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The 15th of January George Ratzinger, Pope’s elder brother, will turn 85. George decided to party his birthday in the Sistine Chapel (Vaticano) with a Mozart’s concert. According to the German press the party will cost 100.000 euro.
In spite of the economic crisis the Episcopate of Ratisbona will pay 100.000 euro to permit to 90 musicians from Germany and to 37 musicians from Austria to fly to Roma to play at the birthday concert.
In Germany this story aroused bitter controversy since the ammount should come from the money that German catholics assign, thanks to taxes, to the Church.
Happy birthday and enjoy the party then!
Source: El Pais
Comic Strip by Giulio Laurenzi
No sex, no science, I’m the Pope!
Last time I’ve checked the calendar it was 2008, but according to what Pope Benedetto XVI has recently stated about sex and science it seems that we still live in the XII century.
Some days ago the elderly man with the nicest pair of red shoes (even Dorothy of Oz would envy them) stated that researchers are tempted by “easy money”.
These words against science and scientific research have a heavy meaning since in Italy students, teachers, professors and researchers are protesting and are on strike against a reform that will drastically cut the budget for school, university and research.
Just looking at Spain we can see that Pope Benedetto’s personal opinions and declarations don’t Countries with a fully-developed democracy, where state and Church are two distinct entities dealing with distinct matters. But since Italy is a Country where every politician competes to show to be the “most papal” and most Catholic and where division of State and Church seems to be forgotten, this old man’s assertions influence and weigh on political decisions and Italian politics. Strongly supporting or opposing some political choices instead of others the Pope backs, indirectly, alliances and political parties.
It is unbelievable, and yet it is true.
Censorship is part of Italian politics, media and people’s DNA, they rise scandalized and terrify at the first sign of freedom of expression and thought.
On Tuesday in Roma, Piazza Navona, there has been a crowded demonstration against Silvio Berlusconi’s Government and his legislative masterpieces.
Intellectuals, artists, journalists and comedians attended it. The leader of Italia dei Valori Antonio Di Pietro, who strongly supported the demonstration, was the only politician to get on the stage and talk. The Partito Democratico, the other opposition party, was absent and criticized those gathered in that square decided to shout their own indignation against the present actions of the Government, despite there were several PD flags waving in Piazza Navona proof that not all electors share their opinions and political choices.
Walter Veltroni, leader of PD, and his “Shadows-Ministers” decided to demonstrate in Fall. Mr Berlusconi is working really hard to pass every sort of unconstitutional and ad personam law (5 in a month) right now, but the biggest Italian opposition party will demonstrate against it after a couple of months. A tortuous logic.
After the demonstration in Roma, censors from every political front, starting from Walter Veltroni, rose for what had been said on that stage and, above all, for what two comedians had said. Besides Italian media simply forgot or just hinted at the reasons why all those people had gathered in square.
During the last days Italian newspapers whispered and hinted at presumed “strong erotic content” wiretaps between Berlusconi, who was leader of the opposition at the time, and the showgirl Mara Carfagna. According to the newspapers during the phone calls they talked explicitly about oral sex.
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