TresSugar

Say What? Carla Bruni's Straight Dope on the Pope

TresSugar — Tue, 19 May 2009 15:00:00 -0700

"I was born Catholic, I was baptised, but in my life I feel profoundly secular. I find that the controversy coming from the pope's (anti-condom) message - albeit distorted by the media - is very damaging. In Africa it's often church people who look after sick people. It's astonishing to see the difference between the theory and the reality."

French first lady Carla Bruni rebuked Pope Benedict XVI for saying last March that condoms worsen Africa's AIDS problem. Bruni said that the church should evolve on the issue of contraception and protection. Historians say it's unprecedented for a first lady to criticize the pope in traditionally Catholic France.

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Front Page: Pope Heads to Africa With Anti-Condom Message

CitizenSugar — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 07:49:59 -0700

Traveling to Africa for his first papal visit, Pope Benedict XVI maintained that condoms make the AIDS crisis worse. Instead he will advocate abstinence. - Telegraph
The rate of new home construction in the US unexpectedly jumped 22.2 percent last month. - AFP
International players are praising Pakistan's decision to peacefully resolve a political crisis by reinstating its Supreme Court justices.- Voice of America
Robert Gibbs hit back at Dick Cheney's claim that the Obama administration makes America less safe, by quipping that when Rush Limbaugh is busy, Republicans turn to Cheney. - USA Today
Gov. Sarah Palin will deliver the keynote address at the Senate-House GOP dinner in June. - Politico
Radio host Don Imus believes stress may have contributed to his prostate cancer diagnosis. - ABC News

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Pope Names Four New Saints, Including First Indian Woman

CitizenSugar — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:00:56 -0700

Thousands of people appeared in St. Peter’s Square yesterday to watch as Pope Benedict XVI gave the Roman Church four new saints, one of who was of particular importance to Indian Catholics. Sister Alphonsa of the Immaculate Conception, is the first Indian woman to achieve sainthood. Her nomination is seen as a comfort to those who have recently suffered at the hands of Hindu violence in India.

The three other saints are: Gaetano Errico, a Neapolitan priest who created an order of missionaries in the 19th century, Sister Maria Bernarda who dedicated her life as a nun in Ecuador and Colombia and Narcisa de Jesus Martillo Moran, another woman who aided the sick and poor in Ecuador. Mother Teresa was beatified in 2003, and though she's usually associated with India, she was Albanian.

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Crackdown on Tickling: Will Rules For Priests Stop Abuse?

CitizenSugar — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 11:00:21 -0700

The Archdiocese of Cincinnati has released the most comprehensive list of rules to date addressing behavior between priests and children. Among other changes is the requirement of those who have contact with kids to get background checks. Victim advocates support the new rules but realize they're not a panacea. Specific rules also address conduct and communication through touch.

On the list of appropriate touches: side hugs, pats on the head, holding hands during prayers. Inappropriate moves include bear hugs, kissing, lap-sitting, and tickling.

The sexual abuse scandals have haunted the Catholic Church. Pope Benedict XVI has been including apology outreach as part of nearly every official trip, from Boston to Australia.

The new rules are similar to those teachers already have to abide by, with rising teacher/student scandals causing states to crackdown as well. Should religious figures be considered in the same realm as secular adult/child relationships? Will outlining what's appropriate stop abuse, or is it just a bunch of words?

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Party Like a Pilgrim! Pictures From Catholic World Youth Day

LibertySugar — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 10:30:09 -0700

If you were wondering what the Pope was doing driving around Sydney in the Pope mobile, his Holiness is in town for World Youth Day. The world's largest youth event, organized by the Catholic Church, has brought almost 125,000 international visitors to Sydney, more than the 2000 Olympics!

Every two or three years the Pope invites young pilgrims to celebrate their faith's international counterparts. Pope John Paul II started the event in 1984. This year the celebration being held in Sydney, Australia, from July 15 to July 20, includes an opening mass, catechesis (teaching) sessions, and a pilgrim dance party. One Vietnamese pilgrim said: It's like a big family, the Church gets to see how people from all over the world live their faith and it is interesting to see and it is inspiring to me."

From the look of these pictures, this "promotional event" seems like it gets young people excited about the Church. But, some Australians see the event as "propaganda" and are protesting the event, which received some public funding. A MySpace survey of Australian youth found that 77 percent of respondents felt the Catholic Church was "out of touch" with youth. Does this event help it get in touch?

View 10 Photos ›

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Pope Condemns Consumerism, and Earth Scarred, Squandered

CitizenSugar — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 07:57:34 -0700

Internet porn, greenhouse gases, and shopping could be the new scourge of the Earth. Pope Benedict addressed a huge gathering of young people in Sydney, Australia, today and said that that they were inheriting a planet whose natural gifts have been "scarred" and "squandered" to fuel insatiable consumption.

His latest environmental plea to save the planet for the young, was aimed at about 150,000 of those youth in Sydney after a "Pope on a boat" ride through the harbor. The sentiment maybe delivered to the right audience: Australia is one of the world's highest per capita greenhouse emitters stemming from coal-fired power stations, combined with the worst drought the country has seen in 100 years and an endangered river system that feeds the nation's food belt.

View 5 Photos ›

The Pope's words did not stop at the physical pollution of belching coal - the world is facing a spiritual pollution of sex, drugs, and shopping sprees as well. He said:

Our world has grown weary of greed, exploitation and division, of the tedium of false idols and piecemeal responses, and the pain of false promises.

TV and the internet were top on the list of sins. To see what he may have been aiming directly at Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, read more.

The Pope aimed his focus at TV and the internet for glorifying sex and violence as entertainment. He said:

I ask myself, could anyone standing face to face with people who actually do suffer violence and sexual exploitation explain that these tragedies, portrayed in virtual form, are considered merely entertainment?

Troubled though our planet and species seem to be, the Pope still managed to see the holy. The beauty surrounding him in Sydney, and the scenery he passed on his journey inspired this:

It is as though one catches glimpses of the Genesis creation story - light and darkness, the sun and the moon, the waters, the earth and living creatures.

Is the Pope's focus on modern problems like exploitation on the Internet and of natural resources exactly right? Does acknowledging these temporal problems enhance the Church's relevance? Is there still a bit of Eden left on Earth?

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UN Leader: World Needs 50 Percent More Food

LibertySugar — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 03:00:21 -0700

The world must produce 50 percent more food by 2030, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told world leaders yesterday at a summit hosted by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome.

The UN leader urged nations to minimize trade barriers, and to produce more food. Pope Benedict XVI had a slightly different message, noting that the world already has the means to solve the problem. The Pope said: "hunger and malnutrition are unacceptable in a world which, in reality, has sufficient production levels, the resources, and the know-how to put an end to these tragedies and their consequences."

While they meet about how to solve the immediate hunger crisis caused by rising food costs, world leaders don't want to look like a bunch of foodie hypocrites. To see what they'll be eating, read more.

Leaders, including Prime Minister Berlusconi of Italy, President Sarkozy of France, and Iran's Ahmadinejad, will dine off a more modest menu which includes: pasta, mozzarella, spinach and sweetcorn, instead of the usual lobster, goose, and foie gras. But don't worry, they'll still get to sample some Italian wines.

From where I'm sitting in America, surrounded by frequent news of chronic obesity, it's hard to imagine needing more food. The world leaders' decision to cut back on their own consumption may be a signal to those who have plenty, or to those who only experience the food crisis at the cash register, but not in their stomachs. Perhaps we need to increase the supply of food and cut back on demand in certain places.

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OMG! Text Messages Can Save the World

LibertySugar — Thu, 08 May 2008 12:15:15 -0700

Pope Benedict XVI plans to send out spiritual text messages to thousands of young Catholics during World Youth Day this summer. 200,000 young people are expected to attend the six day event in Sydney, Australia. The entire WYD08 is going Web 2.0 by broadcasting religious teachings on the web and setting up a social networking site.

Do you think The Pope Mobile-phone has predictive text? Is this a sign the Church is ready to modernize its message, not just the messenger?

Meanwhile in India, texts are bringing economic salvation to farmers who live in poverty and experience high suicide rates. The text service, which costs $1 per month, helps the farmers make a better profit on their crops.

In the morning, farmers get the weather delivered right to their mobile phone. At lunch time, the going rates at the market show up in their inbox. These text messages allow farmers to save money on water if it's going to rain, as well as the time it would take them to go to the markets themselves.

The India text program shows the potential of information to bring people out of poverty. Can you think of any other creative ways to use the power of the text? What do you think a Pope text would say? I C U! Dont 4get 2 pray!

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Front Page: Pope Meets Victims, Brown in DC, Polygamy Hearing, Carter and Hamas

CitizenSugar — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 07:01:34 -0700

Pope Meets Victims: Pope Benedict XVI came face to face yesterday with a scandal that haunts the American Catholic Church by holding an unannounced meeting with several victims of sexual abuse by priests. The cardinal who organized and attended the meeting, gave the pope a list of about 1,000 boys and girls who had been abused in the Boston Archdiocese in the past several decades. The Pope requested the meeting, praying and speaking personally with each person in attendance. The cardinal said afterward, “it was a moving experience. It was very positive and very prayerful.”

Brown in DC: British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was in Washington DC yesterday to celebrate what he called the “special relationship” between his country and the United States. As a reminder of President Bush's waning time left, before Brown visited the White House, he met with all three candidates vying to succeed President Bush. After the meetings Brown said, “What I was convinced of, after talking to each of them and talking about the issues that concern them and concern the world, is that the relationship between America and Britain will remain strong, remain steadfast.” Not to leave Bush unrecognized, Brown said, “the world owes President George Bush a huge debt of gratitude for leading the world in our determination to root out terrorism.”
Polygamy Hearing: The judge in the largest child welfare case in US history, that of the children removed from the polygamy compound in Texas, struggled to retain order in chaotic hearings that began yesterday. The 416 children and their lawyers were crammed into a courtroom and additional rooms. The judge said of the task ahead of her, "the court is not in the position and certainly does not intend to rule about someone's religious practices and their freedom of religion."
Carter and Hamas: Former President Jimmy Carter met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad moments ago. The meeting comes ahead of planned talks with exiled leaders of Hamas, the Islamist group which Carter argues should be included in efforts for Israeli-Palestinian peace. According to a source, "Carter is very upbeat. The publicity put out by his detractors made him more determined to pursue a different way with Hamas."

Vegas to OK Prostitution - The Pope's "Secular Challenges?"

CitizenSugar — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 07:55:54 -0700

Yesterday the Pope praised America as a nation where strong faith and religious beliefs live harmoniously with secular society. His remarks, delivered at the White House as part of his first trip to the US, came with a caveat addressed later to the bishops: The US is battling a "subtle influence of secularism" that threatens to derail the righteous. He said:

Is it consistent for practicing Catholics to ignore or exploit the poor and the marginalized, to promote sexual behavior contrary to Catholic moral teaching or to adopt positions that contradict the right to life of every human being from conception to natural death?

Maybe the Pope should have started his trip in Las Vegas. The Sin City mayor just had this to say about legalizing prostitution:

It's disingenuous when people say they don't want to legalize it. Right now it's uncontrolled and unregulated. There's no check and balance as far as the women's health is concerned and legal brothels could be an important revenue-raising device for the city. When you speak about it intellectually, not morally, it makes sense.

Las Vegas exists in an odd bubble as much of the rest of the state allows and watches over the sex trade. To see the dilemma, read more. While critics say that any prostitution amounts to sexual slavery, proponents of legalization say that it will actually limit human trafficking, now rampant in the unregulated landscape of Vegas. Could allowing it be just the ticket to protecting women? The chief lobbyist of the Nevada Brothel Association says, "legal brothels could work anywhere. They could be huge in Las Vegas. It would be great for the women and for our industry . . . "

Who's right? Is the Pope spot on saying that more sexual permissiveness is a road to ruin? Or is the Las Vegas mayor right by acknowledging the women's health and economic factors of a foregone conclusion like the world's oldest profession? Does what happens in the Vatican, stay in the Vatican?

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