East Dallas.

"It wasn't the religion I was seeking; it was the architecture," Edwards says. "I'd always wanted to live in a church or a theater because it's a very dramatic space and unusual.

"But, you see, a theater is frightening at night."

That's why Churches have sanctuary candles ... oh right.

Picture: Introducing the "Ampigram"

An ambigram, as creator Carina explains it, is "a word that can be read from a different viewpoint. The one that I made is a symmetrical ambigram, which shows the same word (in this case, the initials) upside down. So if you rotate the photo by 180 degrees, it still read AMP."

I call it the "AmPigram":

AmP is now readable by sky-divers and flying-trapeze artists! ;-)

Offbeat: Mall-Church hears confessions of shopaholics?

Catholic Femina spots a Capuchin-run Catholic chapel .... located in a Colorado Springs shopping mall.

It's not often you find directions to a chapel that include phrases like "between Burlington Coat Factory and Dillards."

I like the fact that they have confessions available during all mall open hours. Between Cinnabon and Victoria's Secret there's plenty of opportunities for some serious capital sinning.

The chapel is supported by the Knights of Columbus and local bishop Michael Sheridan.

What do you think about this idea? Is it an innovative evangelization idea? Or an inappropriate space for Sacraments? Or something else?

I'd like to hear your thoughts.

Video: Missouri Nuns Chase Down Armed Robber on Foot

Goooooooooooooooooood morning AmP off-beat Friday!

A pair of sandal-clad nuns in Missouri chased down an armed robbery suspect and helped police put handcuffs on him, FOX4KC reported.

Sisters at Saint Francis of Holy Eucharist Convent in Independence, Mo., spotted a gun-toting man in their fields who turned out to be a suspect police believe is responsible for several burglaries in the area.

"We looked out the window and saw someone in the bean field. I thought it was someone hunting. He was dragging something with him," Sister Connie told FOX4KC. "He kept coming across the field...I saw he had a gun in hands, what I thought was a rifle, and he dropped it in the field."

When he realized he had been spotted the suspect set off on foot and was chased by a nun in flip-flops who goes by Sister Catrina.

She chased him behind their green house and alerted authorities and the suspect ended up in police custody. Charges have yet to be filed. (FOX4KC)

A quick note: I'm sure she doesn't "go by Sister Catrina." Her name is Sister Catrina.

And for pete's sake, could the video report have included any more bad faith puns?

"Don't mess with nuns." - okay, I agreed with that one.

Shark jumps onto fisherman's boat - AmP readers were warned

I tried to warn AmP readers that this was coming, but noooooo......

HAULOVER BEACH, Fla. (WSVN) -- After a day of spear fishing and lobster diving, a group of boaters got the scare of a lifetime when a shark jumped into their boat.

Michael Powers and his friends were on-board a 21 foot boat Saturday, when a shark decided to pay them an unannounced visit. "One minute it was in the air, the next minute it was in the boat just beating everything in God's creation," Micheal recalled. "It hit one of the crew members. It hit Patricia, then it went between Paul's legs and my legs in the back. We're all scattering for cover trying to get up on the deck and out of anywhere we could, just to be safe," Michael said.

Catch that? "Beating everything in God's creation." This is why we need to bring back eating fish on Fridays!

Weird: Controversial Doll Lets Little Girls Pretend to Breast-Feed

You had your chance. I warned you today would be a weird news day:

A controversial new doll is leaving some parents wishing for the good old Cabbage Patch days.

A Spanish toymaker known as Berjuan has developed a breast-feeding doll that comes with a special halter top its young "mothers" wear as they pretend to breast-feed their "babies." The halter top has daisies that cover the little girls’ nipples and come undone just as easily as the flaps of a nursing bra would.

The doll — called Bebe Gloton, which translates as “gluttonous baby” — makes sucking noises as it "feeds."

Like many other dolls, Bebe Gloton can cry, signaling she wants more milk.

Although many health care providers promote the benefits of breast-feeding, parents around the world have criticized Berjuan, saying the idea of breast-feeding is too grown-up for young children -- and may even promote early pregnancy. (FOX News)

Promoting early pregnancy? Now that's a big stretch.

But I'm curious, does everyone agree this doll is an all-round bad idea?

Cool: Swiss seek Pope's blessing to stop glacier melting

Friday is offbeat story day at AmP, and this week delivers:

After centuries of praying for a local glacier to stop growing, Swiss villagers are now seeking an audience with Pope Benedict to get his blessing for prayers against the global warming that is causing it to recede.

In 1678, the inhabitants of the Alpine villages of Fieschertal and Fiesch made a formal vow to live virtuously and to pray against the growth of the Aletsch glacier, Europe's longest, which had caused a lake to flood into their homes.

To reinforce their prayers, they started holding an annual procession in 1862, when the glacier reached its longest during the mini-Ice Age Europe suffered in the mid-19th century.

But the villages now want to seek permission from Pope Benedict to change their vow as the glacier is melting fast due to climate change and have requested an audience with him. (Reuters)

A prayer to stop glaciers melting, eh? Ha! Find me that in the book of blessings.

update: I should have learned to not issue challenges to my savvy AmP readers long ago....

[AmP reader Joshua says] "I don't know about the Book of Blessings, but number 28 under "Blessings of Places not designated for sacred purposes" there is a Blessing against floods. That would work I think."

... albeit an incredibly slow-moving flood. :-)

Video: Cardinal Fail

Cardinals aren't infallible. ;-)

Cool: Pope Benedict gets a record deal

I guess it wasn't enough to be a best-selling author:

An album of music and prayers by Pope Benedict will join new releases from the likes of Jay-Z and reality TV contestant Susan Boyle in stores at the end of the year.

Geffen Records, which is owned by Universal Music Group, announced the project on Friday, saying the as-yet-untitled album will be released Nov. 30.

The album features the pontiff singing one prayer and reciting seven others, in different languages. The vocals originate from broadcasts on Vatican Radio, which owns the rights to them. (CBCNews.ca)

Now that's a papist stocking-stuffer.

Pope: "My own guardian angel did not prevent my injury, certainly following superior orders"

Pope Benedict reflected today on the lessons he could learn from his recent tumble - and about the agency of his guardian angel. 

It's not hard to imagine the grin on his face that must have accompanied these words:

Pope Benedict XVI said Wednesday that his "guardian angel" let him down when he fell and broke his wrist earlier this month, but that the angel was clearly acting "on superior orders."

The pope thanked law enforcement officials for being "like angels," as he prepared to depart Les Combes, the Alpine resort where he tripped and injured his wrist 10 days ago while on vacation.

"Unfortunately, my own guardian angel did not prevent my injury, certainly following superior orders," Benedict said.

"Perhaps the Lord wanted to teach me more patience and humility, give me more time for prayer and meditation," the pope added.

Benedict leaves Les Combes, near the French border, later Wednesday to spend the rest of the summer in Castel Gandolfo, a papal retreat near Rome. (AP)

We should keep the pope in our close prayers. It's no fun to have a sprained wrist at 82.

Canon Law and Lunar Landings

To clever to pass up on passing on:

"There's a story here in Baltimore about our beloved Archbishop-emeritus-emeritus, William D. Borders. He was ordained bishop in 1968 and made the first Bishop of Orlando, Florida. The new diocese encompassed central Florida and included Cape Canaveral, from where, the following year, Apollo 11 launched, bound for the moon. 

After that historic launch and lunar landing, with all the images of our astronauts walking, golfing, and planting the flag, Borders made an ad limina visit to Rome to meet with Paul VI. During their meeting, Borders rather nonchalantly observed, "You know, Holy Father, I am the bishop of the Moon." Pope Paul looked at him rather perplexed - probably wondering where along the line this American prelate lost his mind. Borders then continued by explaining that by the existing (1917) Code of Canon Law, he was the de facto ordinary of this "newly discovered" territory." 

- Jesus Goes to Disney World: Finding Christ in Popular Culture

Friday wierd: "Roman Catholic Priestess" dragged from Air Force One

I couldn't have written it better had I tried:

A reporter for a small newspaper was forcibly removed from a press area near Air Force One shortly before President Barack Obama arrived at Los Angeles International Airport to depart California early Thursday.

Airport security officers carried the woman away by the feet and arms as she protested her removal.

... She said she asked a Secret Service agent to give the president her letter, but he refused and referred her to a White House staffer. Lee said she refused to give the staffer the letter.

"I said, 'I'll take my chances if (the president) comes by here,'" said Lee, who identified herself as a Roman Catholic priestess who lives in Anaheim, Calif. "He became annoyed that I wouldn't give him the letter."

Lee, who was wearing what she described as a cassock, said she protested when she was asked to leave. (NBC Los Angeles)

Her reason for trying to reach Obama? She wanted him to take a stand for traditional marriage.

How about taking a stand for the traditional priesthood for a start?

Photo: Papist Google Graphic

Logo WIN:
I wonder if Google will use this next April 19th?

(oh, and this graphic comes from a story published by Ars Technica)

Ph/t: AmP reader BeachPig.

Video: High Mass in the Pantheon of Rome

This is pretty cool. There was a Solemn High Mass celebrated in the Pantheon of Rome recently to celebrate the 1400th anniversary of its consecration as a Catholic Church. I wonder what the tourists thought?



Take that, Jupiter.

Off-beat: "Cardinal Adam Maida to *liturgize* Chuck Daly"?!

Yep, that's how the headline reads - LITURGIZE!

I don't quite know what that means ... but it sounds painful. ;)

This is what happens when sports blogs talk about catholic stuff.

As TBS would say, "very funny."

First: A twittering bishop

This successor to the apostles knows where the agora of the 21st century is:

http://twitter.com/bishopmcgrath (Most Rev. P. J. McGrath of San Jose)

He only has 20 followers. Lets form a crowd around him so others will want to see what all the commotion is about!

update: from 20 --> 169 followers in  day! Well done, papists! Maybe the bishop will update more now. :)

Ph/t: AmP reader Melissa.

Friday random: Jesus is my BFF t-shirt

Friday, in case you didn't know it, is offbeat news day at AmP. This fits the bill:

Does anyone else find it incongruous that the t-shirt's avant garde artiste included a depiction of the sacred heart?! That stikes me as a little hardcore traditional (= orthodox faithful) for a shirt that is, in every othe rway, trying to be super-trendy. Or maybe the artist intentionally incorporated such a contradiction. Still, you have to wonder how many people would "get" this oddity.

Ph/t: Dawn Eden (really - who else would alert me to something as fun as this?!)

[photo credit: wet seal]

Photo: Pope to receive smallest present ever

Not kidding:

"A man displays a chip containing the entire Hebrew Bible at the Technion University in Haifa, Sunday, April 26, 2009. During a May 11 reception at the residence of Israel's president, Shimon Peres, Pope Benedict XVI will receive this 300,000-word Hebrew text of the Jewish Bible inscribed on a silicon particle the size of a grain of sand, using nanotechnology. The chip can be read through a microscope." (AP Photo/Dan Balilty)

Picture: Abp. Carlson's Coat-of-Arms

Here it is:

More information here. When I was in St. Louis last summer, I took pictures of several of the various coats of arms used by previous arch/bishops which are featured in the St. Louis Cathedral Basilica.

Oh, and the Fans of Carlson Facebook Group has over 800 members now - great job, everyone!

Green: Vatican To Build 100 Megawatt Solar Power Plant

There's money in the Vatican budget for this?

"The Vatican is going solar in a big way. The tiny state recently announced that it intends to spend 660 million dollars to create what will effectively be Europe's largest solar power plant. This massive 100 megawatt photovoltaic installation will provide enough energy to make the Vatican the first solar powered nation state in the world! 'The 100 megawatts unleashed by the station will supply about 40,000 households. That will far outstrip demand by Pope Benedict XVI and the 900 inhabitants of the 0.2 square-mile country nestled across Rome's Tiber River. The plant will cover nine times the needs of Vatican Radio, whose transmission tower is strong enough to reach 35 countries including Asia.'" (Slashdot)

Quote:

“Now is the time to strike,” Cardinal Giovanni Lajolo, the Vatican City’s governor, said in an interview from his study overlooking the Michelangelo-designed Basilica of St. Peter’s. “One should take advantage of the crisis to try and develop these renewable-energy sources to the maximum, which in the long run will reap incomparable rewards.” (Bloomberg)

What's next, an electric popemobile?

Solarworld executives in November said it was time to think about a “green” popemobile and offered to give the pope a low- emissions electric car to replace the white armored Mercedes- Benz open-top G-Class used by the Vatican.

While there has been no switchover since then, Lajolo at the time called an electric popemobile a “brilliant idea. If it costs less and can set an example, why not?”

Doh!

Picture: What does this look like to you?

What does this look like to you? It's an advertisement in the Washington DC metro system:

To me, it looks like a monstrance with a consecrated Host inside it.

Now, I have seen another version of this advertisment where the "Host" is actually a reflective material (thus the "picture yourself" tagline). But still, it's a very oddly-shaped "mirror."

And as a Catholic, well, the image if very arresting ... even kind of disconcerting.

[photo: AmP reader WAC]

Vatican headline: "La sostenibile leggerezza dei ... Fab two" (?!)

AmP reader Thomas explains:

"This is driving me nuts. Can you post a translation of what this story's about? I presume the L'Oservatore Romano is knocking the Beatles reunion for being a fundraiser for Transcendental Meditation as a cure for what ails youth ... but I'd like to know that."

Well, here's what Google translation makes of it, for a start.

Any Italian translators in our midst (with time to burn)?

"British Museum finds relics of 39 saints after 100 years"

Toooooo Coooool:

The new medieval gallery at the British Museum is full of beautiful images of saints in ivory, stone, gold and wood - but invisible to visitors, it also holds the bones of 39 real saints, whose discovery came as a shock to their curator.

The relics, packed in tiny bundles of cloth including one scrap of fabric over 1,000 years old, were found when a 12th-century German portable altar was opened for the first time since it came into the British Museum collection in 1902.

... at some point one [of the relics] was lost as there are 40 engraved names but only 39 saintly bundles.

[Full text & video at the UK Guardian.]

Oh no! There's a rogue relic floating around out there!

You know you've made it...

... when Catholic Parish websites link to you on their sidebar, as does St. Joseph in Salem, Oregon.

Or, then again, maybe some enterprising webmaster decide to toss AmP into the mix. Either way, it's an honor (seriously) and a responsibility. I know that AmP has been mentioned in parish bulletins as well.

Funny Search Query

It's fascinating what sort of search queries people enter, only to still end up stumbling across AmP....

Like this one: "is obama a jesuit?"

Picture: Oh my gosh - I WANT it.

I, of course, will never have it, because I'm not the Bishop of Knoxville....

"Stika described his choice of motto -- "Jesus, I Trust in You" -- as his "daily prayer mantra." The arms adorn a freshly-struck ring, a gift from his new staff."

Nice staff.

A bit o' Irish tomfoolery

I'm happy to see my '07 St. Patrick's Day photo-find received a bit of LOL-Saint's parody today:

For something a bit more highbrow, read Ralph McInerny's short essay St. Patrick Was An Irishman.

Erin go braugh!

Fact: More Guinness Is Sold in Nigeria Than in Ireland

No wonder Papa Benny is heading to Africa for St. Patrick's Day - that's where the Guiness is! =)

Chinese to become 8th Vatican website language (+ a sneaky tip)

From the Vatican Information Service bulletin:

"... for the occasion of the Solemnity of St. Joseph, husband of the Virgin Mary and Patron of the Universal Church, the official website of the Holy See will be enhanced by the addition of a new section in Chinese".

Chinese "will be the eighth language to be represented on the www.vatican.va website, which also includes Italian, English, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese and Latin.

"Thanks to the new service", the communique concludes, "internet users from throughout the world will be able to navigate in Chinese to access the texts of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI which will be available in both traditional and simplified Chinese characters".

Also, if you remember that picture I posted of the Vatican website "Obama-fied", you'll probably be interested in what the artist has decided to do - make it fully functional:

"since the mock-up was so popular, I've created a full-blown version with active links, a Web feed, and a few other nice features. I'm planning to keep the blog and the other elements regularly updated -- so people can basically use this as their "substitute" Vatican site. The full, working version is here." - Shaun Gallagher

Now don't get riled - I'm not suggesting a parallel Magisterium or anything! - just promoting a more accessible portal to find documents and information on the existing Vatican website. I think it could prove useful. Hey, it has an RSS feed.

And sorry, there's no way to avoid the occasional mention of "Benedict XVII". Yeah - Benedict the 17th!

Stopped by a bouncer? Try reciting the creed!

Friday is offbeat story day at AmP. This one is an oldie but a goodie:

My older, cooler brother rang me the other day with a funny story. He and his rock band, “Rocketeer”, had been playing a gig somewhere off Oxford Street. The evening had gone well and when the band’s set finished, they decided to head to a nightclub in Soho. They did the usual rock band thing: ring ahead, pretend they were important, and hope to get the VIP treatment – or at least be allowed to jump the queue. “It usually works a treat”, laughed my brother.

But on arrival, the club had shut its doors. They were too late and a short, angry-looking Irishman blocked their entry. “No”, he said to their (now rather drunken) pleas, “I don’t care who you are. You’re not coming in.”

[See how the band eventually convinced the bouncer to let them in!]

Does anyone have a similar story?

Ph/t: Blog of the Courtier.

Modesty back in fashion as economy worsens?

So claims one USA Today reporter:

Modesty in young women's clothing is getting a boost from the dismal economy.

When consumer spending was in overdrive, retailers could sell to the masses and ignore the more muted voices asking for, say, a decent supply of sleeved shirts or prom dresses that show more fabric than skin.

Now, however, it's the rare retailer who's willing to take the chance of turning off any possible customer. Luxury-store clerks can no longer afford to look down at scruffy shoppers, and store owners of every sort are recognizing the one-size-fits-all approach to retail buying no longer works.

Whether it's more of a fiscal or moral shift, understated girls' clothing may indeed be making a comeback.

Even flashy Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld declared "bling is over" and noted the economy is prompting a "new modesty," in an interview with the International Herald Tribune this year.

Retail consultant Ken Nisch says the trend is more moderation than modesty, but the effect may be the same. (USA Today)

I found it interesting how the reporter described the founding of Pure Fashion (a modesty-promoting organization), which is actually sponsored by Regnum Christi (underlining mine):

Pure Fashion has about 700 members who work as models at spring teen fashion shows, which attract about 11,000 people. The group has affiliates in 10 countries, and is signing new groups on its website, PureFashion.com.

Pure Fashion was an offshoot of a Catholic missionary organization, but Sharman believes its message resonates from Muslims to Orthodox Jews to parents who simply believe it shouldn't be hard to find shorts that completely cover the rear end.

Missionary to the fashionistas, apparently. There's plenty of hearts to convert:

"Everybody's seeing their bottom lines shrinking, so they want to sell to those who wear modest clothing, as well as those who want to wear it in a more risqué manner," says Hoffmann. "And that's fine with us."

I'm sure it is.

update: Pure Fashion is actually one of over a dozen programs sponsored by Regnum Christi.

update 2: I received a report from an RC member saying that Brenda Sharman claims Pure Fashion is "no longer directly affiliated with RC." I'm not sure what to make of that statement because their website still says PF is sponsored by RC and affiliated with their "Mission Network."

Can anyone add a clarification?

Picture: the Vatican website, "Obama-fied"

Someone sent me this funny picture of a mock-up of the Vatican website, as if it was designed along Obama's whitehouse.gov scheme (click image for full-size version):

Actually - that's not so bad. I mean, will they ever ditch the parchment background? I think that's been up since ... oh, at least 1998.

Good for McDonald's - Have a Fish Sandwich

I think it's no surprise that McDonald's chose to advertise its filet-o-fish sandwich on a Friday in Lent to people in St. Louis (a very Catholic town). And ya know what? Good for them. I appreciate advertising which is sensitive to the dietary demands of observant Catholics. And now I have a huge craving for a fish sandwich. I'll probably take McDonald's up on its offer.

QB Tom Brady marries supermodel girlfriend in Catholic "ceremony"

Yes, we're still in the offbeat news state of mind. More Friday oddly-enough:

Supermodel Gisele Bundchen and sidelined New England Patriots QB Tom Brady were wed in a sunset Catholic ceremony at St. Monica's Church in Santa Monica, Calif. on Thursday February 26.

The ceremony for the couple, who have been dating since 2006, was intimate and attended by less than a dozen people, mostly immediate family, insiders tell RadarOnline.com

"The reception was held at a home in Brentwood, and will be followed by a much larger party in the next few days," said a source.

Brady's 17-month old son Jonathan with actress-model Bridget Moynahan was in attendance. (Radar Online)

William Newton, who tipped me to this story, describes this with an apt Catalan phrase:

"If you pay him, St. Peter will sing..."

update: my mistake - Tom Brady was never married so does not need an annulment. This episode should teach me a lesson about the dangers of trying to last-minute blog as I run out the door to catch a plane. Apologies for the generally ill-advised nature of this post.

Offbeat: Dante's Inferno Turns Epic Poem Into Hellish Action Game

Whaaa??

On Friday's I make a special effort to find wierd, offbeat news. This one fits the bill perfectly:

Electronic Arts' upcoming game Dante's Inferno is a riff on God of War [another game] that stars a beefed-up warrior based on the author of The Divine Comedy. Seriously.

For those of us who spent our formative years sleeping through Classics lectures, Dante Alighieri's 14th-century epic poem The Divine Comedy is largely a mystery — 14,000 lines of allegory chronicling the author's philosophical journey through hell, Purgatory and beyond [er, it's called "Heaven" - AmP]. Electronic Arts hopes to jog our collective memories a bit with Dante's Inferno, an action game adapted from the first section of the Comedy. (Wired.)

This reminds me of Arnold Schwarzenegger's retelling of Shakespeare's Hamlet in the Last Action Hero:

Only this is funny.

Ph/t: AmP reader Geoffrey.

As Seen On Craigslist

This is incredible funny, albeit rather inside.

Photo: the NYT's odd choice of a Dolan photo

I'm not sure why the New York Times chose a photo of a "napping" Abp. Tim Dolan for their homepage:

"What - long plane ride, Timmy?"

(I mean - can you imagine Obama getting a front-page photo like that?!)

update: FOXNews.com does it even worse!

And then, on Facebook...

You can already become a facebook fan of Archbishop Dolan, or join the group Supporters of Archbishop Timothy J. Dolan, Archbishop of New York. I suggest this as a fan photo someone should include:


Note the Archbishop's right hand....

End of the week chuckle post

Only, in this day and age, the chuckle posts contain quotes from real articles:

Catholic Denomination Says Gay Priests Are OK

An alternative Catholic denomination is ordaining openly gay priests, but will such rogue religious groups ever be recognized by the papacy?

In a recent service that looked nearly identical to a traditional Roman Catholic mass, four priests were ordained at Yale’s Dwight Chapel in New Haven, Conn. But three of the new priests are openly gay men, something the Catholic Church has refused to allow.

My internal "errors-per-sentence" counter is going crazy!

Pictures: Newsflash! Pope's hat flies off!

You have to love that this is news:

Pope's hat flies off
Benedict keeps speaking despite mishap

Vatican City, February 18 - The pope's hat flew off in an icy blast during Wednesday's general audience but he kept on speaking as if nothing had happened.

Benedict XVI had opened the audience by telling the faithful, gathered despite the wintry weather: ''It's cold but at least it isn't raining or snowing and we have to be thankful for that''.

The pope tried to keep hat on his head but a particularly vicious gust wrenched it from his grasp, observers said.

He was seen soon afterwards with replacement headgear the Vatican keeps ready for such accidents.

It was the second time Benedict has lost his hat in St Peter's.

In May 2006 the wind blew his hat off as he rode the Popemobile through the crowds. (Ansa.it)

Actually, I can remember it happening several other times.

Here is the freeze-frame play-by-play of today's run-away zucchetto:



Oh - the challenges of being pope!

[photos: REUTERS/Alessia Pierdomenico (VATICAN)]

AmP in Poland!

No, I'm not talking about a new market for my writing (sadly), or even a future planned trip (even more sadly!), ... just that a Polish Catholic website picked up one of my stories from January:

"Zdaniem Thomasa Petersa, jednego z autorów blogu American Papist, ostatnie zdarzanie dobrze ukazuje rozdźwięk pomiędzy „katolicyzmem z nazwy”, a „katolicyzmem z przekonania”." (Dziennik Katolicki)

Since I only know a few words in Polish, the Google translated page helped me figure out the gist.

Dziekuje!

A challenge for tech-savvy AmP readers

A fellow papist enquires:

I am looking for a ring tone for my cell phone of a Papal Blessing from the Holy Father in Latin. How fun that would be to hear "In nomine Patris, et Filii... " every time someone calls me!

This stymies me, but I figured one of you papists might have a handy solution. I think it would be cool.

Raw video: Pope Benedict Presented With a Lion Cub

Since Wednesday's Papist Picture of the Day from this meeting of Pope and Lion proved so popular, I figured you would like to see the raw video which captures the entire encounter:

Papa Benny obviously knows his way around cats (just look at the way he pets the lion cub) ... but at the same time, I can understand his wariness! Still, what a brave Papa.

Picture: AmP Banner Cardinal with Ratzinger

One of the most common questions I get asked is: "Who's that cardinal on the AmP banner?"

The answer, as I say on the sidebar, is Franciszek Cardinal Macharski, Archbishop Emeritus of Krakow, on the day of Pope Benedict's election. A loyal AmP reader discovered a photo of Cardinal Macharski concelebrating Mass with Cardinal Ratzinger several years back:

Photo caption: "Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI since 2005) on May 10, 2003, during the celebration of the 750th anniversary of the canonization of Saint Stanislaus in Szczepanów, Poland. Picture taken by Marian Lambert and released under CC-BY license by Szamil (www.szczepanow.pl) - Wikipedia

Ph/t: AmP Reader Erik.

Wee Believers: Mass Kits for Catholic Kids (er, Boys)

Thanks to AmP reader Shaina for alerting me to this website:

http://www.weebelievers.com/

They even sell toy mass kits! Now there's a way to promote early vocation awareness.

A needed moment of levity

Emails pop into my inbox almost by the minute it seems, and because I have a blackberry and can access mobile email, I'm almost always sure to find a few new messages waiting for me whenever I check my coat pocket.

This email subject line gave me a chuckle. It's from LifeNews editor Steven Ertelt:

"Obama Officials Confirm He Will Fund Foreign Abortions on Weed"

*Ahem*. Mr. Ertelt obviously meant "Wed".

And now, back to matters of substance....

The seabird named after the Dominicans

Kelp Gull (Larus Dominicanus)

Fr. Pius Pietrzyk, OP, explains: "The picture above is of the Kelp Gull. Its latin scientific name is the Larus Dominicanus, which translates literally as the “Dominican Gull”. The gull was given this name because it’s black wings and white front make it look like a Dominican Friar wearing his cappa."

EWTN provides Digital Advent Wreath for those on a budget

For your inner devotional pyromaniac:

http://ewtn.com/

I tried to light the whole homepage on fire.

Jesus was born in June, astronomers claim

The supernova theory is out. Venus/Jupiter conjunction is in:

Astronomers have calculated that Christmas should be in June, by charting the appearance of the 'Christmas star' which the Bible says led the three Wise Men to Jesus.

They found that a bright star which appeared over Bethlehem 2,000 years ago pinpointed the date of Christ's birth as June 17 rather than December 25.

The researchers claim the 'Christmas star' was most likely a magnificent conjunction of the planets Venus and Jupiter, which were so close together they would have shone unusually brightly as a single "beacon of light" which appeared suddenly.

... Australian astronomer Dave Reneke used complex computer software to chart the exact positions of all celestial bodies and map the night sky as it would have appeared over the Holy Land more than 2,000 years ago.

It revealed a spectacular astronomical event around the time of Jesus's birth.

... Using the St Matthew's Gospel as a reference point, Mr Reneke pinpointed the planetary conjunction, which appeared in the constellation of Leo, to the exact date of June 17 in the year 2BC.

... "This is not an attempt to decry religion. It's really backing it up as it shows there really was a bright object appearing in the East at the right time.

"Often when we mix science with religion in this kind of forum, it can upset people. In this case, I think this could serve to reinforce people's faith."

Previous theories have speculated the star was a supernova - an exploding star - or even a comet. But Mr Reneke says by narrowing the date down, the technology has provided the most compelling explanation yet. (UK Telegraph)

You won't hear me complaining - June 17th is my birthday. :)

But don't worry, I'm still accepting presents on both days.

Ph/t: Billy Newton at Blog of the Courtier.

Female Swiss Guards?

CNS:

The Swiss Guard's new commander said he was willing to consider the possibility of allowing female recruits.

When asked in an interview after his appointment whether women would one day be able to join the elite papal guard, Anrig told a Swiss news Web site, www.swissinfo.ch, that although he was unfamiliar with the finer details of the Swiss Guard regulations he believed, "as commandant, one has to be always open to new questions including those relating to recruitment."

Right now, I'd say a 173 centimeter tall man has more of a chance than a woman. Not kidding.

Stupid Stocking Stuffer: Chocolate Jesus

German churches have criticized a businessman for selling thousands of chocolates shaped like Jesus.

The candies come from Frank Oynhausen’s "Sweet Lord" chocolate-making business, which wraps the figures in gold foil.

“I started thinking about how I could reintroduce traditional religious values into this commercial world," Oynhausen states on his web site.

The figures at present are custom-produced, costing about $190 for almost a quarter pound. Oynhausen expressed hopes of mass producing the product and exporting it for sale in countries such as the U.S.

The German Protestant Church criticized the idea as “tasteless.”

Aegidius Engel, a spokesman for the Catholic Archdiocese of Paderborn, was also critical, saying:

"It is terrible that Jesus is being wrapped up in gold foil and sold along with chocolate bunnies, edible penguins and lollipops."

"This is ruining the symbol of Jesus himself," he added, according to Reuters. (CNA)

Barf.

Newt Gingrich to become Catholic on Easter?

That at least is the rumor from some. I tend to believe it. His wife is an active Catholic.

Newt has a checkered marriage past, to say the least, and that could cause some difficulties.

update: oh, and is anyone else hearing these rumors about President George Bush converting to Catholicism after he steps down in January?!

[photo credit: Leadmine]

Man's nap causes $15k in church organ damages

Friday random:

This isn't music to anyone's ears: The restoration of a church's 130-year-old organ has been delayed because four delicate pipes were damaged when a visitor napped on them.

The 18-foot pipes were among about 50 stored in the basement at First Churches in Northampton during the sanctuary's renovation.

The Rev. Peter Ives estimates the damage at close to $15,000. But he says the organ can be played without the pipes. Ives says the church will not press charges. (AP)

Oh sure, play it without some of the pipes. Who needs middle C, after all?!

And now for something completely different

My Italian relatives are at it again it seems (and before you ask - no - the picture to the right is not connected to the story):

... The restaurateur said he rushed to the eatery, in the village of Rutino near Salerno, in southern Italy, after hearing that the priest and nuns were causing trouble.

He told police that he got into an argument with the priest, who smashed a chair over his head. The nuns followed up by kicking him in the stomach.

Stunned passers-by were shocked to see tables and chairs being hurled around the bar and promptly called the police.

... He was taken to hospital with injuries to his neck and bruising to his abdomen.

A lawyer for the clergy disputed his version of events, noting that the nuns had "a combined age of 160".

"This establishment was being occupied illegally," said lawyer Gaetano Di Vietri. "As to the alleged aggression, I would only say that the two nuns have a combined age of about 160. For the rest, it will be up to the magistrate to clear up, but the clergy members deny the allegations."

The priest and nuns belong to a religious order, the Disciples of Santa Teresa and the Baby Jesus, which owns the lease on the premises and reportedly wants the property back. (UK Telegraph)

Sometimes it can be difficult to tell the Church apart from the mafia. ;-)

Picture: St. Louis Claims First *Pregnant* Catholic Priest

RiverFrontTimes:

"A little over a year ago, 26-year-old Jessica Rowley shattered the stained-glass ceiling, so to speak, by being ordained a Catholic priest. Now the St. Louisan is on the verge of giving birth to her first child, and a Washington, D.C.-based group that advocates for women’s ordination says that makes Rowley the world’s first pregnant Catholic priest."

Her husband is a United Church of Christ minister. So which church will the baby be baptized in?

"That's a good question," says Rowley, with a laugh. "It's a topic of conversation in our home a lot. We're going to baptize him in both churches."

Why, of course! Why didn't I think of that? I'm so narrow-minded with my solutions sometimes....

Oh ... so that's what that is

(Informative title, eh?)

Yesterday I admitted to not knowing what the Vatican's "Commission for Advocates" actually does, and so the news that Archbishop Raymond Burke was it's new head had little effect on me.

Turn's out it's their bar association.

As the saying goes, "a burke post a day keeps heresy away." ;-)

Adam and Eve were vegans?!

So concludes Cindy Wooden over at the CNS blog, citing as her authority the Pontifical Biblical Commission.

I'm not really sure what sort of theological import such a theory might have, but it certainly seems like biblical fundamentalism to me. For instance, couldn't one argue that because man was given dominion over animals, humans ought to authentically be allowed to slay them for a higher purpose (i.e., feeding Cain & Abel post-fall)? Why do we think Abel was a shepherd - just the milk and wool? I don't think the human race had to wait until Noah to be permitted the consumption of meat.

Some other considerations: the human organism in its current state cannot survive on a diet of roots and berries. Humans naturally have incisors which omnivores possess, not herbivores. Jesus, as a good Jew, would have eaten meat during feast days. St. Peter was told to eat (more) meat in a very famous episode. Is there any intrinsic spiritual benefit to avoiding meat besides a penitential one? I don't think so. We are only to give up good things in penance, after all, and so clearly eating meat is a good thing.

Bottom line: I'm not sure how sound an argument there is for the claim that adam and eve were vegans (I'd have to see what the PBC says), and there doesn't seem to be any real substantive argument that vegans have chosen a higher path then the rest of us mundane BBQ-lovers.

Why am I rambling on? Mostly because I intend to eat buffalo wings for lunch today. Yum.

Slideshow: The Evolution of the PopeMobile

This has to be one of the coolest posts ever. I love the popemobile, and was thrilled to find out someone has scoured the internet for photos and information about them, through the years. A good example:

"The 300D Landaulet was the first new Popemobile in thirty years, with Mercedes spanning the gap during the tumultuous period. The 300D was stretched some 450 mm, with hard top up front and soft top in the rear layout of the Landaulet body style allowing El Papa to take in the sunshine and wave to the crowds. This car retained the single-throne seat setup in the rear, but added amenities like air conditioning and a two-way radio to the driver."

More popemobile goodness here.

Friday Wierd: Bees are eating Lichfield Cathedral

The Victim:

The Culprit:

The Story: Bees are eating Lichfield Cathedral (UK Times)

Photo: Largest nun veil ever?

I can't remember ever seeing a bigger veil than this....

Source.

Priest to hold "online" nun beauty pageant

Someone completely missed the reason why nuns wear habits:

An Italian priest says he is organising the world's first beauty pageant for nuns to erase a stereotype of them as being old and dour.

Antonio Rungi says The Miss Sister Italy online contest will start on his blog in September.

"Nuns are above all women and beauty is a gift from God," he told Italy's Corriere della Sera newspaper.

He is asking nuns to send their photos to him, saying that internet users will then choose the winner.

Father Rungi stressed that nuns were not being invited to parade in bathing suits, saying it will be up to them whether they pose with the traditional veil or with their heads uncovered.

"This contest will be a way to show there isn't just the beauty we see on television but also a more discreet charm," the priest, who lives near the southern city of Naples, told the Corriere della Sera.

"You really think all nuns are old, stunted and sad? This isn't the case anymore," he said, pointing out that many young nuns had arrived to Italy from around the world.
He added that the idea of staging such a contest had been suggested by nuns themselves. (BBC News)

I'm all about addressing false stereotypes of nuns, but a beauty pageant isn't the best way to do it.

"Italian clergy to use inflatable church to minister to beachgoers"

Good grief:

Catholic nuns and priests in Italy have established a 98-foot-long inflatable church and a beach-convent to minister to vacationing beachgoers. Activities at the two movable venues will include opportunities to confess sins and to pray the Rosary, but not Mass.

The inflatable church will be set up on Saturday in the Molise region on the Adriatic Coast and will be staffed by priests who hear confessions, Reuters reports. (CNA)

Quote of the day material here:

The first attempt to use the church failed last month on the island of Sardinia due to strong winds.

Okay, I can't help myself. Here are more details:

A group of singers will also perform at the church late at night.

On the Mediterranean coast, nuns from a convent near Naples have moved to beach cabins to join vacationers saying the Rosary, with an adjoining altar set up under two tents.

“The concept of a beach-convent is something that is appreciated by vacationers and the nuns themselves," Father Antonio Rungi said to ANSA.

Italy’s larger cities empty in August, when Italians customarily holiday at the beach.

A related picture will constitute today's Photo Caption Call...

Report: Does incense make you high?

Of course not, but that doesn't prevent scientists from issuing research papers with titles such as this (I'm not making this up): "Incensole Acetate, an Incense Component, Elicits Psychoactivity by Activating TRPV3 Channels in the Brain."

MSN's Health & Fitness gives us the popular treatment:

... Frankincense—the incense traditionally burned in religious ceremonies—can act on the brain to lower anxiety and diminish depression.

Researchers from Johns Hopkins University and Hebrew University administered incensole acetate, a component of frankincense, to lab mice and learned that it lit up areas of their little mouse brains that control emotion, including nerve circuits affecting anxiety and depression.

Now, as soon as the author strays from the science his commentary gets fairly useless very quickly.

I wonder, however, if these sorts of findings could be used as backdoor argument to convince liberal parishes and liturgy commissions to allow incense back into the celebration of Mass? Hmm....

"Per capita, Vatican City has the highest crime rate in the world."

Bet that headline caught your eye. The line caught mine as well, and comes from this story by CNS "Crime and punishment: Vatican City tackles vast array of crimes." Some highlights (underlining mine):

"Like the Italian system, he said, the Vatican judicial system is an inverted pyramid: Marrone is the sole judge at the bottom, then there's the three-judge tribunal, followed by the appeals court and the supreme court of appeals at the top. But the Italian system is fraught with imperfections -- like the glacial speed with which it goes through and resolves cases."

"One loophole that needs to be tightened is the lack of legislation regarding the possession and sale of illegal drugs; this became apparent this year after a Vatican employee was caught with 87 grams of cocaine."

"Per capita, Vatican City has the highest crime rate in the world. The vast majority of penal cases handled by the court usually involve theft, especially pickpockets, but the perpetrators never are caught in a very high percentage of those cases. According to the most recent published statistics, 472 criminal cases were reported in 2006 -- almost one crime per resident for a country with only 492 inhabitants. But those figures are deceiving since the high crime rate stems from the sheer volume of people -- some 18 million each year-- that stream through the Vatican to visit St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museums."

"However, not long ago there was a short-lived golden age of a crime-free Vatican. For two weeks during the papal transition in April 2005 no crimes were reported and no charges were brought to the Vatican's court. Criminal activity normally surges during times when huge crowds of pilgrims and tourists converge on the Vatican, and some 6 million people flooded the Vatican between April 2, the day Pope John Paul died, and April 19, the day Pope Benedict XVI was elected. But as the world stood still awaiting the next pope, robbers and criminals stayed away -- or at least were on their best behavior."

Although it certainly doesn't count as a crime, the last time I was at the Vatican they confiscated my beloved leatherman pocket knife, making it much more difficult to open bottles of beer and wine during the remainder of my travels. Oh well, I made do.

Vatican Chief Astronomer: "The extraterrestrial is my brother"

Okay, that's how the headline of the article read, reportes the Associated Press.

Hmm, can we say "slow news day"?

CNA has a good summary of what happened:

The Director of the Vatican's Observatory, Fr. José Gabriel Funes, said in an interview with the Vatican daily, L'Osservatore Romano, that believing in the possible existence of extraterrestrial life is not opposed to Catholic doctrine.

.... The astronomer began the interview titled, "The Alien is my Brother," by saying that, "Astronomy has a profound human value. It is a science that opens the heart and the mind. It helps us to put our lives, our hopes, our problems in the right perspective. In this regard, and here I speak as a priest and a Jesuit, it is an apostolic instrument that can bring us closer to God", said Fr. Funes in the interview.

Fr. Roderick translates the portions of the article that treat the implications of extraterrestial life:

Do you refer also to beings similar to us, or even more evolved?

It’s possible. However, so far we haven’t got any proof. But in such a big universe, this hypothesis can’t be excluded.

And that wouldn’t be a problem for our faith?

I don’t think so. Just like there is an abundance of creatures on earth, there could also be other beings, even intelligent ones, that were created by God. That doesn’t contradict our faith, because we cannot put boundaries to God’s creative freedom. As saint Francis would say, when we consider the earthly creatures to be our “brothers” and “sisters”, why couldn’t we also talk about a “extraterrestrial brother”? He would still be part of creation.

And what about redemption?

Let’s borrow the image from the gospel about the lost sheep. The shepherd leaves the 99 of the sheepfold to search for the one that got lost. Let’s imagine that in this universe there are 100 sheep, corresponding to the different forms of creatures. We who belong to the human race, could very well be the lost sheep, the sinners that need the shepherd. Got has become man in Jesus to save us. In that way, even when other intelligent beings exist, it’s not said that they would need redemption. They might have stayed in full friendship with their Creator.

I insist: when they would, on the contrary, be sinners, would redemption also be possible for them?

Jesus incarnated once and for all. The incarnation is a unique and non-repeatable event. However, I am certain that they too, in one way or another, would have the possibility to experience God’s mercy, just like we men have.

I think Curt Jester has the perfect response to this .... "The Star Wars Ewok Gospel":


Well, whatever happens, just keep a towel handy on Thursdays, eh?

YouTube Video: Call to Action Liturgy

Or as Damien Thompson calls it, "How to scare the kids at Mass."



I blogged about this earlier here. It's still just as scary now, though.

Vatican allows injured bishop of Gallup Pelotte to resign

Finally:

"The Holy Father accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Gallup, U.S.A. presented by Bishop Donald E. Pelotte S.S.S., in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law." (VIS)

The wierd backstory:

Last July, Bishop Pelotte, the first American Indian bishop ever appointed, suffered from a fall at his home in Gallup, New Mexico. The fall caused head injury and heavy bruising across his face, chest, both arms, knuckles, legs, and feet.

While doctors and news agencies speculated that the injuries were more consistent with an assault than a fall down a staircase, the bishop insisted that he was not attacked by anyone.

A few months later, the bishop made the news again when he called the police to report four "gentle little people, about 3 to 4 feet tall, and wearing Halloween masks" who refused to leave his home. (CNA)

Local coverage:

Pelotte returned to Gallup Sept. 21 after receiving treatment in Arizona, Texas and Florida. He left Gallup again on Dec. 13 for further medical treatment, diocese officials have said. They have declined to say where Pelotte is recovering.

The Vatican granted Pelotte a one-year medical leave and the pope appointed Diocese of Phoenix Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted as apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Gallup.

Olmsted will run the Diocese of Gallup until Pelotte's successor is appointed and installed.

The diocese encompasses all of San Juan and McKinley counties in New Mexico and most of northeastern Arizona. (AP)

My previous posts on this story as it was developing here. It's a strange one, for sure.

I'm glad to see the Vatican has officially allowed him to resign so the diocese can move on.

update: Diogenes bemoans the lack of (elsewhere-touted) "transparency" in all this.

Brazilian balloon priest missing at sea; feared apostasized, raptured

Well, the first part of this blog title is true:

Rescuers reached a cluster of brightly colored party balloons floating in the ocean off Brazil's coast Tuesday but did not find the Roman Catholic priest who had been using them in a bid to set a flight record.

Rev. Adelir Antonio di Carli remained missing after lifting off from the port city of Paranagua on Sunday strapped to hundreds of helium-filled balloons.

He was also wearing a helmet, aluminum thermal flight suit, water proof coveralls and parachute and was seeking to break a record for the longest time in-flight with party balloons.

He planned to use the money raised in his attempt to break the 19-hour record to fund a "spiritual" rest-stop for truckers in Paranagua, home to Brazil's largest grain port. (AP)

*scratches head* Which bishop, exactly, approved this leave of absence?!

Catholic Radio gets a Sirius Papal Shout-Out

Talk about a fun listen, Pope Benedict XVI during his visit to New York sat down to record a 30-second spot for the Catholic Channel on Sirius Satelite Radio, which you can hear here. The story has been picked up by Zenit.

Hmm, "other media" - is that a subliminal reference to Catholic blogs?!

Oh, and they offer a free 3-day trial on their website.

Plans are in the works to have Pope Benedict guest-blogging on American Papist soon. ;-)

Papal Security Sweep Saves Life of Area Beaver

An unexpected good consequence of the papal visit to the United Nations:

The NYPD's Harbor Unit, patrolling the East River near the United Nations as a part of security operations for the Pope's visit, rescued an apparently sick beaver from the water.

The ever-vigilant harbor cops spotted the animal, which appeared to be having trouble breathing and struggled to swim, not far from the U.N., where the Pope was speaking.

pulled it aboard, and placed it in a bucket with water. Officers brought the beaver to shore for transport to an animal hospital.

They did not say if they considered the animal to be a security risk.

But "it has pretty big claws," said Lt. John Harkins of the NYPD SCUBA Unit. He indicated the beaver was four feet long and about 40 pounds.

No word if the beaver was trying to get a closer look at the Pope. (FOX NY)

The beaver might have been sub-contracted to fell trees as part of the papal altar fabrication process for the Yankee Stadium Mass. More on this developing story as it appears....

Papal skateboard contest winning entry to be presented to pope

I posted about the "papal skateboard contest" earlier this week.

More from Associated Press:

One of the many gifts Pope Benedict will receive when he arrives in New York City next month will be a skateboard designed by a local child.

The Archdiocese of New York is holding a contest this spring to see who could design the best "Official Papal Skateboard" for the 80-year-old pontiff.

About 70 children entered the competition. A winner has yet to be picked.

The idea for the contest came from a youth skateboarding club at St. Elizabeth's Church in Manhattan.

The pope is expected to arrive in New York on April 18. Church authorities hope to give him the skateboard during a youth rally in Yonkers.

update: oh my gosh.

Report: Pope Benedict 'partial to buffalo mozzarella cheese'

Because you had to know:

Pope Benedict XVI is a big fan of buffalo mozzarella cheese, and eats it often reported Italian daily Il Messaggero on Friday.

Pope Benedict XVI reportedly likes simple dishes and often receives buffalo mozzarella cheese as a gift from bishops from the Campania region in southern Italy where the best buffalo mozzarella is produced.

The cheese is given to Benedict's policemen, who later 'discreetly' take the cheese to his apartment, Il Messaggero reported. (AKI)

A picture of the cheese in question:


The article continues:

Recently there have been fears the highly popular mozzarella cheese may have been contaminated by dioxins and other chemicals from illegally dumped toxic waste.

Japan and South Korea have in recent days halted imports of buffalo mozzarella, and there are fears other countries could suspend imports.

That part, sadly, is true.

The AKI story gets silly at this point:

In the supermarket located inside Vatican City, the dairy section is full of mozzarella cheese products from the southern region of Campania.

Reportedly, the cheese is prized among priests and nuns who visit the supermarket everyday to restock convents, institutes and monasteries.

Oh come on, it's cheese. There's nothing to "report" about priests and nuns "prizing" cheese. Normal folks like cheese, too. And it's no surprise that Italians ... like Italian cheese. For that matter, I doubt there is some huge cartel of Italian mafioso cheese merchants paying off "Benedict's policemen" to supply him with black market premium buffalo mozzarella shipments. Goodness.

I guess Il Messaggero - the original source for this "story" - was chagrined that they missed out on the much-touted "Pope Benedict likes Jewish Pizza" report that circulated recently. Their response? "Pope Benedict likes Italian cheese." Tomorrow's report? "Pope Benedict drinks orange juice!"

You watch, it'll happen.

Pope trip: NY youths submit designs for "Papal Skateboard Contest"

A glance at the Archdiocese of New York Papal Visit page reveals the normal list of expected topics such as "Ticket Information," "Press Releases," etc.

But what about "Papal Skateboard Art Design Contest"?!

It's true!

My personal favorite so far is this submission by Larissa - Age 12.

I'm pretty sure the charism of papal infallibility doesn't extend to being able to plant a double 360 pressure flip foot plant, but hey, stranger things could happen. Pope Benedict already has the shades.

The rest of the designs are viewable by clicking below. There's still time to submit yours!

In a similar vein (but not nearly as hip), the Archdiocese of Washington held a youth video contest.

Still need a papal ticket? Buy Papa Benny a "Jewish Pizza"!

Apparently these local Jewish confections are a sure way to win Pope Benedict's eternal gratitude:

A famous kosher Italian bakery has an important local patron: Pope Benedict XVI.

Wilma Limentani, the owner of the Boccione bakery in Rome's ancient ghetto, said she recently received a letter of thanks from the Vatican revealing the pope's love for her biscotti and an almond-and-raisin confection dubbed "Jewish pizza."

One of the pope's doctors -- a Jew who stopped by the 453-year-old bakery en route to administering a routine checkup of the pontiff -- introduced the pastries to Benedict.

"Since then he looks forward to each visit by his Jewish doctor or by acquaintances who pass through our neighborhood," Limentani said in Wednesday's Yediot Achronot. (JTA)

Wow, this is almost as effective an ecumenical outreach as drinking protestant beer.

John Thavis, a CNS reporter stationed in Rome, visited the shop to see if the reports were true:

I wandered into Rome’s Jewish ghetto neighborhood because I read an intriguing little report about Pope Benedict’s favorite bakery.

The tiny Limentani pastry shop has long been a favorite of mine. I go for the same reason most people go: their “Jewish pizza,” a type of miniature fruit cake packed with almonds, raisins and other stuff I’ve never identified. It looks terrible and tastes great.

I asked the senior woman behind the counter about the report that the pope had their sweets delivered to his table. Through a series of phrases and gestures, she let me know that it was somewhere between maybe and probably true.

And just in case anyone was worrying:

... the kosher bakery does not use saturated animal fats, [so] Benedict is free to indulge his sweet tooth without fearing for his cholesterol. (source.)

I wonder if they travel well? Hmm.... I wonder if they ship oversees to Catholic bloggers well?

For those of you lucky enough to be in Rome, the address of Pasticceria Limentani is "Via del Portico d’Ottavia 1" and the phone number is 066878637. Hey, It's never too late to earn my eternal gratitude. ;-)

Here's a map should you choose to accept this mission:

View Larger Map

You'll have to figure out the currency exchange rate yourself.

50 people lose eyesight after staring at sun for virgin mary apparition

India Daily News & Analysis:

At least 50 people in Kottayam district have reportedly lost their vision after gazing at the sun looking for an image of Virgin Mary.

Though alarmed health authorities have installed a signboard to counter the rumour that a solar image of Virgin Mary appeared to the believers, curious onlookers, including foreign travellers, have been thronging the venue of the ‘miracle’.

... Even the churches in the vicinity disowned the miracle during Sunday mass after health officers and doctors approached the clergy. The house in question has been the centre of local rumours for a few months. The hotelier, who has since moved to another house, had claimed that statues of Mother Mary in his house have been crying honey and bleeding oil and perfumes.

Even I know that you aren't supposed to look at the sun unless it's *already* dancing.

... kidding!

Spanish bishop: Abstain from text messages this Lent

'The Diocese of Girona in Spain, together with Caritas Girona, is calling on young people to “abstain” from sending text messages during Lent—which ends on March 20—as part of the Lenten campaign called “Disconnect to get connected.”

The campaign encourages young people aged 14 to 30 to give up three text messages per day and to spend less time connected to the internet during the forty days of Lent." - CNA

Of course, time spent reading AmP or related AmP pages doesn't count as internet time. ;-)

AmP headlines by text alert, hmm, now that's an (intrusive) idea....

Here's a question: how many of you give up Facebook, internet, cell phone chatting or yes - texting - for Lent? Do you try to limit your use of all or any of these technologies?

[photo: flickr user "andreasandrews"]

Leap year saints!

Fr. Nicholas at Roman Miscellany:

The 2004 Roman Martyrology lists four saints for today, who are thus only commemorated (technically) once every four years. Let's especially pray to them on their feast.

[He lists them here.]

Very cool.

Picture: Meet "Benny Bear", the first official souvenir for the pope's visit

USA Today:

"The first officially announced souvenir for Pope Benedict XVI's visit is the "Benny Bear." That's the nickname Archdiocese of Washington spokeswoman Susan Gibbs gave the bear, which will be sold only at six Washington, D.C.-area Build-A-Bear Workshop stores. "It's cute. It's fun. It brings the Holy Father into secular culture and lets parents go into a family-friendly store and do something related to their faith," Gibbs says.

The bears costs $10 to $20. The Christ Our Hope logo T-shirt costs $6, and a portion of the shirt sales will help pay for the pope's trip."

"Daddy, I want an umpa lumpa...."

No worries, a (slightly) more substantial post about the pope's April visit is in the works.

Local associate pastor makes good

Always nice to see a(nother) familiar face with the Pope.

Fr. Dan Gallagher briefly served as an associate pastor of my parish in Michigan, where he (among many other good projects) led a wonderful schola choir. About the only thing that's changed since then - besides rapidly moving up in the clerical world - is the full beard.

That's gone.

Papa Benny is a Fanta Junky! (update: or is he?)

I remember hearing about the pop's prediliction for the orange bubbly before now but wasn't aware of the raw numbers until today:

"Vatican spokesman Father Tim Finigan admitted that Benedict XVI prefers Fanta, and that he goes through at least three to four cans a day.

“[Pope Benedict] always has it with his evening meal.”

A spokesman for Coca Cola, who produce the Fanta range, admitted that the company was flattered to have the pontiff as a fan of their beverage. However theyve ruled out using the leader of the Catholic church in any ad campaigns.

“We are very flattered to have the Pope as a fan of our beverages,” he said.

“We will send him a few cases to ensure he doesn’t run out. But I don’t think we’ll use him in any ad campaigns.” - ANI

Hmm, if he likes it that much, I wonder if he is giving it up for lent?

It'd be a sacrifice: fanta is *really* tasty, and goes great with fresh Italian bread, as memory serves.

update: for a healthy "sed contra," see the H of C. I should have caught "Vatican spokesmen Father Tim Finigan" (who?!), but I think it's at least safe to say that the pope likes fanta. I mean, right?!

Offbeat: "India Catholics set world record for 40 hour singing marathon" (+ pics)

Time for a bit of Friday fun (note the underlining):

Catholics in southwestern India have set a new world record by singing non-stop for 40 hours, UCA News reports.

Priests, religious, and laypeople started singing on January 27, managing to eclipse the previous 36-hour record set by a Brazilian Christian group in 2004. - CNA

Does this count as an ecumenical competition? I wonder.

The previous world record was held by the group "Communidade Evangelica Luterana" in San Paolo, Brazil.

I discovered this page which has dozens of hilarious photos of the crazy event. What a world.

Looks like the whole town was in on the fun!

Dirty Italian Politics Slings Mud at Pope's Observation of Rome's Degradation

Like that title? Well, it's an odd story, to be sure....

Yesterday, Pope Benedict, in keeping with his role as the Bishop of Rome, met with local Roman officials and made some pointed observations about problems plaguing the eternal city, including the continuing poverty and overall "urban decay." All valid observations prompted by old problems and exacerbated by recent events.

To anyone who has been to Rome, there's nothing inflammatory about noting that the city is sub-par compared to other European cities in terms of cleanliness, etc. Well, what do you expect? It's Italy. Pope Benedict may have lived in Rome for over twenty years, but I'm sure he hasn't forgotten his Bavarian standards of spick n' span.

Anyway, back to the narrative: Roman and Italian politicians had a field day with the Pope's comments, as CNS reports, to which the Vatican expressed surprise and dismay, as reported by Zenit. Furthermore, Lombardi issued a clarification in today's Bulletino, and DPA summarized it. I don't see what needed clarification.

Sadly, many anti-catholic politicians in Italy used the Pope's observations as an opportunity to criticize the papacy and its influence in Italy. Frankly, that's astonishing to me, especially as I sit back and try to think of a single good thing to come out of Rome in the last 1,500 years that wasn't directly or indirectly related to the Vatican, the Papacy or the patronage of the Catholic Church.

Really, after the Colosseum, historically and civically speaking, it's all been downhill.

(Too cruel? I'm sorry. I just can't believe Italians got mad that the Pope told them to clean up their city.)

Formula One racetrack the scene of a JP2 miracle?

As unlikely as it would be, authenticating a miracle on a Formula One racetrack has about as much grandioseness as you could hope for:

Reuters relates:

Polish Formula One driver Robert Kubica sidestepped a claim on Thursday that he owed his life to the miraculous powers of Pope John Paul II.

The 22-year-old comes from Krakow, the late pontiff's home city, and has long raced with John Paul's name on his crash helmet.

Poland's local PAP news agency reported that Kubica's survival after slamming into a wall during this month's Canadian Grand Prix could serve as evidence of a miracle in the Catholic Church's beatification process of John Paul.

The report was based on a Church source.

"I know nothing about this," Kubica told Reuters at the French Grand Prix, after being passed fit to race again on Sunday.

...

"I don't know by whom I was saved, I don't know if I was saved by someone. I'm here in one piece so I think that is very positive," he added.

Hey, don't sell it short.

Oddly-enough: "Taiwan: woman baptized at age 114"

It's never too late!

Taiwan's Hsing Chu diocese welcomed a 114-year-old woman into the Church at Easter, the Fides news service reports. [More at CWNews.]