Download the Pope here.

Benedict XVI mentioned the importance that "educating people to recognize true beauty has for the formation of the young", and he explained how art "contributes to refining their souls and leads towards the construction of a society open to the ideals of the spirit.

An excerpt taken from Catholic News Agency

It was a beautiful, moving, and very well-done film.  I learned a lot about the world our late Holy Father came from, and how it shaped him and his work.  I wish I could put myself into God's hands the way Pope John Paul II did.  He was truly a remarkable man, even when he was still Karol Wojtyla, before he became Pope.

He was Pope from the time I was 2 years old, until I was 28.  But he was never much a part of my life.  I never paid him or the papacy much mind.  He was just some old man in Rome.  He didn't really affect us or our lives (so I thought).  When he died and his story was everywhere on TV and in the media, I finally began to learn who he was and what he did.  And I was so full of regret!  How could I have been so indifferent and, at times, so hostile?

When Pope Benedict XVI was elected, I started to slip back to my old ways.  I still wasn't much of a Catholic at the time.  But I have since vowed that I was going to do my best to get to know our Holy Father and follow his activities and ideas.  I haven't regretted that one bit--I love him so much!  He fills a special place in my heart, sort of a grandfatherly place, since I never got to know either of my biological grandfathers.

I have begun to feel that way for Pope John Paul as well... and really for all the previous popes.  I know that they are still watching over their children from Heaven, along with my biological family and other loved ones who have gone before me.  That makes me very glad!  :)

A "pro-family" activist group in Spain has filed charges against the organisers of the 2008 Madrid Gay Pride march.Read More+

I would like to pause to acknowledge the shame which we have all felt as a result of the sexual abuse of minors by some clergy and religious in this country. These misdeeds, which constitute so grave a betrayal of trust, deserve unequivocal condemnation. They have caused great pain and have damaged the church's witness.

As the church in Australia continues, in the spirit of the Gospel, to address effectively this serious pastoral challenge, I join you in praying that this time of purification will bring about healing, reconciliation and ever greater fidelity to the moral demands of the Gospel. (Pope Apologizes for Sexual Abuse By Clergy)

DOES NO ONE HEAR WHAT HE DOES NOT SAY?

I know the mainstream media doesn't, because journalists these days are entertainers not critical thinkers. The Herald-Tribune explains the Pope's visit as "the reinvigoration of the Roman Catholic Church" for which "repairing the damage caused by the sexual abuse scandal was part of a larger project." Yes, that larger project is obvious from the old saw the Pope pulls out on such occasions: dire warnings of what our immoral modern culture will do next -- you know, since that immoral modern culture has already caused this sex abuse crisis. If any of you believe priests only started abusing children in modern times, you need to study a little history. We can thank our modern culture, instead, for being the first to speak truth to power.

My diocese (Davenport) did not recently declare bankruptcy because some men committed sexual crimes. My diocese is in bankruptcy because the bishop COVERED UP THE CRIMES and allowed the priests to continue their predations. That's why survivors have won lawsuits. Particular individuals are guilty of sex abuse. The Church is guilty of corruption. The Pope should be apologizing for his bishops not his priests.

Pope Benedict is a consummate politician. He has manipulated the media with its own sensationalism. He has made the sexual abuse crisis about immoral sex rather than corruption of power. He has completely reframed this terrible moment in Catholic history to suit his politics, and parishioners everywhere are swallowing his revisionism.

It's already hard for me to stay with a church where a little cabal of fat men believe they are modeling Jesus, while insisting that only someone with a penis can speak for God and that women's equality is a crime equal to murdering the pope. Now, the Pope would like to help you forget that the U.S. Courts found ample reason to blame the Church for crimes, and not just some vile priests. The media would like to help him help you forget. I hope you will not.

Bill Maher's Apology Was Better Than The Pope's Apology

HERE’S just the latest example of how our victim industry works, feeding on problems and starving on solutions.

Flying to Sydney for World Youth Day, the Pope told reporters he wanted to express regret to victims of priests who abused them.

But Broken Rites, the victims’ group, said this was not enough, and he must “formally apologise”. Said spokesman Bernard Barrett: “He made some general remarks about regret to reporters and that’s not good enough.”

All right: in Sydney, the Pope gave a formal apology.

But Broken Rites said this was now not enough, and he must apologise directly to a few representative victims. Said another spokeswoman, Chris MacIsaac: “It really needs to be delivered directly to the people who suffered that abuse. They could have looked some victims who represented all victims in the eye and said, the Pope could have said ‘I am truly sorry’.”

All right: the Pope then looked four representative victims directly in the eye, and said: “I am truly sorry.”

But Broken Rites said this was no longer enough, either. MacIsaac again: “I’m afraid that what they’ve done is selected victims who have agreed with what the church’s policies are.”

Can we cut to the chase? What does Broken Rites actually want?

Can the Pope really ever do enough to please it? And bear in mind that the man is being made to jump through endless hoops to apologise for crimes he didn’t commit, never condoned and says offend the most solemn teachings and practices of his church.

But isn’t this in a microcosm the story of professional victimology?

Frankly, an apology for for something as serious as sexual abuse and dereliction of duty is insulting.

Catholic News Agency reports

Pope Benedict's request for Catholics to pray to Mary, Queen of Peace for intercession in the mid east crisis:

Valle d'Aosta, Jul. 17, 2006 (CNA) - After praying the Angelus with
the faithful gathered in front of the house at Les Combes in Italy's
Valle d'Aosta region which he is spending a brief holiday, Pope
Benedict XVI called on people to pray for peace in the Holy Land and,
in a special way, to pray for the intercession of Mary.

News coming from the Holy Land over the last few days is, said the
Pope, "a cause of new and serious concern to everyone, especially for
the increasing military activities in Lebanon and for the many
victims among the civilian population. At the root of such pitiless
contrasts there are, unfortunately, objective ... violations of
rights and of justice. But neither terrorist acts or reprisals,
especially when they have such tragic consequences on the civilian
population, can be justified. Bitter experience shows that by
following this path no positive results can be achieved."

The Pope recalled that Sunday was the Feast of the Blessed Virgin
Mary of Mount Carmel. Mount Carmel is a mountain in the Holy Land
which, just a few kilometers from Lebanon, dominates the Israeli city
of Haifa. Haifa itself has been attacked recently.

Earlier in the day, during a visit to the Carmelite monastery in
nearby Quart, the Holy Father assured the solidarity of the whole
church with the religious and lay of Haifa, which has suffered
several missile attacks by Hezbollah.

"Let us pray to Mary Queen of Peace," said Benedict, "that she may
implore from God the fundamental gift of harmony, bringing political
leaders back to the way of reason and opening new possibilities of
dialogue and understanding. With this in mind, I invite the local
Churches to raise special prayers for peace in the Holy Land and in
the entire Middle East."

Scoopit!

Saw this in the HoS and just could not resist it.

Scoopit!

OK OK, I've decided to hold the first annual Anemic Royalty Cute Baby Contest, and after careful consideration, have narrowed it down to two:

It's a toss between Michael Jackson holding his son, covered with a towel, from a third floor balcony at the Hotel Adlon in Berlin, November 19, 2002, or, Pope Benedict XVI riding shotgun in the "Holy Roller" at the World Youth Day shindig at Randwick horse racing track in Sydney, Australia earlier today. Hmm...

~ Anemi

We at Big News are still awaiting word as to when iO West will reopen. Right now our next show is scheduled for Sunday, August 3 at 9pm. But the layoff hasn't stopped our writers from writing jokes about the events of the day - and while we may not have a theater in which to present them, we do have the good ol' Internet!

The Obama campaign has objected to a cartoon on the cover of the New Yorker that depicts him as a Muslim and his wife as a radical black activist. Obama was upset mostly because his depiction was not wearing a flag pin.

The Obama campaign has objected to a cartoon on the cover of the New Yorker that depicts him as a Muslim and his wife as a radical black activist. Objecting to cartoons inside the New Yorker: golfers, doctors and squiggly people with marital problems.

In a speech this week, Barack Obama said that the war in Iraq distracts Americans from the threat of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Obama added that the war distracts Americans from an even bigger threat: cartoonists.

On Friday, former Sen. Phil Gramm gave up his position as economic advisor to the McCain campaign, a week after saying the United States was a “nation of whiners.” In resigning, Gramm pointed out that he’d realized we're more of a nation of quitters.

Pope Benedict says that the world's natural resources are being squandered in the pursuit of "insatiable consumption." In addition, other natural resources are being squandered in order to make the pope's hat.

After a meeting, President Bush stated that Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is a “smart guy.” In supporting his opinion, Bush pointed out that Medvedev had mastered the difficult language of Russian.

According to a new survey, only 21% of Americans are in favor of federal aid for those facing foreclosures. The other 79% did not respond to the survey because it was not sent to the box where they currently live.

A new poll of American Jews reveals that 90% think the country is on the wrong track. But for you, 85%.

A new poll of American Jews reveals that 90% think the country is on the wrong track. Although maybe they wouldn't if you called once in a while.

World leaders at the G-8 conference have agreed to cut in half the amount of greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2050. President Bush said the U.S. will do its part on cutting gas emissions by shutting down all Taco Bells.

The United States military has a shortage of linguists fluent in the languages spoken in Afghanistan: Dari, Pashto, Uzbek, and Turkmen. The United States government likewise has a shortage of presidents fluent in English.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that under state law, sex acts with the dead were illegal. As a result, groupies will not have sex with the band after the next Rolling Stones concert in Milwaukee.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that under state law, sex acts with the dead were illegal. Anyone convicted will receive a stiff sentence.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that under state law, sex acts with the dead were illegal. In light of the news, Larry King and his wife have cancelled their second honeymoon in Milwaukee.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that under state law, sex acts with the dead were illegal. However, it remains legal in Wisconsin for quarterbacks with dead careers to screw their former team.

A 33-year-old Michigan man is accused of wearing a “World's Greatest Dad” shirt to a meeting for sex with what he thought was a 14-year-old girl. In his defense, the man pointed out that under “World's Greatest Dad,” the shirt said in smaller letters “at having sex with 14-year-old girls.”

French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced plans for a Mediterranean Union funded by the European Union and aimed at ending poverty, strife and other social and diplomatic problems in former French colonies in Northern Africa. The plans are all part of France's new "You Break It, You Buy It" policy.

A Japanese labor bureau has ruled that a Toyota engineer died from working too many hours on the development of a Camry hybrid. Ironically, the new vehicle is designed to run on a combination of gasoline, electricity, and the ashes of dead Japanese engineers.

US Airways says it will start removing in-flight entertainment systems on domestic flights in November to save about $10 million annually in fuel and other costs. This decision will also save millions of lives once passengers are no longer forced to watch "Drillbit Taylor."

US Airways says it will start removing in-flight entertainment systems on domestic flights in November to save about $10 million annually in fuel and other costs. US Airways is currently the only airline that uses gasoline-powered movies.

US Airways will start removing in-flight entertainment systems on domestic flights in November to save about $10 million annually in fuel and other costs. The airline loses money due to flights being delayed when passengers yell “There’s a bomb on board!” every time a Dane Cook movie is shown.

Angelina Jolie gave birth to twins Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline on July 12. Jolie is healthy but disappointed, since with twins she figured odds were at least one of them would not be white.

The National Enquirer is reporting that sixty-two-year-old Cher plans to marry an ex-Hell's Angel nearly half her age. Her fiancé is still five times older than anything on Cher's face.

Metallica will make the songs on their next CD available for download to play on Guitar Hero III. The download will include also allow players to engage in interactive group therapy sessions.

Sarah Jessica Parker's trademark mole has been removed from the actress's face. "I no longer wanted to walk around being seen with that hideous thing," said the mole.

Miss USA Crystle Stewart fell down during Monday's Miss Universe contest. Stewart fell as part of the talent competition while doing her impression of the U.S. dollar.

Miss USA Crystle Stewart fell down during Monday's Miss Universe contest. She also misspelled her first name.

A new report suggests that babies conceived from frozen embryos are just as healthy as those conceived naturally. Except for the freezer burn.

A new report suggests that babies conceived from frozen embryos are just as healthy as those conceived naturally. They also come in an assortment of fruity flavors.

Last month, the 38th annual Gay Pride Parade was held in San Francisco. And, girl, she does not look a day over 25.

Last month, the 38th annual Gay Pride Parade was held in San Francisco. Residents celebrated by dancing in the streets, dressing outrageously, and otherwise behaving as they do every other day.

According to a new study, men who eat too many fatty foods can have hurt their sperm production. The decrease often goes unnoticed, as none of the overweight men has seen their penises in years.

According to a new study, men who eat too many fatty foods can hurt their sperm production. Nutritionists recommend that overweight men switch to fresh fruit while surfing internet porn.

The nation's DNA tracking system faces a huge backlog that could take years to clear, leaving crimes unsolved and offenders free in society. The cause of the backlog: the massive workload of paternity tests from The Maury Povich Show.

The World Heritage List has added eight new natural wonders. The list includes the Joggins Fossil Cliffs, the Lagoons of New Caledonia, and Jessica Alba's career.

An epidemic of cancer is forcing Tasmanian devils to breed earlier. The efforts are proving unsuccessful since the Tasmanian devils want only to breed with rabbits dressed in drag.

Bangkok, Thailand was voted the world's best city in a poll conducted by Travel + Leisure magazine, trumping last year's winner, Florence, Italy. Bangkok's victory was attributed to the fact that most readers of Travel + Leisure magazine are pedophiles.

Bangkok, Thailand was voted the world's best city in a poll conducted by Travel + Leisure magazine, trumping last year's winner, Florence, Italy. In an effort to win back the title, Florence has launched an intensive campaign to teach all women in the city how to shoot ping-pong balls out of their vaginas.

Bangkok, Thailand was voted the world's best city in a poll conducted by Travel + Leisure magazine, trumping last year's winner, Florence, Italy. Bangkok's victory was attributed to the fact the only reader of Travel + Leisure magazine is Murray Head.

Bangkok, Thailand was voted the world's best city in a poll conducted by Travel + Leisure. Bangkok was also voted the best city in a poll conducted by Pedophile Weekly.

Bangkok, Thailand was voted the world's best city in a poll conducted by the magazine Travel + Leisure. Bangkok residents praised the magazine, saying for once it's nice that someone gave them a "happy ending."

And finally, Evelyn Keyes, the actress who played Scarlett O'Hara's younger sister Suellen in the classic 1939 film "Gone With the Wind," died of uterine cancer July 4 in Montecito at age 91. While fans had hoped Keyes would live to 92, frankly, she didn't give a damn.

As I walked through our local shopping centre in the vain hope of getting some peace and quiet I chatted to some young Aussie pilgrims who had also come inside for a few hours to try to regroup ie sleep on each others shoulders, and in the process get away from the constant music and noise. They said they were sleeping out tonight but were exhausted by the constant music and the sheer volume of it and when asked why they thought the music was like this they said they felt it was aimed at keeping them going, keeping them awake.

Okay what noise is she talking about you ask? Well there are many many helicopters at present overhead.....its worse than APEC last year and for days now there has been almost constant music being blasted from the racecourse....see my other post. And this is a residential area twenty minutes by bus from the CBD. There are events all over Sydney, I am just going to report on what is affecting myself and others who live here and are impacted by this. The level of sound is unbelievable...all our doors and windows are shut....we have television on and we still cannot get away from it.

I bought some silicone ear plugs from the chemist for tomorrow although we are going to see the Batman movie.....and stay in the Westfield complex for most of the day....its all relative really as we usually find that noisy!!! The pharmacist Amanda said that she had heard that the vigil is largely silent so that is something although the helicopters shall be constant due to television and security coverage. When I walked through the centre several monks or priests from either the US or Canada came through in their white robes, accompanied by several young pilgrims. They looked prepared as they had sleeping bags and bedrolls however a lot of the pilgrims I saw had very little apart from each other to keep them warm.

A lot of the pilgrims have I Pods etc so maybe they are tuning the noise out to some degree....so does anyone know if this is a stategy for meetings or festivals like this one.......bearing in mind its a whole week of it? Also shall be trying to find out if this was considered by the state government ....they warned us of the disruption with traffic and closed roads etc ..was this covered? The reason why Randwick Racecourse was chosen was because of the mild temperatures at night ...milder than the Western suburbs and the proximity to Centennial Park for the spillover. The public transport was a large part of it....easily accessable from all over and walkable for a lot of pilgrims and others.

I have also not found anywhere that there will be any form of ticketing at any stage and I thought I read that it is an offense to do so. My friend who is prone to taking urban legend as gospel was adamant that priests were charging $300 a ticket for tomorrow...I have found no evidence of that at all and am getting so fed up with these people who do not check their facts when slandering people. If anyone is being ticketed it is an offense and will be dealt with so do not fall for it if you are offered tickets.....though I probably do not needto tell you guys that.

While not unprecedented it is a great thing to see the head of the Roman Catholic Church call upon leaders of all faiths (even Protestants!) to work together for the common good of all peoples.   I believe this bent towards unity more closely resembles the teachings of Jesus, especially as it has to do with easing the suffering of the world.

Speaking to Christians, the Pope had this to say:

"I think you would agree that the ecumenical movement has reached a critical juncture," he told the Christian representatives. "We must guard against any temptation to view doctrine as divisive and hence an impediment to the seemingly more pressing and immediate task of improving the world in which we live."

Amen.  How many Protestant churches, however, will insist that doctrine is everything?   Is it really meant to impede the unity we can achieve and the pain we can allieviate under the Lordship of Jesus Christ?   I fear that too many Chrisitans have made doctrine into just one more idol.   We worship our ideas about what worshipping God is like more than the God who transcends even our best ideas. 

The Pope gets my Colbert "Tip of the Hat" vote!

peace,
Chad

Today is the day that Pope Benedict was officially welcomed to Australia by aboriginal elder Allen Madden of the Gadigal tribe and then aboriginal dancers  performed a ceremony of welcome at Rose Bay in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs, this welcome included the use of gum leaves to sweep away past injustices therefore clearing the way for a new understanding. Just wonderful and could be applied to so much in this life....does not mean that the past is swept away...it is acknowledged...then moved onto from that point into the future.

The Pope and his entourage then boarded a tourist cruise ship, preceeded by the spectacular water spraying tug and accompanied by thirteen smaller ships full of pilgrims and untold police and security ships. They eventually passed thousands of Sydneysiders on the foreshore who had thankfully and somewhat typically ignored the State Government's instructions to stay out of the city, then sailed past the Opera House, always a spectacular sight and then under the coathanger where some bridge climbers had the absolute best vantage point, on towards Barangaroo... the place of welcome. This is one of the few parcels of land left on the foreshore and it was well used today as all 150000 pilgrims gathered there to welcome the Pope and to share with each other their joy.

I watched all this on television from the comfort of my lounge room, snuggled under one of my quilts, although it was a blissful 19 degrees outside and warm and sunny. I was totally engrossed as the cruiser with its selected passengers and church officials journeyed towards the city. Pope Benedict inpressed me with his serene expression and his seemingly genuine aura of joy as he chatted with variously selected young people. After some periods of sitting inside the cruiser he then invited the young people back and they stayed there with him while the ship edged closer to its destination. They were chatting happily and he seemed to have an unwavering rapport with them...the sheer joy and familiarity they seemed to experience brought tears to my eyes.

What an amazing opportunity for this sophisticated city which prides itself on its ability to throw a party to see the sheer unadulterated joy which was present here today...there were no fireworks....no beer ...no rock concerts ....just the delight in the company of each other and the expectation of the sheer joy and love which they anticipated he was going to bring. His message did not disappoint...he is obviously a superb teacher and really impressed me with his opening words thanking the traditional owners of this land for welcoming him, saying he "was deeply moved to stand on their land knowing the suffering and injustices it has borne, but aware too of the healing and hope that are now at work, rightly bringing pride to all Australian citizens". The rest of his wonderful speech can be found here.

Today  I witnessed something that will stay with me forever, the youth of the world, along with a few hundred thousand people of other ages thrown in for good measure ....were high on joy and love and sheer delight in being here in this beautiful city, able to share the experience with so many like minded souls. And those souls were not all Catholic by any means, they were multi denominational and interfaith. Later as the Popemobile wandered through the city half a million people gathered up to fifty people deep to catch a glimpse of him as he was driven by.

As I wandered through our shopping centre  during late night shopping I thought how strange, I have worn my Peter Lang crucifix before yet tonight it seemed to be drawing a lot of attention ...maybe it was just me but I would like to think that people saw it today as a religious symbol as it is meant to be ....not an item of jewellery as crucifixes have become of late. A symbol of love and compassion and a call to something beyond ourselves....well that is what it means to me anyway.