Watching the World
No Female Priests
Although a Gallup poll revealed that over two thirds of the Catholic Church members interviewed thought that women should be allowed to become priests, Pope John Paul II has firmly told Catholics to abandon that idea. In a letter to bishops, the pope stated: “I declare that the church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the church’s faithful.” The papal letter entitled “On Reserving Priestly Ordination to Men Alone” was accompanied by an official statement that added: “Since it does not belong to matters freely open to dispute, it always requires the full and unconditional assent of the faithful, and to teach the contrary is equivalent to leading consciences into error.” Two months earlier, 32 women were ordained as priests in the Church of England, the first women priests in the history of that church. Thereupon, some 700 members of the Anglican clergy declared their intention to convert to Roman Catholicism, though only 35 resigned. Some Vatican officials believe that the pope’s letter is partly intended to tell the dissenting Anglican priests that they would be welcome in the Roman Catholic Church.
“Death in a Drawer”
“In the big cities, the temptation to have a weapon in the house is increasing,” says Veja under the headline “Death in a Drawer.” But a Brazilian sharpshooter claims: “No one is exempt from accidents with firearms, and the only way to avoid them is not to buy a gun.” Since criminals may be more familiar with guns and use the element of surprise, “the chances of a happy ending for him who intends to defend himself in a confrontation are very small.” A police officer notes: “When unarmed, an individual will try to win a confrontation with intelligence and not with aggressiveness.”
Animals Dwindling
Zimbabwe once boasted the largest number of black rhino in the world. But the number has dropped from about 3,000 in 1980 to approximately 300 now, reports the Johannesburg newspaper The Star. Poachers continue to hunt the animals for their precious horns. In recent years the government introduced tough legislation that gave parks department officials the authority to kill poachers. The problem is that the government is not able to supply enough funds to the Department of National Parks and Wildlife to patrol the rhino areas effectively. The Star reports that because of poaching, “Zimbabwe’s elephant population [has decreased] from 80 000 to around 60 000 in the past decade.”
AIDS Spread by Truckers
In India truck drivers are considered a high-risk group for contracting the AIDS virus (HIV). Spending long periods away from their families, thousands of drivers frequent the brothels of Bombay, where estimates indicate that from 50 to 60 percent of the 80,000 prostitutes who work there may be HIV positive. From Bombay the truckers cover the entire country. Some villages near the highways provide rows of huts where village girls earn money by having sex with truck drivers. These same areas are also frequented by wealthy young men from nearby cities, and as stated in The Times of India, this “establishes an intricate and unmappable chain for the virus.” Compounding the problem, many truck drivers superstitiously believe that sex is essential to keep their bodies cool when driving for long hours in high temperatures.
What Peace Dividends?
“What has happened to the anticipated ‘peace dividends’?” asked the French magazine Valeurs Actuelles. With the easing of Cold War tensions and the corresponding reductions in the military budgets of many governments, hopes were raised that at least part of the enormous financial resources formerly spent on armaments would be rechanneled into humanitarian programs to help fight poverty and disease. Referring to the latest UN Human Development Report, the magazine notes that the cuts in military spending over the last seven years represent a cumulative “savings” of some 935 billion dollars, yet there has been no accompanying increase in spending for humanitarian programs. The report also observed that many countries still continue to spend from three to four times more on armaments than on their education and health programs combined.
Interest in Religion Waning
The Japanese are becoming increasingly apathetic toward religion, declares a survey conducted by the newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun. According to its “Survey of National Awareness on Religion,” taken every five years since 1979, the ratio of those who believe in a particular religion has recently hit a record low of 1 in 4. Why the waning interest in religion? Amazingly, 47 percent of those polled complained that religions are “too zealous about making money.” Others accused religions of “aggressive preaching,” “too much involvement in politics,” and “not having religious leaders who are worthy of respect.” However, “44 percent thought God or Buddha ‘exists.’”
Blessings for Sale
Facing an acute shortage of funds, many priests of the Russian Orthodox Church have turned to selling blessings, although not all priests agree with the openness of this business. The Moscow Times quotes one Russian Orthodox priest as saying: “Many churches are in great need of money for renovation.” So priests charge for blessing stores, apartments, bars, and casinos. Cars also come in line for a blessing. Depending on the make of the car, a priest, working near a used-car market, charges from 30,000 to 50,000 rubles ($15 to $25) for blessings, which include prayers, incense, and the sprinkling of “holy water.”
Handling Hostile Drivers
A driver speeds past and aggressively cuts in front of you, or he flashes his lights for you to get out of his way and makes obnoxious gestures as he passes. If you react the wrong way, say the experts, it could cost you your life. They recommend the following, according to the South African Edition of Reader’s Digest: Adopt a calm, noncompetitive attitude. Focus on your own driving, and avoid eye contact with the other driver. Check your mirrors every three to ten seconds. Recognize the hazard before it arrives, and make room for it. Slow down to allow a driver to cut in front of you, or put on your indicator and move into an open lane. “The way you react to the next hostile driver,” concludes the article, “may be the key to your safety, and even to your survival.”
The World Cup and God
“In the struggle to win [Brazil’s] fourth [soccer] World Cup, all kinds of religious manifestation are valid,” reports Jornal da Tarde. “Rituals are observed before, during, and after the games.” Claimed Brazil’s Bebeto: “I am sure that [God] will be Brazilian in this World Cup.” After the match, noting that the players attributed the victory to God, cardinal Dom Lucas Moreira Neves wrote: “To many, the conquest of the World Cup may have personal, family, or social value . . . : resurrection of self-esteem and self-confidence; consolation amid many pains; and even catharsis [purification] for a desolated country.” Interestingly, though, soccer star Mauro Silva stated: “Different from some players of Brazil’s team, I do not believe that God helped us to win the World Championship. God is not partial, and he is even less concerned with soccer.”
Obstacle Course for Short People
Individuals in Germany who are no taller than 5 feet [1.5 m] are eligible for membership in the Association of Short People, reports the Süddeutsche Zeitung. Sabine Popp, one such member, dislikes being called a midget or a Lilliputian. “We are real people, not fairy-tale figures,” she says. Everyday life can become an obstacle course for people of short stature, since objects such as elevator buttons, light switches, ticket machines, and door handles are often placed so high that they are out of reach. Furthermore, the problems that short people face are not simply physical. Harald Berndt, chairman of the association, laments that society in general does not recognize their abilities. “Short people can perform good work despite their size,” he explains.