Teh interesting (non-PHL-related) news stub thread

[Twin-Skies]

These two pieces of recent news just sound plainly fucked up if you're a Catholic.

Pope Pardons Holocaust Denier Bishop

The Pope has lifted the excommunication from the Roman Catholic Church of four bishops appointed by a breakaway archbishop more than 20 years ago.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7849226.stm

Criticism of Pope's Rehabilitation of Holocaust Denier Grows

The pope is coming under increasing fire from within the Catholic Church over his policies. A second German Catholic bishop Saturday raised unusual criticism of German Pope Benedict XVI for rehabilitating Holocaust denier Bishop Williamson, adding his objections to the pope's ultraconservative direction.

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,3993755,00.html

Pope Promotes Ultraconservative Cleric to Bishop

Fr Wagner is also notorious for his extreme views - he has accused the popular Harry Potter novels of spreading Satanism, and described Hurricane Katrina as God's punishment for the sinners of New Orleans.

He wrote in a parish newsletter that the death and destruction caused by the hurricane in New Orleans was divine retribution for the city's tolerance of homosexuals and permissive sexual attitudes.

The future bishop said he was glad that Katrina destroyed not only nightclubs and brothels in New Orleans, but also five of the city's abortion clinics.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7863254.stm

Saw the video. This is the first time I can honestly say that after watching Williamson, I just wanted to crawl through my monitor, grab the bishop by his collar, and punch him in the face really fukcing hard. Repeatedly.

Hmm...

Christopher Buckley on Auschwitz

Column on a tour of the Auschwitz facility. And I thought Grave of the Fireflies was depressing

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Updated Feb 4, 2009:

Guys, reminder: Today is the 110th anniversary of the Philippine-American War (1899-1902).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine-American_War

A little moment of silence for those who died in this tragedy...