tagged w/ Nuns
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What are the Nuns guilty of? -- According to the Vatican, they failed in their duty to sufficiently attack things like gay marriage, abortion and ordination of female priests. Not only that, but they did the unthinkable – endorsed President Obama’s health care reform bill.
Methinks the Sisters have aspired to too much for ol’ Pope Benny, who seems to be a Catholic hard-liner. But many of the nuns are not backing down. Even in the face of Inquisition-like scrutiny, many of the Sisters remain defiant, but they’ll need to gird their loins for this round, because it seems the Vatican and the U.S. Bishops are determined to break them and force them into submission...
http://veracitystew.com/?p=34194What are the Nuns guilty of? -- According to the Vatican, they failed in their duty to... more
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Vatican acts after reports of monks staging concerts featuring a former lap dancer and running hotel service
It sounds like something out of Father Ted: a renowned monastery in Rome where monks staged concerts featuring a lap-dancer-turned-nun and opened a hotel with a 24-hour limousine service has been shut down by the pope.
As part of Benedict XVI's crackdown on "loose living" within the Catholic church, 20 or so Cistercian monks are now being evicted from the monastery at the basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, which hosts some of the church's holiest relics.
"An inquiry found evidence of liturgical and financial irregularities as well as lifestyles that were probably not in keeping with that of a monk," said Father Ciro Benedettini, a Vatican spokesman. "The church remains open but the monks are awaiting transfer."
Reports saying the monks amassed large debts have also emerged, but Benedettini declined to give further details of the Vatican report, which was signed off in March.
The monks' days have been numbered since 2009, when the Vatican sacked their flamboyant abbot, Father Simone Fioraso, a former fashion designer who built up a cult following among Rome's fashionable aristocratic crowd as well as show business worshippers such as Madonna, who prayed at the church in 2008.
In 2009 Anna Nobili, a nightclub dancer who became a nun, was invited to perform her "holy dance" before an audience including archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi, head of the Vatican's cultural department. For her performance Nobili, who says she uses dance as a form of prayer, lies spread-eagled in front of the altar clutching a crucifix or twists and turns as in pole-dancing routines.
Dating back to the 4th century, Santa Croce in Gerusalemme was built to house relics brought back from the Holy Land by the mother of Emperor Constantine.
They include items described as nails and splinters from the cross, thorns from Jesus's crown, and a bone from the finger St Thomas pushed into the wounds of Christ.
The monks living there now had opened a shop selling organic produce from their kitchen garden, but this was shut down in 2009 amid accusations of their having secretly stocked the shelves from a neighbourhood grocery.
The Italian newspaper La Stampa said that VIP guests were also encouraged to stay at a hotel opened at the Santa Croce monastery which offered a 24-hour limousine airport service.
In 2008 Fioraso hosted a week-long, televised, reading of the bible with religious figures, politicians and celebrities reading tracts, starting with Pope Benedict himself. But a year later Fioraso was ousted, despite protests from parishioners who defended his "patience, dedication, sacrifice and passion".
The Vatican's removal of the monks to other monasteries, ending their 500-year presence at the basilica, follows Benedict's hard line with other wayward orders, including the Legionaries of Christ, run by the Mexican priest Marcial Maciel Degollado, who fathered numerous children, was disciplined over sexual abuse allegations and was banished to a life of penitence.
The basilica was supported by the Friends of Santa Croce, a who's who of Roman society run by a Italian claiming descent from Charlemagne.
Italian press reports have speculated that the inspectors from the Vatican suspected homosexual relations between monks at the monastery.Vatican acts after reports of monks staging concerts featuring a former lap dancer and... more
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Of Nuns, Guns, and Freedom Runs:
Along with the wanton, impudent betrayal of my ‘great potential,’ I was always regarded by the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary as a ‘deportment’ problem in grammar school. To shreve me of my sins, and to motivate me to ‘work harder’ in school,Of Nuns, Guns, and Freedom Runs:
Along with the wanton, impudent betrayal of my... more
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“Lapsus” is a wickedly funny three-minute animated short film by Juan Pablo Zaramella, an Argentinean director and animator. In the film, a curious little nun ventures into the darker side of her world. The poor nun ends up making a number of frightening Freudian slips, unwittingly getting herself involved in some very twisted misdeeds. If you enjoy short films and funny things, this one is really for you. No wait, this is one for everyone!
This piece includes a number of black-and-white illustrations, as well as the very funny animated short film.
http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2011/04/23/lapsus-a-little-nuns-daring-journey-into-the-dark-side/“Lapsus” is a wickedly funny three-minute animated short film by Juan... more
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Uganda police are investigating after a marijuana plantation was uncovered in the garden of a convent.
A regional police chief told the BBC that plants covering one acre had been found and uprooted in the southern Masaka district.
Two nuns and two porters have been questioned.
One of the nuns has been quoted by local media as saying the marijuana was used to treat farm animals, such as pigs.
Southern regional commander Emmanuel Muhuirwe told the BBC News website that only the porters had been arrested - not the nuns.
He said the nuns had been questioned because the garden was part of the convent.
But he said no-one had been charged yet and the porters have been released on bail.
Commander Muhuirwe also dismissed reports in Uganda's New Vision newspaper that the nuns had been angry that the police had entered the convent without permission, pointing out that the garden was separate from the convent building.Uganda police are investigating after a marijuana plantation was uncovered in the... more
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When it comes to Catholic teaching on abortion, no exceptions are allowed. Even if carrying a pregnancy to term would result in the death of both mother and child, abortion is still not an option.
Which is why a nun who is an administrator at a Catholic hospital in Phoenix this week found herself formally excommunicated -- essentially the sacramental equivalent of capital punishment.
The episode stems from a series of events that began last November, when a 27-year-old woman who was 11 weeks pregnant with her fifth child was admitted to St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix. The pregnancy was causing severe health problems for the woman, who suffers from pulmonary hypertension, and her doctors told her that if she continued with the pregnancy, her risk of death was close to 100 percent -- and the baby would die as well.
So the ethics board of the Catholic hospital -- which included Sister of Mercy Margaret McBride, a top administrator at the hospital -- deliberated with the woman and her doctors and decided this was an exception to the the code of Catholic health care directives that govern hospital ethics and care.
The abortion was performed, and the woman survived.
But this month Phoenix Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted found out about the hospital's actions. He disagreed in no uncertain terms and decreed that Sister McBride -- along with any other Catholic involved in the decision, including the patient -- were automatically excommunicated.
"An unborn child is not a disease," Olmsted said in a statement. "While medical professionals should certainly try to save a pregnant mother's life, the means by which they do it can never be by directly killing her unborn child. The end does not justify the means."
"We always must remember that when a difficult medical situation involves a pregnant woman, there are two patients in need of treatment and care, not merely one," he continued. "The unborn child's life is just as sacred as the mother's life, and neither life can be preferred over the other."
Officials of Catholic Healthcare West, the San Francisco-based health system which includes St. Joseph's, wrote to Olmsted on May 17. "If there had been a way to save the pregnancy and still prevent the death of the mother, we would have done it. We are convinced there was not," they said.
While Olmsted does not have direct control of the hospital, his decisions on matters of faith and morals can regulate whether the hospital and its employees maintain a Catholic status.
St. Joseph's has reassigned Sister McBride to another, lesser administrative post (and she can lift the excommunication at any point by going to confession). But the hospital also defended the decision, saying the directives -- which it adheres to -- leaves some gray areas.
"In those instances where the Directives do not explicitly address a clinical situation -- such as when a pregnancy threatens a woman's life -- an Ethics Committee is convened to help our caregivers and their patients make the most life-affirming decision," said Suzanne Pfister, a hospital vice president. "In this tragic case, the treatment necessary to save the mother's life required the termination of an 11-week pregnancy."
In a letter to the The Arizona Republic on May 18, Dr. John Garvie, chief of gastroenterology at St. Joseph's, called Sister Margaret "the moral conscience of the hospital" and said "there is no finer defender of life at our hospital."
"What she did was something very few are asked to do, namely, to make a life-and-death decision with the full recognition that in order to save one life, another life must be sacrificed," Garvie said. "People not involved in these situations should reflect and not criticize."
The chief ethics official of the Phoenix diocese, Father John Ehrich, agreed that it was a difficult decision. But in a two-page statement on the diocesan website, he argued that "the child is not that which threatens the life of the mother, rather it is the pathology or illness (cancer, premature rupture of membranes, hypertension, preeclampsia, etc.) which threatens the mother's life."
"When we try to control every possible situation in life, we end up playing the role of God."
Not surprisingly, the Arizona case has prompted heated and often highly technical moral and ethical debates in Catholic circles and blogs about abortion, such as one at the blog of the Catholic periodical, Commonweal, which is titled, "What Is 'Abortion,' Anyway?"
The Phoenix case also echoes a case in Brazil last year, when a nine-year-old girl was found to be pregnant with twins as a result of being raped by her stepfather, who had repeatedly abused her. The girl, who weighed 66 pounds and would likely have died if the pregnancy were carried to term, underwent an abortion.
A Brazilian archbishop condemned the operation and declared the doctors and the mother (though not the stepfather) excommunicated. But a top Vatican official called for "mercy" in the case and said the excommunications were unjust. Another Vatican official disagreed, and the case has continued to roil Catholic circles and pro-life advocates.When it comes to Catholic teaching on abortion, no exceptions are allowed. Even if... more
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Maybe the Catholic Church should be turned upside down.
Jesus wasn’t known for pontificating from palaces, covering up scandals, or issuing Paleolithic edicts on social issues. Does anyone think he would have protected clergymen who raped children?
Yet if the top of the church has strayed from its roots, much of its base is still deeply inspiring. I came here to impoverished southern Sudan to write about Sudanese problems, not the Catholic Church’s. Yet once again, I am awed that so many of the selfless people serving the world’s neediest are lowly nuns and priests — notable not for the grandeur of their vestments but for the grandness of their compassion.
...more at link
**What do you think: Does the Catholic church get fair press?**
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/02/opinion/02kristof.html?src=me&ref=generalMaybe the Catholic Church should be turned upside down.
Jesus wasn’t known... more
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The Udumbara flower was found in the home of a Chinese nun in Lushan Mountain, Jiangxi province, China.
The rare Youtan Poluo or Udumbara flower, which, according to Buddhist legend, only blooms every 3,000 years, measures just 1mm in diametre.
Miao Wei, 50, was cleaning when she discovered the cluster of white flowers under the washing machine.
At first she thought the barely-there stems were worm eggs, however, the next day she discovered that the stems had grown 18 white tiny flowers on top and smelled "fragrant".
Local temples believe the mini blooms are specimens of the miraculous Youtan Poluo flower - called "Udumbara" or "Udambara" in Sanskrit, meaning "an auspicious flower from heaven."The Udumbara flower was found in the home of a Chinese nun in Lushan Mountain, Jiangxi... more
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All in a days work, The Rescue Task Force travels around Haiti to deliver needed medical supplies, tents, installs electricity, and food to remote hospitals.
video by: Chris Morrow
voice: Stanley Vincent - Rescue Task Force
Follow Chris on Twitter: www.twitter.com/morrowchris
The Rescue Task Force is taking immediate action to provide emergency aid and comfort to children and families in Haiti. Support RTF and save a life. http://rescuetaskforce.org/All in a days work, The Rescue Task Force travels around Haiti to deliver needed... more
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You can't give people pride, but you can provide the kind of understanding that makes people look to their inner strengths and find their own sense of pride.
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God knows no distance.
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I believe that you cannot go any further than you can think. I certainly believe if you don't desire a thing, you will never get it.
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You don't have to look poor, you know, you don't have to look down. For money is a medium of exchange, and that's all; but it is not a mind regulator unless you allow it to be.You can't give people pride, but you can provide the kind of understanding that... more
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A Wantagh nun is out of jail Thursday on her own recognizance after she got drunk at church, drove while intoxicated and hit a tree, police and prosecutors said.
Children playing outside were nearly mowed down by her out-of-control car on Tuesday evening, witnesses said Thursday.
Sister Lauren M. Hanley, 68, had a bottle of liquor in the car and a blood-alcohol level of 0.18 when she was arrested following the accident after she left work at St. Frances de Chantal Church in Wantagh, according to the Nassau County district attorney's office.A Wantagh nun is out of jail Thursday on her own recognizance after she got drunk at... more
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Thou shalt not steal - especially within sight of a convent. Police in Independence, Mo., are crediting a pair of nuns with helping nab a gun-toting man suspected of burglarizing two homes Thursday morning.
Around 7 a.m., one of the women glanced out a window of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Holy Eucharist convent and spotted a suspicious man walking through a soybean field. She and another nun headed outside to see if the man was lost or hunting illegally.
They saw the man was carrying a shotgun, boxing gloves and other items. When they began to question him, the man ran into nearby woods.
One of the nuns gave chase, wearing her ankle-length habit and flip-flops. He got away, but the 49-year-old nun was able to describe him later to police, who made an arrest.
Image source: http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/sudley/collections/graphics/large/nun_henriette_browne.jpgThou shalt not steal - especially within sight of a convent. Police in Independence,... more
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xiola
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Three nuns were caught doing 120mph in a Fiesta - no less - as they flew down an Italian road en route to see the poorly pontiff.
Pope Benedict XVI had taken a tumble at his holiday home. On hearing news of this the nuns, overcome with worry, decided it was road trip time.
A police spokesman was quoted as saying: "Hopefully Sister Tavoletta will be making sure she confesses her bad driving the next she goes to confession. But in the meantime, she will have to pay the Euros 375 fine (£325)."
Sister Tavoletta, the driver, was the youngest of the three at 56. Her unnamed passengers were aged 65 and 78.Three nuns were caught doing 120mph in a Fiesta - no less - as they flew down an... more
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Tibetan monks and nuns spend their lives studying the inner world of the mind rather than the physical world of matter. Yet for one month this spring a group of 91 monastics devoted themselves to the corporeal realm of science.Tibetan monks and nuns spend their lives studying the inner world of the mind rather... more
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Two Roman Catholic nuns whose non-violent action against nuclear weapons landed them with prison sentences returned home to Baltimore to learn they had been listed as terrorists, they said Friday.
Sister Ardeth Platte, 72, and Sister Carol Gilbert, 60, came back from two weeks out of town to find letters from the Maryland State Police saying they had been wrongfully listed as suspected terrorists in a federal database in 2005-2006.
"To be labelled a terrorist is really very hard to hear and to accept, when your whole life has been one of loving nonviolence," Platte said.
Maryland State Police have sent letters to a total 53 activists wrongfully labelled as terrorists, inviting them to look at their entries in the database -- after which the files would be deleted.
The Dominican nuns broke into a US nuclear missile silo in Colorado in 2002 and painted crucifixes with their own blood -- earning Platte and Gilbert prison sentences of 41 and 33 months respectively.
"If they can label us as terrorists, they can label all kinds of people as terrorists," Gilbert said. "So then people become afraid to speak out against what the established government might be saying -- and that is the demise of democracy." Two Roman Catholic nuns whose non-violent action against nuclear weapons landed them... more
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BuddyP
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Two Roman Catholic nuns jailed for non-violent action against nuclear weapons were also listed as terrorists by US authorities.
Sister Ardeth Platte, 72, and Sister Carol Gilbert, 60, came back from two weeks out of Baltimore to find letters from the Maryland state police saying they had been wrongfully listed as suspected terrorists on a 2005-2006 federal database.
"To be labeled a terrorist is really very hard to hear and to accept, when your whole life has been one of loving nonviolence," Platte said.
Maryland State Police have sent letters to 53 activists wrongfully declared terrorists by authorities, inviting them to look at their entries in the database, after which the files would be deleted.
The Dominican nuns broke into a US nuclear missile silo in Colorado in 2002 and painted crucifixes with their own blood, earning Platte and Gilbert prison sentences of 41 and 33 months respectively.
"If they can label us as terrorists, they can label all kinds of people as terrorists," Gilbert said. "So then people become afraid to speak out against what the established government might be saying - and that is the demise of democracy.Two Roman Catholic nuns jailed for non-violent action against nuclear weapons were... more
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Its Tuesday again, and you know what that means! It’s time for a little what’s-what on VC2!
Let’s start off with a splash! Girls Gone Grabbling by Arri provides a taste of the Southern sport of Grabblin:
http://current.com/items/89365606_girls_gone_grabbling
Grabblin is a sport in which you catch giant catfish with your bare hands…by sticking your hand into its hole and waiting for it to bite down! These girls love grabblin, and this pod follows them into the water for a day of fun.
Twitter Tweeters by Opencontent is a fantastic little piece on the Twitter phenonmenon:
http://current.com/items/89362068_twitter_tweeters
If you’re a Current viewer, you should know all about Twitter by now! Twitter was the social service that made Hack the Debates possible. This pod gives us the lowdown on Twitter and some of its most famous and prolific users.
Next up, VSiskos introductes us to Ami in Becoming a Nun:
http://current.com/items/89378361_becoming_a_nun
For the past year, Ami has been seriously thinking about becoming a Catholic nun. This piece shows us how she got to this point in her life, what she may be leaving behind, and what her friends think.
Ending this on a sweet note, andrew197 introduces us to Jelly Donut:
http://current.com/items/89376760_jelly_donut
Jelly Donut is a new rapper who comes by the dozen. The blogosphere is blowing up about Jelly Donut, especially his hit “McCain be OLD.” http://whatisthis1999.net is a fan (“This is not the first time I’ve linked a Jelly Donut video,” he says), as is good old http://laughingsquid.com. Check out this cool introductory pod that shows you how all the insanity started!
I hope you enjoyed this week’s Spotlight, and I’ll be back next week with more. Happy Tuesday, Current!
Its Tuesday again, and you know what that means! It’s time for a little... more
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We all know that Christians are no more safe in India. According to the Indian Religious Fundamentalist group “All Christians in Gujrat should be headed”. The most and the brutal incident was when a nun was gang raped by religious fanatics. This incident occurred in the village of Nawapada at the convent of the Foreign Missionary Sisters. The convent provided medical help and facilities to the rural areas. The Catholic nun and the priests who resisted to these inhumane and outrageous acts of the extremists were being assaulted.We all know that Christians are no more safe in India. According to the Indian... more
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afridi
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A heartbroken Italian man whose girlfriend left him to become a nun is holding a vigil outside the convent where she is staying to make her reconsider her decision.
Daniel Briatore, 21, has vowed to remain outside the convent to win back the love of his life, Patrizia Masoero, also 21, after she dumped him a month ago to take religious vows.
The two had known each other since they were teenagers and had been together for several years until Patrizia told her family she was leaving Daniel to become a nun.
He travelled the 300 miles from their hometown of Alassio on the Italian Riviera to the Franciscan convent at Montecassino Abbey, south of Rome. When Patrizia refused to see him he put up a banner on the convent walls reading:"I didn't want to take you away, just talk to you, because I love you". The nuns immediately took the banner down but Daniel has said he will do "whatever it takes" to get her back, boosted by local villagers who are all said to be backing him.
A nun who answered the telephone at the convent said:"Our sister has chosen the path she wants, there is no point in him staying here."
A heartbroken Italian man whose girlfriend left him to become a nun is holding a vigil... more
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The Italian priest who was planning to organize the first ever beauty contest for NUNS, has decided to cancel.
He received complaints from senior Bishops, however he maintains that the idea was not as shallow as it seems, and not purely "a physical thing." In fact the idea of the pageant was the idea of the nuns themselves.The Italian priest who was planning to organize the first ever beauty contest for... more
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rwylie
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