Flash: Strong earthquake hits Italy, 50 miles NE of Rome

Pray for those in Italy:

An earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale rocked central Italy on Monday, seriously damaging some houses and causing a few structures to collapse in a mountainous region east of Rome, officials said.

A number of people were reported to have been injured and others trapped under rubble in the area where the city of l'Aquila is situated, but officials had few details on the situation.

The quake struck at about 3.35 a.m. (0135 GMT) and was centered in the mountainous Abruzzo region east of Rome. (Reuters)

SkyNews has video.

Italian comic insults Pope, faces jail

Never underestimate the hatred people can muster against the pope:

"An Italian comic who said Pope Benedict would be punished in hell for the church's treatment of homosexuals could be tried for dishonouring him, a jailable crime under a 1929 treaty with the Vatican, judicial sources said.

Sabina Guzzanti, one of Italy's most pungent political satirists, made the remarks before a cheering crowd of thousands gathered at Rome's Piazza Navona in July.

Her explicit comments were widely published by Italian media and posted on the Internet.

The church, at the time, expressed its "profound displeasure with the offensive words about the Holy Father". (Times of Malta)

I think we can all agree that this comedian's words were offensive and false. If I had to state an opinion, however, I do not think one should be jailed for saying such things.

I think these individuals should, however, be firmly answered in the public forum, not along the lines of "oh my, we're so offended" but rather with an argument such as "think about what you are saying" ... and then listing the qualities of this Pope that make her comments so mindless in comparison.

In other words, shame these people, don't jail them. Sending them to jail makes them look like a sort of brave martyr for free speech, shaming them with the truth makes them look exactly like what they are - idiots.

Pope Benedict *will* appear on Italian TV

But considering they are having him read the first chapter of the book of Gensis aloud, I wouldn't consider it exactly the best use of his talents:

The pope’s appearance will kick off a six-day RAI telethon in which the entire Bible will be read by various personalities. The series is projected to conclude Oct. 11 with the 21st chapter of the Book of Revelation, to be read by the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone.

... Corriere della Sera, Italy’s main daily newspaper, reported this morning that Benedict XVI has proposed that the broadcast be carried live, from his residence in the Apostolic Palace.

The six-day RAI broadcast, titled “The Bible, Day and Night,” will feature a series of other readers, with most located in Rome’s Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem. The readings will be conducted in Italian. (John Allen)

I wonder which translation he will use?

A clearing house of the challenges facing Catholic public witness

... is handily provided by this article in the UK Times, both in what it says, and in how it says it:

"Italian bishops condemned for urging actors to shun sex scenes"

Point 1: Let's just pause at the title.

The bishops themselves are the ones being "condemned" for urging actors to shun sex scenes. The news subject is actually the bishops being criticized for speaking out.

Point 2: A misappropriation of the facts:

Father Nicolò Anselmi, head of the youth section of the Italian Bishops Conference, said that Moretti was normally noted for his “idealistic and sensitive” films. But the “gratuitous” sex scene with Isabella Ferrari, his co-star, would have an undesirable effect on the “impressionable young” since it was shown without any context involving love or tenderness.

I doubt this quite captures the essence of the Italian Bishops' criticism. Sex scenes in movies are not problematic only when they are "shown without any context involving love or tenderness." Sure, that's a part of the problem. But more fundamentally, sex scenes involve ... people engaging in sexual activity(!), and doing so outside of marriage b) publically c) for profit and publicity, etc., etc.

In other words, sex scenes depicted even in a "context involving love or tenderness" would still be wrong.

Point 3: Anti-Catholicism.

Franco Zeffirelli, the film and opera director, said: “The Church is full of pedants who have lost all sense of proportion.” It was a “fourth-rate” film that did not merit the publicity generated by the bishops' intervention.

A condescending generalization. It's like saying "America is full of nitwits who have lost all sense of honor." What organization besides the Church can routinely be treated in this way with such tolerance? This comment from the man who has previously offered to help Pope Benedict with his style, saying on the one hand "The papal robes are too opulent and flashy" but then claiming "I am in continual contact with his inner circle. The Holy Father honours me with his esteem." He sure isn't sounding like a reliable opinion source to me.

Point 4: Anti-Catholicism (again):

"The row comes amid charges that the Centre Right, led by Silvio Berlusconi, is playing the Catholic card by making abortion an issue in the run-up to the general election in April. Mr Berlusconi has asked the United Nations to pass a moratorium on abortion and the death penalty."

Bringing up the issue of abortion, in a county with one of the lowest birth rates in a continent already experiencing population implosion, is ... "playing the Catholic card." I'm sorry, I don't get it.

Point 5: Anti-Catholicism (surprise):

The comments posted in response to the article follow certain numbing, universal patterns of argument on this topic. Most of them hold that because the Church allowed the sex abuse scandal to happen, for it to speak out on any issue of human sexuality ever again is nothing but hypocrisy. Well, try to defend that conclusion logically.

The later comments do, however, contribute a little glimmering of hope in their use of reason and practice of civility. But honestly, those voices are generally marginalized.

Just like the Italian bishops.