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New Pope O’Malley Cardinal with “what it takes” (a plea to the Holy Spirit)


(by pio dal cin) Saturday March 9th 2013 7:00 Rome Time.
With the Conclave Extra Hommnes  from the Latin word ”cum clavem” (with key) that comes from what happened in 1270 when the people of Viterbo locked the cardinals in the City’s Palace until they reached the election of Gregory X

The process to elect the new Head of the Catholic Church will begin on Tuesday March 12th. 
As I stated in a previous post( A fool’s prediction),  trying to make a prediction is like to be able to guess the lottery numbers. Anyone can be right or wrong.


I was brought up a Christian Catholic in a very strict way. My name comes from Padre Pio da Petrelcina whom my dad met many times when he was a “small friar” battered by the Church and confined without the permission to Celebrate the Mass as he was becoming popular among the crowds for His “miracles”.

                      (Mons. Albino Luciani-Pope John Paul the I with my father) I met two Popes personally in my life: Pope John Paul

the I and Pope John Paul the II. (foto copyright pio dal cin 2013)



During my travelling around the World, as a photojournalist I came in touch and I studied 
Islam, Ebraism, Buddhism and the Religion of the Native Americans, out of my curiosity of understanding where, if there is one, lies the Truth.

I must admit that I wasn’t thrilled about Pope Benedict VXI; not much for His great personality and profound culture, but for the fact that he “sported” those huge golden crosses on His neck and the “fisherman ring” was big enough to buy a couple of apartments.

I kept repeating to myself that “This cannot be Sacred..” Isn’t the Church supposed to support the poverty as one of the three wows?”

Native Americans have a saying “If it is Sacred it must be Free..” I like this. But how many controversial, not free items are there in the Catholic Church today? Why is the Legacy of Saint Peter obliterated by scandals of the Vatican’s funds of million of Euros? 

I learned that the IOR (the Vatican Bank)is the most powerful bank in the whole world.


This should change, in my humble opininion. Saint Francis of Assisi was called by Jesus
to “Repair the Church”“Vai Francesco, ripara la mia Chiesa” and was cited here by Benedict VXI.

Times are very hard and the sex scandals, Vatican Leaks and not so transparent transactions of the Church are “rocking the Boat” like never before. 

Given my statement that “You have to be a Fool to make a prediction of choosing a Pope”, I will have another approach and “write a letter of plead to the Holy Spirit“, asking to pick the only one I saw that fits the description of Saint Francis of Assisi: Cardinal Sean O’Malley (read His blog)

LETTER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT: I will start with this Song to the Holy Spirit, that is sung by the Cardinals upon entering the Conclave, to ask for Divine Inspiration.






Dear Holy Spirit,

I am just a grain of sand in the Universe. I understand nothing about the Laws and the Forces that balance the Great Space.

Many Humans call upon Your Force and Greatness. Some call You Great Spirit, other call You Holy Spirit, other do not even believe in You.

During these days the Catholic Church is called to elect the Captain of the Ship.  

It is been very hard for me in these past years to believe that Your Holy Presence is among those walls, given all the scandals that we heard about.

It is very hard to boftenelieve that the Spirit of Jesus and of Saint Peter, and Saint Francis of Assisi is behind the gold and richness ofnen shown by those who are called to be Your servants, while there are million of people who suffer in the World.

So here is my humble plea: If You are really among those walls, Shed  a Great LIght upon those who are called to elect the new Pope so that His ways will be as Jesus requested of
simplicity and trasparency. a real Sheperd that can show the World that Jesus is still among us human beings in the way HE  taught us.

My pick is Sean O’ Malley

(I know that You don’t need suggestions but at least I casted my vote)

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Gaza Strip photo story


These pictures were taken by me in 1991 in the Gaza Strip. It was very hard to go inside as a photojournalist because both sides (Israeli and Palestinian) looked at me with great suspect. I finally managed to make it inside and I encountered great poverty. The roads were all smashed up and covered with mud. Children were playing next to the trash. It looked to me like a very very poor place to live an “open sky sewer” I remember writing when I came back with my assignment.  I do not know if things have changed now…I have not been back there ever since.

Click on people’s faces in the photo to tag them.

Click on people’s faces in the photo to tag them.

Una Croce a Codognè


A differenza di mio padre Narciso, fervente Cristiano, non mi vedete spesso in chiesa la domenica. Sono anch’io uno dei tanti Cristiani “poco praticanti”,deboli nella fede, peccatore.  Non mi ritengo tuttavia un ipocrita.

L’ipocrisia c’è sempre stata purtroppo , ma in questi tempi difficili e a volte strani, sta purtroppo tornando di moda.

Quand’ero piccolo mi hanno insegnato bene tutta la storia di Gesù. Mi è piaciuta molto. Ho letto il Vangelo che mi ha veramente affascinato con i suoi insegnamenti. Quello che mi resta degli anni passati lo conservo gelosamente nel mio cuore, e non mi serve la pubblicità per sentirmi vicino al Creatore di tutte le cose.

Una delle cose che ho memorizzato è l’insegnamento che viene dalla Croce, il Simbolo della nostra fede. La CRoce vista come Vittoria sulla morte di Gesu’ perchè non è il simbolo di un fallimento, ma è il passaggio obbligato che Gesu’ deve fare nel Suo cammino terreno per arrivare alla Gloria della Resurrezione, alla Pasqua, al riscatto della vita sulla morte, del Bene sul Male.

Immolandosi nell’Altare della Croce, Gesù ci insegna a vivere nella  Speranza, a lottare contro la morte, la cattiveria, il male.

Quando vedo una Croce, rivedo la Passione e la morte di Gesu’, però vedo anche la Sua vittoria finale, la sua Pasqua.

Non capisco il perchè delle attuali polemiche sulla Croce che è stata esposta di fronte alla Mutera. Quello che mi stupisce ancor di più, e mi lascia esterrefatto, è che le critiche non vengono come uno potrebbe benissimo immaginare da qualche estremista di altre religioni che non si riconosce in questo Simbolo, ma arrivano direttamente da “Cristiani” magari più praticanti e assidui di chi scrive, che nel nome di una “polemica politica” non rinunciano a buttare nella mischia il  Simbolo della loro stessa fede.

Bisognerebbe essere più solidali tra Cristiani, più “bipartisan” (come dicono i politici) e lasciare che le critiche ad una Croce esposta vengano, se debbono venire, da altre direzioni. Difendiamo a spada tratta queta “icona” della nostra tradizione Europea, Italiana, Veneta, Contadina. Le nostre radici sono profonde e si mescolano da due millenni con quelle di questo “Albero” che così poco conosciamo, che così poco rispettiamo, se siamo pronti a gettarlo sul tavolo di una polemica che non fa bene a nessuno.

Se un gruppo di persone hanno chiesto al primo cittadino di esporre una Croce durante il periodo Pasquale cosa avrebbe dovuto rispondere? ” No, mi spiace, siamo in periodo elettorale…tornate l’anno prossimo?”

Ha fatto bene il sindaco ad accettare la domanda di questi cittadini e se qualcuno ha voluto o vuole strumentalizzarla si vergogni e renda conto alla propria coscienza. Usare una Croce per i propri fini sarebbe veramente un boomerang devastante per chi volesse usarlo come vuole senza portargli il rispetto dovuto.

. Forse è meglio guardarla, riflettere, recitare una breve preghiera  e meditare su quello che Essa rappresenta OGGI per noi Cristiani: politici,apolitici, di destra, di sinistra, di centro, praticanti, non praticanti, “basabanchi” e bestemmiatori, ricchi e poveri, bianchi e neri, gialli e rossi, membri comunque di una stessa comunità che ha le sue radici ben piantate in questa nostra terra che tutti amiamo a prescindere dal nostro credo politico. La Croce di Codognè sia un simbolo di unione e non di divisione.

Celebrities speak about Wisdom


http://www.wisdombook.org/

Courage doesn’t always roar…….


“ Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow.

The eight irresistible principles of fun


http://www.eightprinciples.com/

Basic equipment we need to achieve happiness


We don’t need more money, we don’t need greater success or fame, we don’t need the perfect body or even the perfect mate. Right now, at this very moment, we have a mind, which is all the basic equipment we need to achieve complete happiness.”

Dalai Lama
Spiritual Leader of Tibet
More Quotes From The Dalai Lama Related Books

Remember that not always getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

Dalai Lama

 

It is positive to want to go first, provided the intention is to pave the way for others, make their path more easy, help them, or show the way. Competition is negative when we wish to defeat others, to bring them down in order to lift ourselves up.

Dalai Lama

 

If you wish to experience peace, provide peace for another. If you wish to know that you are safe, cause another to know that they are safe. If you wish to better understand seemingly incomprehensible things, help another to better understand. If you wish to heal your own sadness or anger, seek to heal the sadness or anger of another.

Dalai Lama

 

Right from the moment of our birth, we are under the care and kindness of our parents, and then later on in our life when we are oppressed by sickness and become old, we are again dependent on the kindness of others. Since at the beginning and end of our lives we are so dependent on other’s kindness, how can it be in the middle that we would neglect kindness towards others?

Dalai Lama

 

Great love and great achievements involve great risks.

Dalai Lama

 

The deep root of failure in our lives is to think, ‘Oh how useless and powerless I am.’ It is essential to think strongly and forcefully, ‘I can do it,’ without boasting or fretting.

Dalai Lama

 

Old friends pass away, new friends appear. It is just like the days. An old day passes, a new day arrives. The important thing is to make it meaningful: a meaningful friend or a meaningful day.

Dalai Lama

 

It is time to fill the world with strong and powerful deeds. It is common knowledge that no great captain in the world has ever destroyed all of his enemies and lived with a sense of satisfaction. If one enemy is killed, two more will appear. It is important we cultivate love and compassion to all the sentient beings which is the way to bring peace to all.

Dalai Lama

 

There is no need for temples, no need for complicated philosophies. My brain and my heart are my temples; my philosophy is kindness.

Dalai Lama

 

We can let the circumstances of our lives harden us
so that we become increasingly resentful and afraid,
or we can let them soften us, and make us kinder.
We always have the choice.

Dalai Lama

A List of ten things you should write before you die.


This is a great post to read and the lists suggested here could be a nice tool left for your children when you will pass away…

http://www.coachandcounsel.net/yrlfcoach/

Honesty, Humility,Truth,Wisdom,Love,Respect,Bravery


Honesty
To achieve honesty within yourself,
To recognize who and what you are ,
Do this and you can be honest with all others

Humility
Humble yourself and recognize that
No matter how much you think you know,
You know very little of all the universe.

Truth
To learn truth,
To live with truth, and
To walk with truth,
To speak truth

Wisdom
To have wisdom is to know the difference between good and bad, and
To know the result of your actions

Love
Unconditional love to know that when people are weak
They need your love the most,
That your love is given freely, and
You cannot put conditions on it
Or your love is not true

Respect
Respect others, their beliefs, and
Respect yourself.
If you cannot show respect,
You cannot expect respect to be given

Bravery
To be brave is to do something right,
Even if you know it’s going to hurt you.

Interview with God


http://www.theinterviewwithgod.com/popup-frame.html

Newsmap- News from everywhere in a creative new way


http://marumushi.com/apps/newsmap/newsmap.cfm

Magdi Allam becoming Christian..Open letter to the most discussed journalist.


Sorry Magdi but if you look at this report:http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html you will find out that you are today one of the 2.1 Billion Christians in the world today versus 1.5 billion Muslim .

I don’t agree with the changing of religion, although  I higly respect your personal  choice.

In my life of travelling I had many chances of changing my religion too, but i never did for a simple reason: respect for the beliefs of my Ancestors.

“If my grandfather and my great grandfather and his grandfather were Christian, I would consider it an act of hostility to them, considering that I am today the tangible projection of what they were and what they believe in.”

There are many things I do not agree with in the Christian Religion of today, one of them is for example the showing off of  golden crucifixes , and “donut sized golden rings”worn by the Pope on public ceremonies(.http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080131/080131-pope-benedict-vmed-10a.widec.jpg)

Another thing i do not agree with is the continuous “hunt” for new adepts to the religion, in contrast, sometimes with the difficulties by certain married Christian couples to have their children baptized for their past marriages or experiences.

But I was baptized a Christian and I will die a Christian.

If I was raised as a Muslim I would do the same.

As I pointed out before, I respect your decision, and I understand the danger you have to live with but these “sparks” I would have saved for another historical period, as tension between the two Religion is mounting in the last few years, I think it would have been much wiser to have a humble, simple ceremony, in a hometown church, rather than a flamboyant one performed by the Pope.

I believe than in these time of tension and peril, we, and our religious leaders should be more careful not to add fuel to the fire of inter-religious tension, and that the Almighty God,should not be downgraded to  question of who is on this side or into the other.

This is my humble opinion.

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