Translate

Sunday, April 27, 2014

I Papisanti

Today was a good day for the Roman Catholic church:  the rain held off until after the conclusion of the mass celebrating the canonization of two new saints:  Saint John 23rd and Saint John Paul 2nd. I watched the mass on RAI1--the national network's #1 channel was given over entirely to the event, with minimal or no commercial interruptions, for several hours (would that they would do that for some of the major sporting events--a whine for another time).  I am, of course, no believer--never baptized in any religion--but I follow the affairs of the R.C. church as I might any other institution with global impact and significance.  That is to say, with due respect but no reverence, some ironic distance, and with major regard toward any possible contribution to progress toward a better life for most or all of us.

"Papisanti" is the name given by the Italian press for the occasion, meaning Pope/Saints.  There are certainly plenty of them; and it was the sound judgment of Those in Charge to promote these two from recognition of them as "Blessed" (Beato) to "Saint" status.  I would recognize those two, plus the current Pope Francis, as being the pillars of the R.C.'s best effort to remain relevant in the 21st Century.   Two steps forward, one-and-a-half back would be my description of the Church's march toward the present, and through the policies of the three of them, the following characteristics have emerged:

  • An opening toward fellow believers of all kinds, and good relations with other institutions of religion, especially Christian ones (started by Pope John XXIII); 
  • Continued hard line on topics like contraception, abortion, women as priests, celibacy; 
  • Significant efforts to broaden the number of Cardinals (and one step above--selecting the Popes themselves) from beyond Italy, in particular, and Western Europe/North America (starting with Pope John Paul II); 
  • Some tentative efforts to reform the inner workings and financial dealings of the Vatican (started by Pope Francis, after a failed attempt by Pope John Paul II's predecessor, the short-lived--and, in Italy, universally believed to have been poisoned by diabolical Vatican intriguers--John Paul I).  
I would add one more initiative by the previous Pope, Benedict the whatever--probably his only one--which is to allow the Pope to consider retiring before he dies as a drooling invalid.  I hope Pope Francis will consider following that precedent, if the circumstances arise.

Miracles and Sanctification
The Church declares that the saints are, unambiguously, in the Kingdom of Heaven, so the process leading to canonization is one that it is time-tested:  exacting, conservative (in the sense of being slow to accept change), and, as far as I know, irreversible.  The rules dictate one verifiable miracle--evidence of Holy Grace being exercised through these mortal vessels--to become Blessed, and a second to take that next step up to sainthood (though see below).  They have people who go to the source of the alleged miracle and audit its veracity, though first-hand accounts, examination of medical records (most often in modern days the form of the miracle is a recovery from a fatal or debilitation illness attributed to prayer and not medical science);   some account of unearthly light seems to help corroborate the story.

Pope John Paul II (also once known as Cardinal Wojtyla of Cracow) had a couple of these credited and verified; this helps explain his unusually rapid ascension. Neither of them was his recovery from the attempted assassination in the streets of Rome, nor his role in the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact, the liberation of Eastern Europe, and the end of the (first) Cold War.  His level of contribution to the last group, sometimes referred to as the "annus mirabilis" the miraculous year of 1989, I would call extremely prominent, at the second-highest level, the level of Lech Walesa or Vaclav Havel, just below that of the "miraculous" actions, even if he did not know it at the time, of Mikhail Gorbachev, and significantly above the contributions of the American heroes, George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan.

As for Pope John XXIII, his canonization was carefully considered and approved, despite apparently having only one miracle officially on his record.  (There were several pages of "really good stuff" that accompanied the final document and provided sufficient justification for his final approval.)  Clearly he presents a great example as a humble individual (yes, Italian!) who rose through his devotion to wear "The Shoes of the Fisherman" (remember Anthony Quinn in the movie role, based at least a little, on the career of Cardinal Roncalli, the future John XXIII?), and then, moreover, to accomplish something significant once he got there. The whole point of the saint thing in the Roman Catholic theology is that it is possible for a devout believer to get to Heaven, that there are some well-documented examples, and that these are "people like you and me, only a little different", and that those differences are their degree of devotion and the holy Light that shone down ultimately upon them.

Next up--one could bet upon it, though there is enough doubt to make it a bettable proposition, let alone when it might happen--will be a final determination of the title of saint for Mother Theresa.  She has been beatified, but, like John XXIII, she has only one official miracle to her name (but countless other amazing accomplishments).  The fact that she is not a Pope makes it a little harder, but she was a good Roman Catholic (of Albanian origin), despite many tribulations in her personal belief, and always publicly toed the official line on the controversial stuff.  Because I think the logical next step would be a saint who was not a Pope, nor ever a member of the Vatican hierarchy (there is more than one route to Heaven!), I think that she will make it in, though there are some who criticize the way her ministry used its funds:  I find it hard to believe the Vatican will let that get in the way, if the politics are right.

Finally, I should comment on the recent visit to the Vatican of the new Ukrainian P.M.  I don't know his religion, but I did some investigation and found these to be the percentage of Ukrainians who self-identified their religion as:
Ukrainian Orthodox - Moscow Patriarchate - 25.9%
Ukrainian Orthodox - Kiev Patriarchate - 31.1%
Ukrainian Greek Catholic - 8.5%
Roman Catholic - 1.1%
Armenian Catholic - 1.7%
Protestant - 1.0%
Muslim - 0.2%
No affiliation/non-religious/other/No Answer - 40.8%
(Ukrainian Sociological Service, 2011)

A couple of comments, then I will conclude:  clearly the Orthodox religion is predominant, but with a split between those who acknowledge the Russian supremacy (it was re-established by Stalin, and has a formal position more than a practical one) and those who prefer the homegrown variety.  Still, there is some analogue between the religious split and the linguistic/cultural/political one.  The Greek Catholic and Armenian Catholic are not the Greek Orthodox; the Roman Catholics are reported to be mostly near the Polish border.  And, last, somehow the percentages add up to about 110%, so there may be as much confusion about this in their minds as there is in mine.

Anyway, I would conclude that the Ukrainian P.M.'s visit to the Vatican would probably be in the ecumenical spirit, and looking for Papal endorsement of peace, rather than as a devotee of the R.C.  looking for blessing for some kind of holy war.  One would hope.

Monday, April 21, 2014

Gabriel Garcia Marquez

I need to acknowledge the career, and the death, of Colombian novelist and Nobel prizewinnerGarcia Marquez over the weekend, in Mexico City.  His work defines the use of the word "fabulous"--in both the literal sense and in its common usage (like, "awesome").

He burst on the global scene with "100 Years of Solitude" in 1967, though he was already a well-respected figure in local literary circles.  It created a whole new vista for the novel--the lives, and the culture, of South America--and a style of storytelling which combined passion, politics, and, above all, memory, both real and invented.

Garcia Marquez drew from his own experience growing up in a remote (at least, to us) part of Colombia, in the town with the musical name of Aracataca (say that out loud), which provided the basis for his fictional hometown of Macondo--a name that will live on forever in the annals of literature.  His family had direct experience with the endless wars of local secession/autonomy in his part of the country, which he drew heavily upon in "100 Years".  The remoteness of the region is not wholly my imagination, though; it is a part of the meaning of the "solitude"of the title (but not all of it!)

Besides "100 Years", I enjoyed "The Autumn of the Patriarch"--which is basically about the Peronist/Bolivarian mindset of the military/political rulers of the region, and--best of all--"Love in the Time of Cholera", which I think perfected the expression of his style.

I read him in English (although I've seen his work in Spanish--it's hardly impossible, though it contains a lot of vocabulary that will be unfamiliar), so I have to credit also his translators, Gregory Rabassa (for "100 Years") and Edith Grossman (for the later works)--they clearly knew how to present the rhythm and the beauty of his work.

Garcia Marquez wrote about rebellion in Colombia, and it was all too present continuing through his lifetime (and even until today).  This, and the fact that his fame made it possible, probably explains his expatriate status for the last 20 years or more--it was probably not safe personally for him to remain.  He was able to lend his fame to the support of progressive leaders in the region, and to Fidel Castro, too. He was truly a man of the people who achieved greatness.

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Spring Sports P(Re)-View, Pt. 2

General Apology/Aggiornamento*

I apologize to you, loyal reader, if I have been remiss:  no postings in some three weeks; however, I look at the last postings and current status and find very little to report that had not already been discussed before:

o)  The Ukrainians still are reacting to Russian facts on the ground, while the US has not been able to keep its mitts off the confrontation, and Europe still hesitates to take on the Bear. (Today's move by the Ukrainians to round up and arrest some of the provocateurs in its Eastern area may be a welcome change:  rule #1 of governing is to have undisputed control of one's territory.  If they can arrest and get a few of the Russians to admit their ID's and mission, it could leave the Russians behind events, though they will surely try to make up for it with brute force.)

o)  The NBA is almost ready for the playoffs, and we still don't know the last team out in the West, the #3, #4, and #5 teams in the East, or for that matter the #1 and #2 teams--maybe the last two items are connected.  I would not accuse the Heat of tanking games, but I would accuse them of dogging it; in the game after they dominated the Pacers to take control of the #1 spot, they gave it up with a lackluster performance against a motivated #8 team.  I will attach some playoff-previewing comments later this week when the seeds are finalized.

As for those teams that were tanking to try to have the worst record, they deserve to waste a top lottery pick on somebody who breaks down, which is quite possible for some of the highest-touted one-and-dones. I see Jabari Parker as probably the greatest prize of this year's draft--he'll probably go around third, and to who-knows-whom at this point.  That's one good thing about the NBA draft, one that they'll probably get rid of:  the uncertainty of the relationship between standings position and draft order (there's a probability, but not a certainty).

o)  The NCAA was about what I thought, except moreso.  The regular season is about getting ready for the tourney and having the right frame of mind to compete, even with the inevitable injuries. Kentucky--who I touted, but had decried their exceedingly difficult path and low seeding--exceeded even my expectations with their come-from-behind win over Louisville, which vaulted them all the way to the final.  Connecticut, battle-hardened with nonconference tests and playing in the underrated cast-off conference (the new A.A.S.) after being deserted by the departures and reconfiguration of the old Big East, exceeded my wildest expectations when they defeated Michigan State, then Florida, then Kentucky.  Hats off to them Huskies!

o) The minimum wage is still stuck where it was:  the progressives holding with the arbitrary $10.10 amount, without ever explaining it (except to say "it should be $15"); giving the Republicans a good reason to duck the issue rather than getting engaged and negotiating the right level of increase (which is what Obama wanted to spur, but was unsuccessful in doing).

o) Not much new to report on the election front, either:  some ups, some downs, lots of money spent uselessly, even more appeals for money based on whatever is the day's storyline.

Still, I promised a baseball preview and some commentary on the soccer season coming to its climax.

Official Somewhat Belated Baseball Preview

Baseball, of course, started already; a couple weeks ago, if you don't count the publicity stunt games in Australia (I don't, MLB does).  It's too late for a proper season preview, but the text below was put out on what I consider a timely basis in my chat group ("bballgroup2" on Yahoo!, send me a note if you want in):

Officially, no one is late until the Reds-Cardinals game gets started tomorrow.  I do resent the Dodgers' three-game head start.
I cannot pick the Reds, much as I would like to:  their preparation for the season was revealed to be fatally weak when the line drive hit AChapman the other day.  Meanwhile, the Cards are better than last year, and I have no belief in the Pirates' rotation.  Finally, I surrender to the A's; I'm tired of being let down year after year by the Angels and Rangers.
Injuries seem to dominate the news this spring.
NLEast - (someone has to win): Washington, Philadelphia, Atlanta, New York, Miami
NL Central -   St.Louis, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Chicago
NL West - LA Dogs, San Diego, San Francisco, Arizona, Colorado
AL East (someone has to finish last) - Tampa Bay, New York, Baltimore, Boston, Toronto
AL Central - Detroit, Kansas City, Cleveland, Chicago, Minnesota
AL West - Oakland, Los Angeles de Anaheim, Texas, Seattle, Houston
Wild Cards:  San diego, San Francisco; New York, Kansas City.
World SeriesDodgers defeat YankeesMoney rules!
With teams having played 9-12 games of the regular season (5-7%), I see no reason to modify anything (yes, there are more injuries, mostly reinforcing the weaknesses already seen with some of the teams).  Only a couple of teams have broken from the pack, in one direction or other, and I don't really think those trends (like Milwaukee Brewer dominance) are likely to continue.

(Just plain-) Football News
In European club soccer, England's Premier League is enjoying its most exciting season in memory, thanks to the absence of a truly dominating team, and helped mightily by the decline of Manchester United.  My team, Chelsea, has kept itself in the running of what is shaping up as a down-to-the-wire three-way race (with Liverpool, Manchester City).  Today's game with Man City at Liverpool will establish a front-runner (Man City, unless Liverpool wins), then Liverpool's game with Chelsea in two weeks will be our last chance to stay in it.

In the Champions League, Chelsea has made a run to the final four reminiscent of what they did two years ago:  never dominant, scrappy, refusing to say die.  They are viewed as the weakest team of the four remaining, but I like their chance to come up with something to frustrate the hot team of the moment, Atletico Madrid, which has shocked everyone this year by taking control of the Spanish Liga standings, but doesn't have the high-profile European pedigree of the other teams.  If Chelsea should get by them, they will either face Bayern Munich (as with 2012) or Real Madrid (which may be without Cristiano Ronaldo); they would be major underdogs in either case, which is just the way we (and I mean Mourinho) like it.

I'm hoping to catch a couple games here in Italy before the season ends, ones that should matter (in terms of the league, Juventus has it all but wrapped up and is concentrating on trying to win the Europa Cup, of all things)--Inter-Napoli in the San Siro late this month, Fiorentina-Napoli in the TIM Cup final in Rome in early May.  Yeah, I know, but it's been over ten years and I need my decade-ly fix of Italian live soccer.

Don't have too much to say about the World Cup that I didn't say before, except that it's coming up fast: Hope you're ready, Brasil--No pressure, but...The whole world's watching!

So, the other post that I owe everyone is the European Parliamentary election preview, but don't hold your breath--the voting isn't until late May, and the campaign's really just starting.

*Aggiornamento-"update", in Italian.  Literally, would mean "bringing to today".  Had to throw in a little italiano.