A weekly column of benevolent gossip

‘One nation, under Whatever’? — It started out an innocent enough project: to pay for improvement to a public park in Newburyport, Mass. The public was encouraged to purchase commemorative bricks. The city put no restrictions on the subject matter expressed on the bricks. Thomas Savastano chose “Jesus Loves You.” Marie Cupo, who had miscarried a baby, wanted “For All the Unborn Children.” But the mayor had these two particular bricks removed from the park walkway because their “religious” messages offended some persons in the community. Now the town faces a lawsuit for restriction of free speech and free exercise of religious freedom.

Winter-lite? — Were you one of the many Scrooges who took down their Christmas lights right after New Year’s, or maybe kept them up until Epiphany? Why didn’t we remember that a year ago the Vatican divulged the Holy Father keeps the “Christmas” lights up until Feb. 2, Candlemas (Groundhog) Day? This holy day that recalls the Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple, also marks the conclusion of the liturgical season of Christmas. So there.

No small plan — Patrick Benedict, director of Rosaries for Life, is organizing a one million-rosary recitation to end abortion. The rosaries will be said during the 8 a.m. hour (local time) on May 1, with the intention to end surgical and non-surgical killing of unborn babies. It can be recited at home, church, or anywhere. One million people praying the rosary for life should have a salutary effect on the country. For a form to officially register as a participant, write: Rosaries for Life, P.O. Box 41831, Memphis, TN 38174. Include a 34-cent stamp for their return mailing.

Drat the hackers — Pope John Paul II had just issued a message on World Communications Day, Jan. 24, urging caution about the ever-expanding influence of the media but still encouraging Catholics to embrace new technologies like the Internet, mentioning its ability “To carry religious information and teaching beyond all barriers and frontiers.” Hackers waited a day before breaking into Vatican Radio’s Web site! Their disruption was said to be minor.

Surfing the faithful — A recent study of more than 1,300 church congregations found more people use the Internet for religious purposes than for many secular reasons. No fewer than 21 percent of Web surfers, about 20 million people, have looked for spiritual or religious information online. Just 18 percent of surfers do Internet banking, and 15 percent have joined in Internet auctions. The survey, reported in the Washington Times, found that each day, more than 2 million Americans search the Internet for all kinds of religious or spiritual material.

‘Get Me To the Plane on Time’ — One of the new cardinal-designates, plainspoken 79-year-old Italian Jesuit Roberto Tucci may seem a strange candidate for the red hat. His “job” since 1982 has been to manage the logistics of papal trips abroad. He coordinates everything from arrival times to popemobile placement for the pope. But Vatican insiders say he has a reputation as a tough-negotiating papal advance man. He was also close to Pope John Paul as an expert at Vatican II, a theologian, an ecumenist and as a man “unafraid to give blunt advice on sensitive internal Vatican affairs.” Tucci, one of the five older cardinals honored for their service to the church, will be installed with 43 other younger prelates Feb. 21.

Calling off the ‘pollcats’ — With the campaign for general elections beginning in Italy, the Vatican’s semiofficial newspaper asked political leaders last week to be more concerned with programs than with unreliable opinion polls. The Italian press has been awash in omnipresent polls.

Wags’ corner — John Lyons opines: “In 'Survivor II’ the first castoff of the show should be Giants’ quarterback Kerry Collins.”

top