From IOL: Europe:
"A Warsaw court convicted a magazine publisher on Tuesday of insulting Polish-born Pope John Paul in his satirical weekly and fined him 20 000 zlotys (about R40 000).
The court ruled that Jerzy Urban, 71, founder and publisher of the weekly magazine Nie - Polish for 'no' - illegally insulted the pope when he wrote and printed a piece making fun of John Paul's age and frailty before the pontiff's visit to Poland in August 2002.
Urban was found guilty of violating a law that bans publicly insulting foreign heads of state. The court noted that the pontiff heads the Vatican, formally an independent state."
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
Oscar Nominations
From The Davis Enterprise:
"The Howard Hughes epic 'The Aviator' led Academy Awards contenders with 11 nominations Tuesday, including best picture among them, plus acting honors for Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett and Alan Alda and a directing slot for Martin Scorsese.
The boxing saga 'Million Dollar Baby' and the J.M. Barrie tale 'Finding Neverland' followed with seven nominations each, among best picture and acting nominations for Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Hilary Swank and Johnny Depp.
Eastwood also got a directing nomination for 'Million Dollar Baby.'
The other best-picture nominees were the Ray Charles portrait 'Ray' and the buddy comedy 'Sideways.'
Along with Eastwood, Jamie Foxx also scored two nominations, as best actor for the title role in 'Ray' and supporting actor as a taxi driver whose cab is hijacked by a hit man in 'Collateral.' "
"The Howard Hughes epic 'The Aviator' led Academy Awards contenders with 11 nominations Tuesday, including best picture among them, plus acting honors for Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett and Alan Alda and a directing slot for Martin Scorsese.
The boxing saga 'Million Dollar Baby' and the J.M. Barrie tale 'Finding Neverland' followed with seven nominations each, among best picture and acting nominations for Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Hilary Swank and Johnny Depp.
Eastwood also got a directing nomination for 'Million Dollar Baby.'
The other best-picture nominees were the Ray Charles portrait 'Ray' and the buddy comedy 'Sideways.'
Along with Eastwood, Jamie Foxx also scored two nominations, as best actor for the title role in 'Ray' and supporting actor as a taxi driver whose cab is hijacked by a hit man in 'Collateral.' "
Monday, January 24, 2005
Father Marciel Steps Down as General Director of the Legionaries
From Zenit News Agency - The World Seen From Rome:
" The Legionaries of Christ elected a new general director, after their founder, Father Marcial Maciel, declined re-election, citing his age and his desire to see the congregation flourish under a successor.
The congregation, in a press statement issued today, explained that its general chapter 'first re-elected Father Maciel by absolute majority vote,' and added that 'Father Maciel, 84, who has headed the Legionaries since their founding in 1941, declined' the re-election.
'The chapter fathers expressed their filial gratitude to Father Maciel for his leadership during these past decades and pledged their heartfelt loyalty to the mission he continues to fulfill as founder,' the statement added. "
" The Legionaries of Christ elected a new general director, after their founder, Father Marcial Maciel, declined re-election, citing his age and his desire to see the congregation flourish under a successor.
The congregation, in a press statement issued today, explained that its general chapter 'first re-elected Father Maciel by absolute majority vote,' and added that 'Father Maciel, 84, who has headed the Legionaries since their founding in 1941, declined' the re-election.
'The chapter fathers expressed their filial gratitude to Father Maciel for his leadership during these past decades and pledged their heartfelt loyalty to the mission he continues to fulfill as founder,' the statement added. "
Sunday, January 23, 2005
Rose Mary Woods and Johnny Carson Die
Two famous people both who's fame had something to do with taping.
Pope Reaffirms Stance Against Condome in AIDS Prevention
From My Way News:
"Pope John Paul on Saturday stressed that the Roman Catholic Church believed abstinence and fidelity within marriage, and not condoms, were the best way to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS.
The Pope's words, spoken to a new ambassador to the Vatican, took on an added significance being his first direct comment on the controversial topic since a Catholic official in Spain this week appeared to question the Church's stand against condoms.
'The Holy See ... believes prevention through education about the sacredness of life and the correct practice of sexuality, that is chastity and faithfulness, is necessary above all other things in order to prevent this disease responsibly,' the 84-year old Pontiff said in a written address."
"Pope John Paul on Saturday stressed that the Roman Catholic Church believed abstinence and fidelity within marriage, and not condoms, were the best way to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS.
The Pope's words, spoken to a new ambassador to the Vatican, took on an added significance being his first direct comment on the controversial topic since a Catholic official in Spain this week appeared to question the Church's stand against condoms.
'The Holy See ... believes prevention through education about the sacredness of life and the correct practice of sexuality, that is chastity and faithfulness, is necessary above all other things in order to prevent this disease responsibly,' the 84-year old Pontiff said in a written address."
Saturday, January 22, 2005
Austrian Scandals Lead to Mass Defections
From - Church in the World:
"Fifty thousand Catholics officially left the Church in 2004. The nationwide average of 40 per cent was even higher than in 1995 when the former Archbishop of Vienna, Cardinal Hans Hermann Groer, was accused of sexually abusing a minor. In 2004 the St P?lten diocese had 45 per cent more Catholics leaving than in the previous year, after a scandal at the seminary involving the downloading of child pornography and claims of homosexual activity. Bishop Klaus K?ng subsequently replaced Kurt Krenn as Bishop of St P?lten.
Commenting on the main evening news on 17 January, the dean of the Catholic Theological Faculty of Vienna University, Professor Paul Zulehner, said the exodus was still primarily due to the controversial episcopal appointments that the Vatican had made in the Austrian Church after the late Cardinal Hans K?nig's retirement in 1985. The fact that Rome delayed in responding to the St P?lten crisis had made things even worse, said Professor Zulehner. Since the 'Groer Affair' of the mid-1990s, 'the immune system of Austrian Catholics has grown steadily weaker so they can no longer cope with further bouts of scandals', he said.
In St P?lten, meanwhile, Bishop K?ng, who replaced Bishop Kurt Krenn last October, spoke at length with the former rector of the seminary, Fr Ulrich K?chl, and his assistant, Fr Wolfgang Rothe, about their future. Photographs of both priests fondling seminarians made world headlines last July. Bishop K?ng told them before Christmas they should both retire to a religious house for six months to a year to consider their vocations and their future. "
"Fifty thousand Catholics officially left the Church in 2004. The nationwide average of 40 per cent was even higher than in 1995 when the former Archbishop of Vienna, Cardinal Hans Hermann Groer, was accused of sexually abusing a minor. In 2004 the St P?lten diocese had 45 per cent more Catholics leaving than in the previous year, after a scandal at the seminary involving the downloading of child pornography and claims of homosexual activity. Bishop Klaus K?ng subsequently replaced Kurt Krenn as Bishop of St P?lten.
Commenting on the main evening news on 17 January, the dean of the Catholic Theological Faculty of Vienna University, Professor Paul Zulehner, said the exodus was still primarily due to the controversial episcopal appointments that the Vatican had made in the Austrian Church after the late Cardinal Hans K?nig's retirement in 1985. The fact that Rome delayed in responding to the St P?lten crisis had made things even worse, said Professor Zulehner. Since the 'Groer Affair' of the mid-1990s, 'the immune system of Austrian Catholics has grown steadily weaker so they can no longer cope with further bouts of scandals', he said.
In St P?lten, meanwhile, Bishop K?ng, who replaced Bishop Kurt Krenn last October, spoke at length with the former rector of the seminary, Fr Ulrich K?chl, and his assistant, Fr Wolfgang Rothe, about their future. Photographs of both priests fondling seminarians made world headlines last July. Bishop K?ng told them before Christmas they should both retire to a religious house for six months to a year to consider their vocations and their future. "
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