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The Vatican has madea statement on the rumblings about Bergoglio's (in)actions during the Argentine junta, attributing the questions to "anti-clerical left-wing" forces who want to discredit the new Pope. The more things change, etc... Thinking about Margaret's post below, it seems to me that a little bit of historical perspective is helpful.As I said in my first post, Liberation Theology represented a sea change for a church in Latin American that had (for the previous five centuries) racked up a pretty consistent record of resisting any kind of social reform in the most economically and racially stratified region on the planet. Certain liberation theologians' openness to Marxism has to be understood in light of the fact that (1) Marxists were the ones working with the most urgency to try to change that reality and (2) non-Marxist nationalists and reformers were routinely branded as communists even when they were not, and were subjected to persecution (along with actual Marxists). Needless to say, this shared experience reduced the hostility to Marxism on the non-Marxist left. In places like El Salvador, Guatemala, and Argentina, right-wing military and paramilitary groups were routinely torturing and killing pretty much anyone who worked for political liberalization and economic reform, including many priests and even a few bishops.In this context, to choose to actively criticize Liberation Theology was not just to fail to take a prophetic stance against state-sponsored terror. It was very much to take sides -- to see departure from orthodoxy as a more pressing matter of concern than the abuses being perpetrated by the state on a daily basis. Indeed, deciding in that context to criticize Liberation Theology for being too political or too open to communism was (implicitly or explicitly) to adopt much of the point of view of the national-security states. From within that worldview, the political killings were unfortunate, but less problematic than the deeper, existential threat posed by global communism. Looking back, I can understand how it came to happen that John Paul II cracked down on Liberation Theology. Sitting at the Vatican, thousands of miles away, preoccupied as he was in the 1980s with the struggle against communism in his native Poland and elsewhere in Eastern Europe, he seemed to view theologians in Latin America who were insufficiently hostile to Marxism primarily through the lens of that anti-Soviet project. They represented the possibility of the enemy within the gates. But for a bishop or provincial on the ground in Buenos Aires, or in Guatemala City, or in San Salvador, the impulse to view Liberation Theology in that light is somewhat harder to understand, if only because the complex reality of the situation was so much closer at hand and not as easily distorted in the haze of geopolitics.Was Borgoglio just adopting uncritically the priorities of the Vatican? Was he toadying up to his bosses? Did he actually share the regime's assessment of the political situation and the broad outlines of the extraordinary actions the regime justified on the basis of that assessment? Any of these possibilities is disquieting. And that is what is troubling to me about the stories about Borgoglio -- even on the versions most favorable to him. What all of this means for the prospects for his papacy, I have not the slightest clue.UPDATE: This story from the Guardian has some interesting details based on interviews with activists in Argentina and relatives of several people who disappeared who interacted with Borgoglio at the time. This postat New Republic by Michael Sean Winters defends Borgoglio's criticism of Liberation Theology. But it utterly fails to understand liberation theology's context or substance and therefore falls into a regrettable false equivalence between theocons writing about the wisdom of markets in North America and the opennesss to Marxism among theologians working with Marxists (and others) on the ground with some of the poorest people on the planet, subjected to constant threats of torture and death. Liberation Theology was always more than just a set of abstract theological ideas. It was a social movement rooted in the experience of the struggle against brutal violence and economic injustice. Say what you want about its theological purity, but it was not the mirror image of, say, Michael Novack's ideological musings on how entrepreneurism can foster virtue. At the end of the day, the question is one of priorities, and what we can learn about Borgoglio's by thinking about how he perceived Liberation Theology during a time of crisis in his country, a time when students were being thrown out of planes into the ocean and pregnant women were being warehoused so they could be killed after their babies were born and handed over to good Christian families. Remaining silent in the face of the obvious atrocities is one thing. The pressures were no doubt immense, and the stakes were high. It takes heroic courage to stand up to a government under those circumstances. But the decision, at that moment, from a vantage close to the killing grounds in Argentina (not from the Vatican or from 20 years later blogging for the New Republic), that the errors of Liberation Theology were a priority that merited vocal opposition, perhaps reveals something about a person's values.UPDATE II: I had not seen this until someone mentioned it in the comments, but this statement by Leonardo Boff is encouraging:
"I am encouraged by this choice, viewing it as a pledge for a church of simplicity and of ecological ideals, said Leonardo Boff, a founder of liberation theology. What is more, Mr. Boff said, Cardinal Bergoglio comes from the developing world, outside the walls of Rome.
FINAL UPDATE (I PROMISE): It seems clear to me from the comments that I was not careful enough in writing this post. My point is not to condemn the new pope, but just to clarify what I take the stakes to be of the questions about his involvement in the Dirty War. And I think his attitudes towards Liberation Theology are likely to shed useful light on these questions. That said, I only know that he is reported to have been critical of Liberation Theology (like most of those promoted by the Vatican in that era). I'd like to hear more about how critical he was and how that criticism manifested itself. I think picking as pope someone who was actively involved in Church leadership in Argentina at that time necessarily raises many troubling questions. That said, the data here is sparse and my mind remains open. Emphatically, I did not mean to suggest that the questions I raised in the last paragraph of the post were the only possible explanations of Borgoglio's behavior at the time, just that they are possible explanations and, if true, would be very troubling to me.
About the Author
Eduardo Moisés Peñalver is the Allan R. Tessler Dean of the Cornell Law School. He is the author of numerous books and articles on the subjects of property and land use law.
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The story is going mainstream. Eugene Robinson tries to strike a right balance in telling it: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2013/03/15/questions_from_a_di...
Thanks, Eduardo. Fair enough, and I appreciate your latest update.
Greg -- I would too. I have not yet found any. Rita -- I apologize for my lack of clarity. I've posted an update to the post to make clear that I really am asking questions. I do, however, come at this with some skepticism built in by (1) my generally favorable attitude towards liberation theology and (2) my generally critical attitude towards the hierarchy's role in Argentina at the time.
How neatly you've judged the motives of someone whom you don't even know. Anyone who criticized liberation theology, according to your account above, cannot possibly have a theological concern, but is either "toadying" to the bosses in Rome or agreeing with the regime on the ground. There are other choices. So sad that you don't believe that, and that you have already therefore condemned him.
Nope. I'm just trying to understand why he would choose to remain silent about a regime killing tens of thousands of people but speak out against a group of people working against that regime in order to criticize their theological purity. Students were taken into airplanes and helicopters and thrown into the ocean. Pregnant women were warehoused until their children could be born; then they were killed and their children given to the families of people close to the regime. Silence. But God forbid that a theologian fail to see the theological error in Marxist materialism. That must be condemned. I'm not judging him. I have no idea what he was thinking. I'm just asking the question and showing that it can come from someplace other than a left-wing anti-clerical desire to discredit the new pope, as the Vatican put it. In any event, my list was not meant to be exhaustive. Feel free to speculate in the comment thread about what motives he might have had. Even as you describe them in an attempt to defend him, I remain troubled.
Eduardo, I hope that you (and many others) will continue to ask questions. E.g., What is in the dossier compiled by Herranz? Has Francis read it yet? Could HE be vulnerable to blackwell? If so, by whom? (Could those who truly were complicit in the dirty war be using it against him, and, by extension, against the Jesuits in general?)
The Vatican statement did appear too defensive. "Left-wing and anti-clerical" are from an ecclesiastical lexicon that is now rather dated.
Link to a story on NCR: http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/argentine-priest-kidnapped-during-d... I stated in Ms. Steinfel's post below, would suggest that this was a complex and messy situation. As someone who worked in Guatamela, read and studied under Guiterriez and Boff, younger clerics with much passion saw liberation theology as a way to impact the *system* - in some cases, the system had been in bed with the local catholic hierarchy for years and lorded it over folks. But, like any civil war situation, it is not black and white; sides shift; folks have various motivations. From my understanding, Bergoglio was in his thirties as provincial and had a mission to keep his priests unaligned in the civil war - rather to serve and protect the people. Guessing that there are continued hard feelings among Argetine Jesuits who may have felt that Bergoglio was not sympathetic to their goals. In hindsight, Bergoglio may have actually served a purpose to keep his priests from being *politicized*.That being said, read the link - you will find a statement by a Nobel Peace Prize winner who states the Bergoglio was not complicit nor could he be identified with those bishops who were aligned with the military.Agree with Rita's sentiments above.
It may be helpful to keep in mind the nature of the pope's role. Let's recall the story of the Peter who he is supposed to be succeeding: he fell asleep repeatedly when asked to keep watch during Jesus' last hours, missed the point of Jesus' nonviolence, ran away when Jesus was arrested, and pretended not to know him at all when questioned despite vowing he would never do that a few hours earlier.In short, he cooperated with a military dictatorship when the going got tough. So should this new guy be expected to be any better than St. Peter? Is his role to be a heroic figure of moral perfection or a sort of failure that's willing to embarassedly point towards Jesus and do his honest best?But maybe you're willing to be understanding of his falling short of martyrdom in the face of a murderous government. Surely we can at least demand that he acknowledge his past failings and explicitly ask forgiveness? I'm not so sure when I think of the example of Jesus, who didn't seem to make that demand of Peter, other than to ask, "Do you love me?" and direct him to "Tend my sheep." Why didn't Jesus demand more accountability?I'm not saying that historical investigations aren't of great importance for learning how we can do better next time. (I'm also sensitive to the concern that the pope may be susceptible to blackmail if there are some skeletons there.)
Maybe Pope Francis should become his own official spokesman and retire Fr. Lombardi, S.J.
A simple thought experiment: Suppose we take our understanding of the Gospels as necessary asumptions. Now imagine that Jesus returned to the streets and byways of B.A. in those sdad days. Does Jesus align himself in any way with the military? Does He remain silent when he learns of people thrown into the ocean from helicopters, or infants stolen from their mothers to satisfy the desires of the rich and powerful. Does He remain faithful to the direction of the Sanhedrin? Or does He work to release the prisoners, to speak for those who have been silenced, to urge those solitary from fear to join together?If taking Isaiah 58 and Matthew 25 not just seriously, but as direction for my life makes me "left-wing and anticlerical", then I woud gladly wear the title.Mark
From the late 50s and into the 70s, from Cuba to Chile, Communists were on the rampage in Latin America, infiltrating and trying to co-opt everything from government, to schools, to social services and even the Catholic Church.It is clear to anyone that, once Communists take control (see Cuba), society is trapped and is really stuck for years, even generations, mired in ignorance, low economy, and senseless, often bureaucratic violence and murder. My wife was a child during Chiles 1973 golpa, and to this day she and her family claim that while in the end Pinochet went too far, the fact is that he saved Chile from following in Cubas sad steps. The result is that today Cube is a nightmare, and Chile while not perfect of course - is fine.Certainly ends do not justify means, and certainly any military dictator eventually goes too far and needs to be pushed out - as Pinochet was. However in the case of Argentinas Guerra Sucia, considering the nature and tactics of the Peronistas and their legendary rampages, not to mentioned those factions allied with Guevaras ideas and tactics, it is really breathtaking how todays leftists (in both the Anglo and Latino societies) still try to play the oh poor is me, the down trodden victims who just want a chance. In 1950, The USA and Argentina had very similar economies and similar prospects for bright futures - and then came old Juan and Eva Pern. The nonsense of those two, established, and indeed institutionalized, many if not most of the problems from which Argentina suffers to this day.And Eduardo, let's save the drama about regimes and "tens of thousands", for another time; everyone knows that for all the faults (there are many in fact) of right wing dictatorships, everyone knows that from Berlin to Moscow, from Beijing to Havana, Socialists and Communists have killed many, many more times the number of people, than any Latin American military junta.
I think people should be somewhat certain of their facts before accusing anyone of being complicit with a murderous regime.These allegations, which mostly seem to hinge on one journalist's book, allegations which seem to be countered and denied by a variety of sources, have been wholeheartedly embraced by some within hours of the announcement of the new Pope. Yes, lots and lots of news stories about it, but they all peg back to the one book. Not only have these questionable allegations been enthusiastically embraced, without consideration of all of the counter evidence, they are used to quickly judge the new Pope without taking into account the rest of the man's life; his proven, lifelong service to the poor.Color me skeptical.
Heres what I think. A young Jesuit provincial informed his men that he wanted them to continue to reside in their parish or chaplaincies rather than take up residence in the barrios where revolt was fomenting. Two of the Jesuits under his leadership decided that they would continue to live in the barrio, not as advocates of violence but in solidarity with the poor. They were in conflict with their religious superior. I think that Borgoglio saw that he could not protect his men if they were residing in the thick of the growing revolt. And events proved that. I do not believe there is any evidence at all that he was working directly with the junta. I think he was reacting, feeling out and finding his way. It was a time of violence, outrage and immense confusion in Argentina. The fall-out continues there, evidenced by the 2010 apology of the hierarchy for their failures during that time. Do I think that Borgoglio acted in a particularly heroic way? No. But I do think he was making the effort to be a responsible provincial and lay down boundaries that would allow him some control in a frightening and unpredictable time.
"Respected Brazilian theologian Leonardo Boff said Thursday he did not believe that Pope Francis, acting in his capacity then as Jesuit provincial, could be implicated in connection to the acts of the Argentine junta, and that he in fact assisted some of the junta's intended victims." http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/15/opinion/clarke-pope-francis/index.htmlBoff also let everyone know that he is pumped for this papacy more generally. Odd that he would given that Pope Francis is supposedly "against" Liberation Theology.
The Guardian story linked above is at least the third story I've seen in the last couple of days on this topic. All stories are essentially regurgitating the same charges put forward by the same three people: Verbitsky, Bregman and de la Cuadra. I agree that these things need to be looked into. I would note that, in the case of Verbitsky, his most sensational charges have already been partially or fully discredited. Yet these at-least-partically-discredited charges continue to spread like a virus from one media outlet to another.The new Holy Father is already immersed in a public controversy, and based on Eduardo's and John Page's commentary, it looks like the Vatican media office may not be up to the task. The Vatican needs to adopt the sort of media reaction timetable that a well-run US presidential campaign does - quick and effective responses.
Sorry for not understanding this - what does the title of this post, "VLWC" mean?
"Maybe Pope Francis should become his own official spokesman and retire Fr. Lombardi, S.J."Yes! He can talk, can't he?
Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy
Since he is now our pope, I think we must try to figure out whether or not he is trustworthy. But how to do it? First, it seems to me we should wait for more evidence from more objective, reliable sources.I think that the testimony of the Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Escrivez (sp?) is most important. If we can't trust him, who can we trust? If he is not objective, who is? True, he might not know all the facts, but he probably has access to a lot more facts AND is a better judge of sources than the media. But again, we need to know something about his character too. Second, there are the findings of Amnesty International. Both sources are, on the surface at least, of the highest caliber.But we can also look at his apparent character, at his actions that are recorded by TV, etc. Certainly he *appeared* as a humble and kindly man when he appeared on the balcony and when he refused the fancy accoutrements. But ISTM there is a certain ambiguity about his going to pay his bill -- was that a bid for attention or an attempt to show that he is just one of us? If so, then it's not an attractive quality, but it certainly can't be taken as indicating that is the sort of person who conspires with murderers. Yes, this paragraph is about body language, but body language does reveal character at times -- unless we're dealing with a splendid actor.We also know he's a very intelligent man, but one who never deviates from the official Vatican line in matters of personal ethics. BUT did he also go along with the government on matters of social justice? Obviously, he went against the government when he concentrated on helping the poor, so we cannot say he was just a fascist fellow traveller bishop doing whatever the government told him to do. Given that fact, I think that it is extremely unlikely that he would easily tolerate torture IF he could avoid it. But in hellish situations like that, it might have been worse for other people if he had spoken out publicly. Complexity, complexity, complexity. complexity . . . . . . .
Tomorrow's press conference should be fascinating.
Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy.Not all that vast.
"Adolfo Perez Esquivel, who won the 1980 Nobel peace prize for documenting the junta's atrocities, takes a similar view. "Perhaps he didn't have the courage of other priests, but he never collaborated with the dictatorship," he told the Associated Press. "Bergoglio was no accomplice of the dictatorship. He can't be accused of that."This important statement by someone who documented the junta's atrocities, plus Boff's statement mean something. Eduardo chooses not to lay the emphasis here but on his own and others restructuring the probability of Bergoglio's complicity with the regime. This is troubling despite his reservations that he is open to all the facts.
Please show me where I say he was complicit with the regime. I am heartened by Boff's reaction.
Jesus commanded Peter, "Put your sword away!"Then Eduardo interrupted, "But the Romans have killed thousands of innocent people. This is no time for careful theological distinctions!"Seriously, though, what exactly was Bergoglio's criticism of liberation theology? Do we have any quotations in his own words? If he was criticizing cooperation with armed resistance (or that aspect of some forms of Marxism), then it is hardly fair to say he was "deciding in that context to criticize Liberation Theology for being too political or too open to communism." If your criticism is merely that he was wrong not to explicitly praise liberation theology, then say so.
I used the words "lay the emphasis." Here for example where you write: "Was Borgoglio just adopting uncritically the priorities of the Vatican? Was he toadying up to his bosses? Did he actually share the regimes assessment of the political situation and the broad outlines of the extraordinary actions the regime justified on the basis of that assessment? Any of these possibilities is disquieting. And that is what is troubling to me about the stories about Borgoglio even on the versions most favorable to him." Even tho you are asking questions they are what is called "leading" questions like a lawyer might posit. Whereas after you state that Michael Sean Winters defends Bergoglio you then criticize Winters understanding of LT which implies that you disagree with his criticism.
Margaret Hebblethwaite seems to like him, and she's rather unimpeachable I think:http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/mar/14/the-pope-francis-i-k... surviving priest from the kdnapping episode also seems good with Bergolgio:http://www.elnuevodia.com/jesuitatorturadoporlajuntamilitarestaenpazcone... facts are facts, and good to get all the info out.
I agree, David. It's part of the insanity of this process that the facts get revealed after the guy is appointed and when those who want to know them are accused of being anti-clerical leftists (I'll own to half of that equation though I won't say which half).
Agreed that the anti-clerical leftists claim is ridiculous.
"Im just trying to understand why he would choose to remain silent about a regime killing tens of thousands of people but speak out against a group of people working against that regime in order to criticize their theological purity."I'm usually on board with Mr Pealver on this blog. But I find his case not terribly persuasive.From what I read he opposed the activity of clergy in secular politics. As a liberal Catholic, I'm 100% on board with this. It's my job (with a billion or so others) to be involved with base communities, economics, political ideologies, and such. Priests and bishops, from Fr Fessio to Fr Berrigan, keep away. Not your fight. Not your vocation. Not your calling. Not as long as you are active priests.I'm a skeptic on the Pius XII wasn't a martyr front, and I am here too. Sure: Fr Bergoglio as a Jesuit priest, later a provincial, and as an archbishop, certainly had the opportunity to pull a Romero on the world. Heck, you could say that about any pundit. Why didn't I, for example, learn Pashto and move myself and my family to Afghanistan in 2002 if I was so steamed about the so-called War On Terror?If my sister and brother progressives want to hop on me for ideological impurity, I have no problem calling them out. I know we're in vast agreement on 98% of the agenda, more or less. But if I think someone's not on the right path, and it's serious, I'm not going to go lemming on them just for the companionship.So sure: let's keep gathering facts. Let's pay attention to the care taken with these "facts" as they are released. Bergoglio skeptics have already egged their faces with that vacation home. Mr Pealver has associated himself with journalists who are in dire need of a sharp editor. But he's been a comrade for years on dotCommonweal so I'm willing to cut him some slack on this. Show me something substantive. Please don't go Karl Rove on me.
3rd paragraph, "he" above = Fr Bergoglio
Is the Vatican statement the work of the Opus Dei fellow recruited from Fox news? That could explain a lot.
Grant has a tweet saying the pope set aside his homily from the secretary of state and gave his own off-the-cuff. Fact check?
And to quote a friend: "Can Pope Francis send curial officials to jug?"
Todd -- that's the best defense of Bergoglio's stance that I think can be made. If that turns out to have been his reasoning, I wouldn't agree with it, but I would be comfortable that he was not sympathetic to the goals of the regime or just playing the bureaucratic game. What we have right now, however, is a dearth of facts and few means to get them. I would love to hear him talk about it himself. And, again, the process seems backwards to me.
If you put on the trendy "no enemies to the left" spectacles always popular among some zealous progressives you only give license to the worst thugs (after all, they care so much - their heart etc., etc.). Bravo Bergoglio for challenging the simplisms of ideological politics. It would be refreshing if more, even among the academic left, would follow his example.
The question is not whether he had any enemies to the left. Could any person be elected Pope who did not? The question is whether he had any enemies to the right.
I have seen the Vatican statement elsewhere, but the link provided at the top of this thread doesn't work for me. Is it just me?Ann Olivier:Pope Francis's gathering with the press tomorrow will be a opportunity for him to thank the journalists who have come to Rome to cover the Conclave and the Inaugural Mass on St. Joseph's Day. Between five and six thousand journalists are in Rome to report on these events. The meeting will be held in the vast Paul VI Audience Hall. I doubt that there will be any opportunity for questions. But this is a pope of surprises, who so far seems to be eluding the control of the Vatican handlers. He will certainly make some remarks, and may address this controversy. But I tend to doubt it. It's not the right setting. Perhaps in time he will agree to one-on-one conversations with a journalist, as Benedict XVI has done with Peter Seewald.
Ms. Steinfels - are you asking about his first homily in the Sistine Chapel?Link: http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/03/14/pope_francis:_1st_homily_(full_text)/en1-673526Appears that it was written out in latin but the pope chose to set that printed talk aside and talk to the gathered cardinals in Italian and without reference to any printed material.
For background information on how anyone could be critical of liberation theology, here is a link to the CDF statement: Instruction on Certain Aspects of the "Theology of Liberation"http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_... be critical is not to reject the goal of liberation. From the CDF document:"This warning should in no way be interpreted as a disavowal of all those who want to respond generously and with an authentic evangelical spirit to the "preferential option for the poor." It should not at all serve as an excuse for those who maintain the attitude of neutrality and indifference in the face of the tragic and pressing problems of human misery and injustice. It is, on the contrary, dictated by the certitude that the serious ideological deviations which it points out tends inevitably to betray the cause of the poor. More than ever, it is important that numerous Christians, whose faith is clear and who are committed to live the Christian life in its fullness, become involved in the struggle for justice, freedom, and human dignity because of their love for their disinherited, oppressed, and persecuted brothers and sisters. More than ever, the Church intends to condemn abuses, injustices, and attacks against freedom, wherever they occur and whoever commits them. She intends to struggle, by her own means, for the defense and advancement of the rights of mankind, especially of the poor."Personally, I think very highly of liberation theology. However, I think this statement from the CDF raises some fair critical questions. The alternatives are not so absolute as this post makes out. I agree with Bill Mazzella. Eduardo, you say you are merely asking questions, but they are leading questions. When I read your post, I understood it to say that the situation is black and white. That is, if anyone criticizes liberation theology, they must either be moral cowards, or out for their own advancement, or support throwing people out of helicopters. This seems unfair to me.
The question is whether he had any enemies to the right. I hope they don't poison him.
Here are another two paragraphs from the instruction quoted above that bear on this question:17. In this full presentation of Christianity, it is proper to emphasize those essential aspects which the "theologies of liberation" especially tend to misunderstand or to eliminate, namely: God and true man; the sovereignty of grace; and the true nature of the means of salvation, especially of the Church and the sacraments. One should also keep in mind the true meaning of ethics in which the distinction between good and evil is not relativized, the real meaning of sin, the necessity for conversion, and the universality of the law of fraternal love. One needs to be on guard against the politicization of existence which, misunderstanding the entire meaning of the Kingdom of God and the transcendence of the person, begins to sacralize politics and betray the religion of the people in favor of the projects of the revolution.18. The defenders of orthodoxy are sometimes accused of passivity, indulgence, or culpable complicity regarding the intolerable situations of injustice and the political regimes which prolong them. Spiritual conversion, the intensity of the love of God and neighbor, zeal for justice and peace, the Gospel meaning of the poor and of poverty, are required of everyone, and especially of pastors and those in positions of responsibility. The concern for the purity of the faith demands giving the answer of effective witness in the service of one's neighbor, the poor and the oppressed in particular, in an integral theological fashion. By the witness of their dynamic and constructive power to love, Christians will thus lay the foundations of this "civilization of love" of which the Conference of Puebla spoke, following Paul VI. [34] Moreover there are already many priests, religious, and lay people who are consecrated in a truly evangelical way for the creation of a just society.
According to the Google translation, three paragraphs toward the end of the article cited by David Gibson, (2:32 PM) (http://www.elnuevodia.com/jesuitatorturadoporlajuntamilitarestaenpazcone...) read as follows: The issue of alleged collaboration with the Board Pope Francisco was approached years ago by Argentine journalist Horacio Verbistky and now resurfaced after the election of the pope.Bergoglio himself replied to the accusations in 2010, in the book "The Jesuit" and rejected such collaboration.The human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize Adolfo Prez Esquivel refused these days these charges from the British BBC television, where he said that there were bishops who were accomplices of the dictatorship in Argentina, but Bergoglio no.
Enemies to the Right? He'll certainly have them now. Will that be good enuf?
3,000 deaths by drone (the admittedly hazy consensus figure on Pro Publico) isn't tens of thousands, but we are on only the Beta version of the drones and just warming up. Does anybody here know Ellen Grady, Ithaca, NY, arrested three times so far for protesting the worldwide assassination program? (America, March 11.) Sen. Rand Paul noticed the program, but his compassion extends only to Americans and mostly only those in this country. Nothing about collateral civilians here and there. Our junta is still in power, though, chalking them up.Grady and Rand make one and a half on the side of the angels. And the opposition party applauds, so there is no hope there.I can't believe the balance of attention between Argentina 30-40 years ago and this country right now. I must look up motes and beams.
Eduardo, what I would love to see is links to stories about what Bergoglio did and said in the decades you are referring to. How did he criticize liberation theology? Did he recognize and distinguish between different theologians? Did he do so in the context of no criticism of capitalism? Why would Boff ever be saying what he is if Bergoglio were what you say he was? David Gibson's links are very helpful, especially The Guardian one. I really hope Francis is allowed to be pope for a while before he gets to boxed in, even by Vatican press officials. I think the "anticlerical left" comment was not helpful.
Thanks Eduardo for an interesting post. As strong supporter of liberation theology who helped organise protests against dictator Videla's visit to New Zealand at the time, I agree with you on the general context of marxism/communism and the need of the Church to work with Marxists, and others, for social justice. We need to be humble and open and work with others even if we may disagree on some things.There does not seem to me to be much of a case against Fr Bergoglio. He intervened to save the 2 Jesuit priests, he risked his own life by sheltering fugitives from the dictatorship in his own home and even gave his identify papers to one of them who looked like him so he could flee the country.There were valid criticism's of some liberation theology enthusiasts who were tempted to employ methods not in accord with the gospel - armed revolution and a certain tendency to try to transform the Church into a political party. I expect Bergogolio's reservations on liberation theology would have been along those lines. Would be interested to hear more.I would be very wary of suggesting that Fr Bergogolio wasn't outspoken enough without knowing everything he said and in what context (lots of pressure not just from the military dictatorship but also within the Church and possibly even from Rome). Fr Bergoglio may have been rather constrained in what he could say or do in such a context.God Bless
What seems very odd to me is that Bergoglio, a Jesuit and the Provincial, took the stance of the Vatican over the stance of the Superior General of his own order. Pedro Arrupe made clear that he supported the Jesuits working with the poor, even if it put them in danger from right-wing juntas .... "They may end up as martyrs, but my priests are not going to leave because they are with the people." I think of the courage and commitment of Jesuits like those killed later in El Salvador and of Oscar Romero - Bergoglio seemed to be the opposite of all that.
I hope this is not the Spanish version of The Onion. If this is true, the man is charging out the opening gate and heading in the right direction (Yes, I know this is not the subject of this discussion ... but it appears to be damned good news!):http://www.periodistadigital.com/religion/vaticano/2013/03/15/francisco-... site offers a pidgin English translation service.As se hace, Francisco!
I have just been told that this is most likely a made-up story by a supermarket-style rag.Sorry to let my glee take precedence over patience.
Here's an English-language version of the reconciliation of Fr. Jalics with Bishop Bergoglio in 2000. http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/03/15/3287440/priest-kidnapped-by-junta-...
Speaking of complicity with evil regimes-how about the fact that here today the left ,right and center is taking a hands off attitude toward the regime in syria where over 70 thousand people have been killed and atrocities against civilians takes place regularly.[Yes we're aiding the rebels but after two years of atrocites we're not helping them militarily which prolongs the suffering and deaths of all these people struggling to topple this evil regime.]McCain has called for intervention on moral grounds and he's denounced by all sides for it.All I hear prominent Catholics say -is that for all his faults -Assad is good for the Christians !That and "better this then what may happen if Assad is toppled."[And they will push for war against iran who backs the syrian regime yet they do not want to topple Assad.]That's the prism they choose to see the dirty war going on there through.If Christians here can, from the safety of being outside that murdering regimes crosshairs-politicize the atrocious murder of over 70,000 men women and children-then is it not hypocritical to stir the pot regarding how Pope Francis[Francisco?] didn't do the right thing when he himself was in the belly of the beast?. Of course we want to know looking back at his life what his actions and reasoning at that time was-but what about today and our complicity or sins of omission in"dirty wars"?
Molly Roach, I agree. I think that the primary issue here is obedience to the superior of the religious community. Who knows? Perhaps Bergoglio was trying to protect them from harm or protect the religious community and Church from retaliation. The implication that he was against liberation theology (Pope John Paul known for his anti-Communist and anti-liberation theology, could not have been an influence at that time. He was named pope in late 1978.) The fact that the two Jesuits were kidnapped was an unintended consequence and may have been a Romero moment for Bergoglio.He was young (late 30s) and ordained less than 10 years when he became the provincial. Maybe, these men were older and in the order longer. Who knows?As you wrote: Do I think that Borgoglio acted in a particularly heroic way? No. Neither do I.At least he didnt play tennis regularly with a leader of the junta as did Pio Laghi, papal nuncio during this time. Later on in his life Laghi is supposed to have said that perhaps he wasn't a hero.I may be wanting to see the best in our new pope, but given the talk about his commitment to the poor today, well, Id rather like to think that he is not proud of that part of his life either.
In some ways this strikes me as being similar to overhearing parts of a conversation and later recounting that conversation to someone else as though you had heard every word. I don't say that an effort to get as many facts out as possible shouldn't be made. But at the moment we are dealing with some facts and a good number of surmises.The news media, and not just in the US, are giving lots of prominence to the story. It's become a sub-theme that threatens to overtake the main narrative. We know more than we did yesterday, but at some point I think a limit will be reached. Were the cardinals at least somewhat aware of the potential for a problematic reaction to their decision? Or did they consider it and conclude that such a reaction would be unjustified? The principal story is so encouraging.If the Father General of the Jesuits thought Father Bergoglio was being disobedient, he had the power to remove him from office. He didn't.
Some background on priests and other Catholics involved in armed struggle in Argentina:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirty_War#Participation_of_members_of_the_C... Bless
There's also the question of his reluctance to provide information about what happened ..." Bergoglio twice invoked his right under Argentine law to refuse to appear in open court in trials involving torture and murder inside the feared Navy Mechanics School and the theft of babies from detainees. When he eventually did testify in 2010, his answers were evasive, human rights attorney Myriam Bregman told the AP." - http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/papal-election-stirs-argen...
Quite a few Argentine human rights activists are now coming out in defense of the Pope."Argentine Nobel Peace Prize winner, Adolfo Prez Esquivel and former presidential candidate and ex-member of the National Commission on Disappearance of Persons (CONADEP) Graciela Fernndez Meijide affirm that Bergoglio did not have sinister relations with the military during the dictatorship. Bergoglio himself, in his book The Jesuit, responds to the criticism, denying his responsibility for the circumstances that led to the priests capture. With more details, former judge, secretary of human rights and ombudswoman of the City of Buenos Aires, Alicia Olivera, affirms that Bergoglio supported her when she was removed from her position as judge by the military dictatorship. Olivera further remarks that he tried to help the young priests situation. This controversy will probably bring some troubles to Pope Francis, but as Robert Cox, former editor of the Buenos Aires Herald, exiled in 1979, opines, while Bergoglio has not done enough to publicly explain the incident, he did as much as he could behind the scenes."http://www.americasquarterly.org/node/4937
He seems to be generally well received in Latin American's Council of Churches circles: http://www.oikoumene.org/en/news/news-management/eng/a/article/1634/lati... brief snip about anything negative:"The reactions of Argentineans about the election are rather divided. On one hand, Bergoglio is accused of not speaking out against human rights violations at the time of the military dictatorship, while many proclaim that the bishop helped hundreds of people to escape prison and death during that same period."
Thanks, Eduardo, for the updates.A few comments:- keep in mind that Bergoglio was in his thirties and a priest less than five years when elected provincial.- having trouble trying to locate the history of the province of Argentina (refounded in 1836) but am guessing that there were less than 100 Jesuits in Argentian when Bergoglio was provincial- provincials of religious communities do not normally make public pronouncements - they leave that to the local bishops and hierarchy (how many times have you read an announcement from a US religious community provincial having to do with sexual abuse; how about the Fortnite for Freedom; etc.)- would guess that Bergoglio's efforts to insist upon a neutral, middle ground during the *dirty war* was not well received by some of his Jesuit brothers (leadership of a religious community is not as black and white as some seem to conceive - leadership is based upon example, persuasion, arguments, reason, etc. - no provincial is 100% successful)- my experience of provincials who leave office - they can't wait especially those who have had to deal with internal conflict (again, imagine during the dirty war)- often, provincial emeritus will move into something that gives them a break (whether emotionally or physically) from the province for a number of years (recall all of the verbiage to date about our emeritus bishop of Rome) and distances them from the new leadershipSome other notes - January, 2010, the Jesuit provinces of Argentina and Uruguay combined. There is a Jesuit priest from Argentina currently in the Jesuit headquarters in Rome. Agree with John Page above - lots of comments from folks who have never lived in a reilgious community; don't understand how provinces operate or are led; relationship to apostolotes and to the local hierarchy, etc. The job of provincial (especially today) is one of the most difficult task I can imagine (think constant dealings with abuse - historical or current; legal conferences that take 40% of your time; dealing with the retired members, their medical care, etc.; dwindling resources; manpower; financial stability)
I sincerely hope that the legacy of Francis will not be a repeat of that of Pius XII in terms of what he did/didn't do.
"The job of provincial (especially today) is one of the most difficult task I can imagine..."The sixties and seventies while bringing in needed reform and renewal got excessive to a point that whatever a supervisor in the church said was automatically opposed. In Rochester they marched against Bishop Sheen for closing a church which had less than fifty parishioners. In some cases some reformers were like a a two year old saying no to anyone who opposed. Especially a superior. That was part of the reason for the backlash. The danger of new movements at that time was that too many of the new leaders started to do anything they wanted. Many superiors feared losing more pastors. So it is in that context that Bergoglio operated. He was working on keeping his province intact. While the issues were good too many exploited them. For an example of this look at Neuhaus, Law, Novak and others who did a complete 360 when the climate changed.
Pertinent to this subject today there is a tremendous problem of middle class couples struggling to make anything close to what their parents made. We live in a time where middle class workers are under extreme duress. The new idols are the shareholders and the living wage is becoming a rarity.
For some perspective, read about Cardinal Ral Silva Henrquez who spoke out for human rights against the regime of Pinochet in Chile at about the same times as the dirty war in Argentina ..... http://www.nytimes.com/1999/04/12/world/raul-silva-henriquez-91-chile-ca...
Un-oh! Speaking of human rights, what about the right to follow one's own conscience? This article by Jamie Manson at NCR is concerned with Pope Francis' admiration of Communion and Liberation (CL). According to her it is a fundamentalist world-view which"CL boldly claims that the Church embodies authoritative truth that is binding on society at large. . . "Although CL members are comfortable in the modern, technological and political world, they reject the modern insistence on "a freedom of conscience that excludes the religious attitude at its very root.""In other words, Francis seems to lean to a highly authoritarian view of the Church and its place in society. How will this sit with the West? Storms ahead if Manson is right.
In addition to the right and the left, there is the middle which the Church is responsible for protecting from the warring factions. And isn't the Church's main mission to bring God's word and the sacraments to his people, even those caught in the middle of a civil war?
Cardinal Silva Henriquez is one of my great heroes. He was cardinal archbishop of Santiago. Father Bergoglio was provincial of the Jesuits in Argentina. He was not a bishop, and so not a member of the bishops' conference. That's a major difference.Some Chilean bishops were close to the Pinochet regime. One of them was the bishop of Valparaiso, Jorge Medina Estevez, who in June 1996 was named by John Paul II prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, and therein lies a tale. But the hour is late, and I'll forbear after more comments on this site today than I make in a month.No one denies that the Chilean episcopate was, for the most part, more courageous than the neighboring bishops' conference.
Ann, There's a wikipedia page on LC ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communion_and_Liberation ... it sounds scary. An interesting post as the Daily Beast - Siete Things to Know About Pope Francis & Argentinas Dirty War
Crystal --Thanks for the links. It seems to me that CL's principles as presented in Wiki are so general it could turn into anything. Interesting that Cardinal Martini was against it. But it doesn't rely on secresy the way OD and the Legionaires do, so I guess that's a good thing. About Bergoglio being complicit in the horrors, most of the data is matter of he said/she said. Though I'm impressed that years ago Amnesty International clear him, and now the Nobel Prize winner who should be the most objective witness of all has defended him clearly. But I am not one to say that one must publicly oppose terror no matter what. Sometimes that is self-defeating -- it often results in the elimination of those who oppose the tyranny.
The criticisms I've been reading seem to be:1. He didn't publicly oppose the regime2. He didn't do enough to protect two Jesuits targeted by the regime.Apart from whether any of it is true or not, it doesn't seem like it would be possible to do both of those things. Doing either one would have to open him up to criticism of not doing the other.
The two priest were no longer Jesuits. The provincial (Bergoglio) had dismissed them from the order a week earlier. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/16/world/europe/pope-francis-praises-bene...
The Jesuits seem to believe the allegations, to judge from an article in the Guardian today. See especially the remarks of Fr De Vera.http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/religion-and-beliefs/elect...
Joseph, The only thing new in the article you reference is that the Jesuits are lukewarm about his election. But one would never know that by reading the pages in America. In general it is a schizoid article capitalizing on the interest in the subject. It certainly was not coherent. So more of the same and what is your point on insisting that your view, evidently decided, is the correct one?
I don't know about the Jesuits in Argentina, but I've always been impressed with the great variety of outlooks among the Jesuits here. They have always ranged from very conservative to very liberal. Some saints and . . .
Gerylyn:"The two priest were no longer Jesuits. The provincial (Bergoglio) had dismissed them from the order a week earlier."I didnt get that impression from the article at all.The article says; Years laterthe priests met with Father Bergoglio, who by then was archbishop of Buenos Aires.Father Jalics said. Afterward, we together celebrated Mass publicly and embraced. I don't think that a provincial can dismiss a validly ordained man from the order.
Here is a fall-back for any of the 'worried'Oscar Romero at 35 was not the same Oscar Romero at 63. so why assume a Francis at 76 is the same as a Bergoglio at 35
Even if all the accusations were true, I have no right to throw stones. If I knew that publicly criticizing sadistic tyrants would lead to ME being tortured, I'm sure I'd have been a clam. But since Leonardo Boff has strongly supported Francis I think my opinion has pretty well set -- it looks like the accusations were false or misjudged the man. He actually helped those priests to be released. He did not abandon them.
Helen, I don't think there's any dispute about the fact that Bergoglio expelled the two priests from the Society of Jesus a week before they were arrested. Or about the fact that provincials can admit ordained men to the Society of Jesus and expel them. (Religious profession and ordination are not the same thing.)Three more leads:http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-eisner-pope-and-arg..."The controversial Argentine journalist Horacio Verbitsky has claimed that Bergoglio failed to protect two former Jesuits at the height of the violence. The two activist priests had been seized shortly after Bergoglio expelled them from the Jesuit order."http://www.theglobeandmail.com/commentary/pope-francis-and-argentinas-mi...
The Daily Beast article delivers little about Francis and mostly about the Dirty War.Why the juxtaposition of the pnoto taken 10-years early of "priest" Arrupe and "priest" Beroglio "giving a mass" with the photo taken 10 years later of an anti-government demonstation?Sloppy reporting is just that, sloppy.
An unlikely St. Patricks Day message (see the Massacre of San Patricio below)My take on the question of Bergoglios responsibilities during the Dirty War in Argentina: Fr. Jorge Bergoglio, SJ, now Pope Francis, was a young provincial (36 when appointed, 39 when the coup took place), the context was volatile, the two priests, Orlando Yorio and Francisco Jalics, did not obey his demand that they leave the poor neighborhood where they worked and one or both asked to leave the Jesuits and join a diocese under a tolerant bishop.The Argentine Church leadership, with a few notable exceptions, behaved abominably. They gave public recognition and support to the military dictatorship for years. They gave almost no public recognition or support to the victims and their families. Several priests played central roles in the detention, torture, and murder of suspected dissidents, and justified this in religious terms. Only a few bishops defended the human rights of the disappeared and supported organizations like the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo. One priest, Christian von Wernach, is presently serving a life sentence for his role, while others have been accused but not yet put on trial. In this context, Bergoglio would have to have been heroic to speak out. He did not.The fear of Communism was both rational and irrational, and it led the military, civilians, and many within the Church to fear those among them who might be "subversive" and they allowed this fear to justify some of the most cruel and brutal treatment to which human beings have subjected other human beings in the Americas in the last half century. This is not about comparing evils, as if the evil done by Communist regimes could somehow justify the evil done in the name of anti-Communism.There were Catholics and ex-Catholics, some priests, who participated in or were strongly linked to some of the leftist groups who were carrying out assassinations and bomb attacks. There were many more Catholics committed to the poor who were not in any way involved in violent actions.The regime tended to see anyone who worked with the poor or who defended human rights as subversive, either because they were directly participating in the violence or because their teaching of the Gospel provided ideological justification for leftist positions, violent or not.Of what, to my understanding, is Bergoglio accused?1. Bergoglio is accused of believing that either or both Fr. Orlando Yorio, SJ and Fr. Francisco Jalics, SJ, were dangerous subversives and of communicating this belief to many others in a way that facilitated their arrest. Released after five months, Yorio and Jalics told others in person and in letters that they thought Bergoglio was responsible for their arrest and that he had told others that Yorio and Jalics were involved with the guerrillas. Other Jesuits told Yorio and Jalics that Bergoglio was responsible. The priests' beliefs are not evidence that Bergolio facilitated their arrest, but this does show that they thought the accusation highly credible.2. Bergoglio is accused of withdrawing his protection from Yorio and Jalics before they were arrested. After much discussion and debate, Bergoglio gave them a letter ordering them to leave the community they were serving within 15 days; Jalics was to be transferred to Germany. Bergoglio told them that their only alternative to leaving the community was to leave the Jesuits. Yorio indicated in writing on March 19 that this was his intention, but also said he never received a response. Until his arrest he thought he was still a Jesuit and still communicated intensely with Bergoglio. Only after his release and exile in Rome did he find out that Bergoglio had expelled them from the Jesuit Order shortly before their arrest. An important note about the context: Yorio and Jalics went to work in a poor neighborhood in 1974 during a time in which there was an elected government, but there were also armed organizations carrying out assassinations and bombings on both the left and the right. In 1973, one of the people who had worked with Yorio and Jalics in the neighborhood left and joined one of the leftist guerrilla groups and had no more contact with Yorio and Jalics. The Argentine military coup took place on March 26, 1976, shortly after Yorio wrote to Bergoglio asking to leave the Jesuits. After the coup, the person who joined the guerrillas was captured and interrogated. It emerged that he had once worked in the neighborhood with Yorio and Jalics. On May 14 five catechists (and two of their husbands) who worked with Yorio and Jalics were arrested and eventually murdered by the regime without it ever acknowledging that it held them. One of these catechists was Mnica Mignone, the daughter of former Education Minister and Catholic activist Emilio Mignone. If Bergoglio withdrew his protection, he did so knowing what risks the priests were facing. After their arrest, Yorio and Jalics were interrogated extensively about the catechists. Neither the priests nor any of those arrested in connection with the priests were ever found to be involved with the guerrillas. None of the catechists was ever seen again. 3. Bergoglio is accused of blocking the efforts of a sympathetic bishop to receive Yorio and Jalics. The bishop reportedly told others that he was fearful for their lives and sought to protect them, but that even after personally meeting with Bergoglio to plead his case Bergoglio did not cede. As I try to make sense of this accusation, I try to **imagine** that the two priests were seen by Bergoglio as something like "dangerous communist terrorists," or, to make the point in a different way, as dangerous pedophiles. One could imagine why, as a matter of principle, the Jesuit Superior was unwilling to let them go to another diocese--if indeed it is true that he blocked their way. If this happened, perhaps it could be justified, perhaps not, but it is another part of the reason that Bergoglio is accused of contributing to the priests' arrest.After arrest, Yorio and Jalics were taken to the ESMA (Escuela Superior de Mecnica de la Armada or Naval Petty Officers School of Mechanics), which became infamous as a detention and torture center from which many hundreds were taken and killed by drugging them and dropping them into the ocean so that their bodies would never be found. The two priests were manacled and not allowed to move or use the bathroom for five days while they were interrogated. While this was a form of torture, they were not subjected to electric shock and the other harsher tortures that were systematic under the regime. Unlike more than a thousand of those who were taken to ESMA, Yorio and Jalics survived. They were taken after five days to another location and held, manacled and blindfolded, for five more months before being dumped on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, alive. Yorio was sent to Rome and Jalics to Germany.4. Bergoglio is accused of having presented to the regime a written petition to renew the passport for Fr. Jalics on December 4, 1979, while Jalics was in Germany and for fear of his life could not return to Argentina. The written petition supports Jalics' request and carries Bergoglio's signature. Another document was found attached to the first. It states that Jalics' passport should not be renewed, and carries the signature of a government official. There is a third document attached, which is hand-written. It states the following (this is translated from Verbitsky): Jalics had dissolute activity in the women's religious congregations, conflicts of obedience, he had been detained in the ESMA for six months, accused with Fr. Yorio, he is suspected of having contacts with the guerrillas, they lived in a small community that the Jesuit Superior had dissolved in Februarly 1976 and they refused to obey, requesting that they be allowed to leave the Jesuits on March 19; the 2 were expelled, but Fr. Jalics not because he had solemn vows. Below this it says "this information was furnished by Fr. Bergoglio himself, the signer of the original petition, with special recommendation that the petition not be granted." Below this is the signature of the government official. In other words, Bergoglio is accused of having acting visibly and in writing to support Fr. Jalics' petition, and of having acted invisibly and not in writing to undermine his request. He is accused of making numerous charges against Jalics, including that he was in contact with the guerrillas. My understanding is that these documents have been published, but I have not seen them.5. Bergoglio is accused of publishing Church documents in a book regarding the period of the Dirty War, emphasizing that they were published "without omissions." The original of at least one of the documents was subsequently found and it was seen that the published version in fact omitted text that revealed much greater complicity by the Church with the regime than the published version. My understanding is that the original version has been published, but I have not seen it.6. Bergoglio is accused of claiming that he and other Church leaders were unaware of certain thingsthat detainees were being tortured, that detainees were being murdered and disappeared without trial or acknowledgement of their detention; that babies born to detained (and soon to be disappeared) women were being given in adoption to military and police familiesduring periods when documents exist demonstrating that he and others discussed and knew about these things.7. Bergoglio is NOT accused of having helped to hide detainees from an international human rights group's visit to the torture center by taking them to a summer retreat owned by the Church and used by the Cardinal. These events took place, but Bergoglio had no role, and Horacio Verbitsky (the journalist who wrote about this and who provided the evidence for many of the accusations made in points 1-6 above) says not only was Bergoglio not part of this, it was Bergoglio himself who helped Verbitsky find the evidence that proved the Church's connection to the incident.Yorio later returned to Argentina to serve in the Diocese of Quilmes and it was he who contacted Verbitsky to denounce Bergoglio. Yorio died in 2000. Jalics remains a Jesuit in Germany and is active giving lectures and leading spiritual exercises. When contacted by Verbitsky, he confirmed Yorio's denunciations and added his own information. He said, however, that he had forgiven Bergoglio and preferred not to revisit that painful period of his life, and did not want his name to appear in print. When contacted by a second journalist, he said he would neither confirm nor deny the allegations.This was several years ago. In recent days Jalics has said something similar. He says that he has become reconciled with the events and that, for his part, he considers this a closed matter. He says he is unable to comment on the role played by Bergoglio in these events. Note: this is not an exoneration, as some have chosen to interpret it. Jalics also says that, with the permission of Bergoglio, he went with Yorio to live in the poor neighborhood, and that neither of them had any contact with the military junta or with the guerrillas. I think the inclusion of contact with the military junta may have been meant to draw a contrast with Bergoglio or with other members of the Church leadership. Jalics says that due to the lack of information and targeted misinformation at that point in time our position was open to misinterpretation within the church. He does not say who was the source of the targeted misinformation and he does not say who within the Church misinterpreted their position.Emilio Mignone, whose daughter Mnica was arrested a week before Yorio and Jalics, became a leader in the human rights movement in Argentina. He held that Bergoglio had responsibility in her disappearance. His colleague in the human rights movement, Alicia Oliveira, was Bergoglio's friend and knew of his efforts to help some of those persecuted by the regime, and defended him. Neither knew at the time of the "passport document" discussed above, which seems to show Bergoglio acting in defense of Fr. Jalics publicly while undermining and accusing him in secret. Nobel Prize winner Adolfo Prez Esquivel has said that Bergolgio was not one of those who were complicit with the regime, but that Bergoglio lacked the courage to defend those who being tortured and murdered by the regime.I end with a little more context: on Saturday, July 4, 1976, six weeks after the arrest of Yorio and Jalics, a military death squad went into the parish house of San Patricio and massacred the three priests and two seminarians living there. The five were in their pajamas, lined up on the floor face down, all having been shot. This became known as the Masacre de San Patricio, or St. Patricks Massacre. The death squad left two written messages. One said: "for the comrades dynamited in the Federal Security building. We will win. Long live the fatherland."[This was a reference to a guerrilla bomb attack in the cafeteria at the Federal Security building that killed 20 police officers.]The other said: "These leftists died for being indoctrinators of virgin minds and for being MSTM," MSTM being the initials of the Movement of Priests for the Third World.The concern about Bergoglio's role cannot be understood while focusing only on two Jesuit priests who survived. It must be understood that Mnica Mignone and hundreds of lay Church activists like her were brutally tortured and murdered, being guilty of nothing more than serving the poor and thinking the wrong thoughts; that dozens of priests and religious were likewise murdered in Argentina for the same crimes, and that the murderers were praised and blessed for their work by still other priests and religious. These were the same crimes for which Jesuit Rutilio Grande would be murdered the following year in El Salvador, for which Archbishop Oscar Romero would be assassinated three years after that, and six more Jesuits, their housekeeper, and her daughter nine years after that. And so on.Bergoglio has said in the past that we should not focus on his public silence, but know that in private he sought to aid the persecuted. He does appear to have helped some of the persecuted, but if the documents uncovered regarding his assistance in getting Fr. Jalics' passport renewed are an indication of what he did in private, it appears that there may be still another, even more private level at which he acted, and for which he has much to answer.
Charles Kenney, what an extraordinary amount of information. More than even I think we should heed Hans Kung's call that the pope explain fully and frankly the situation. I think that the whole mess compels a rethink of the phobia against Marxism just as the Pius XII mess compelled a rethink of the phobia against Judaism (though I do not, pace Bill Mazzella, say that the main accusations against either prelate are necessarily true).
According to Thomas Reese, S.J. http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/francis-jesuits-and-dirty-warAs provincial, Father Bergoglio was responsible for the safety of his men. He feared that Orlando Yorio, S.J., and Franz Jalics, S.J., were at risk and wanted to pull them out of their ministry. They, naturally, did not want to leave their work with the poor.Contrary to rumor, he did not throw them out of the society and therefore remove them from the protection of the Society of Jesus. They were Jesuits when they were arrested. Yorio later left the Society but Jalics is still a Jesuit today, living in a Jesuit retreat house in Germany.
The issues about Marxism, liberation theology and the Catholic church are complicated to say the least with rumors and innuendoes and lies.I am not very knowledgeable about the dirty War in Argentina during the late 1970s and early 1980s. I am, however, reminded of the responses of two prominent members of the Reagan administration to the news of the rapes, torture, and murders of three American sisters and a Catholic lay worker in El Salvador on 16 December 1980. Secretary of State Alexander Haig, a Catholic and former Army general, said that he believed that the four missionaries had run a military checkpoint and had exchanged gunfire with Salvadoran military forces. United Nations Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick, also a Catholic, said: "I don't think the government (of El Salvador) was responsible. The nuns were not just nuns; the nuns were political activists. We ought to be a little more clear-cut about this than we usually are.
Thanks for the link to Thomas Reese's article, Helen. It seems to cast further doubt on Verbitsky. (And on Charles Kenney's point #2 in the post above yours.)(Agree about Jeane Kirkpatrick. I remember well her disgusting testimony.)


text: The stereotype of a family law attorney is that they deal in divorces or are limited to issues between spouses. The reality is that the practice can be far reaching in scope and encompass estate planning issues, business interests, and matters that extend beyond ex-spouses, but that deal with many aspects of a client's life. A… Continue Reading

subset: commoncrawl


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- Jena Economic Resea...
- Volume 3
- Creative Destructio...
- author
Max Planck Institute of Economics
- Reviewed work published from
- Mon Jan 12 2009
- Number of discussion paper
- keyword(s)
firm entry
firm exit
regional competitiveness
total factor productivity
- abstract
Do firm entry and exit improve the competitiveness of regions? If so, is this a universal mechanism or is it contingent on the type of industry or region in which creative destruction takes place? This paper analyses the effect of firm entry and exit on the competitiveness of regions, measured by total factor productivity (TFP) growth. Based on a study across 40 regions in the Netherlands over the period 1988-2002, we find that firm entry is related to productivity growth in services, but not in manufacturing. The positive impact found in services does not necessarily imply that new firms are more efficient than incumbent firms; high degrees of creative destruction may also improve the efficiency of incumbent firms. We also find that the impact of firm dynamics on regional productivity in services is higher in regions exhibiting diverse but related economic activities.
- article pub. typess JER
- Research article
- article languages JER
- Englisch
- article research fields JER
- entrepreneurship
- JEL-Classification for JER
- L10 - General ; M13 - New Firms; Startups ; O18 - Regional, Urban, and Rural Analyses ; R11 - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, and Changes


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- Date Available: November 2006
Your tax-deductible gift to the Naval Institute Press underwrites worthy books that might not otherwise be published.
Breathtaking orchestral works from the peropd when the British empire found itself confronted with Napolieon's might. Includes Clementi's Great National Symphony and Haydn's Overture for an English Opera.


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5 Disastrous Attempts at Political Commentary in Comic Books
A shocking number of writers look at a medium full of colorful superbeings flying about and shooting lasers out of every conceivable body part and think: "Yes, this would be the perfect platform to talk about my political ideas." Here are a few of their most ill-advised attempts ...
#5. Superman Ignores Pollution for the Economy
DC Comics
In Superman: Grounded, the Man of Steel decides to walk across the entire U.S. on foot to deal with the real issues, like brain-damaged drug dealers and literal alien immigrants. Real hard-hitting stuff. Eventually he makes his way to Iowa, where his "backpack across the continent to find himself" trip takes a detour as he helps Big Industry ruin the environment. No, seriously. It all starts when Superman is contacted by Lois Lane, who for this story arc has apparently taken a part time job as a stripper and started smuggling cantaloupes in a Lara Croft shirt.
DC Comics
"Hey! You look me in my uncharacteristically exposed breasts when I'm talking to you!"
Lois reveals that the factory where Superman just put out a giant chemical fire -- shocker -- isn't as safe as it looks. Turns out they haven't updated their security measures since the Eisenhower administration, and they generally don't give a flying fuck about the environment.
DC Comics
"The executives also pee into the town's water supply."
Superman uses his X-ray vision to confirm that, yep, the place is a shithole. However, the workers at the plant beg him not to expose the conditions of the factory, since it's the only major job provider for the town.
DC Comics
"Look, it's this or going back to stripping, and I left that life behind."
After carefully thinking about it for, like, half a panel, Superman decides that it's a fair trade if the surrounding area becomes a chemical wasteland in a decade, as long as the factory will still be able to employ and murder its workers at some later, unspecified date. Because again, this is the same factory he just saved the workers from burning to death inside of about 10 minutes ago.
DC Comics
"Yeah, I could ask the JLA to bring this place up to code in like five minutes, but then I'd have to help Flash move. Fuck that guy."
But Lois still plans to publish her expose of the factory, and Superman, being the self-proclaimed champion of the American way, would never stand in the way of a journalist trying to print the truth, as is her constitutionally guaranteed righ-
DC Comics
Truth, justice, and strong-arming your wife to get your way.
#4. Marvel's Dictators and Mass Murderers Cry Over 9/11
Marvel Comics
Even the most well-meaning tributes can backfire. Spider-Man did a 9/11 tribute, which is understandable -- NYC is a big part of the comic, after all.
Marvel Comics
"I- I can't even fly. Yell at Thor."
However, part of the issue inserted various Marvel Comics characters among the cops and firefighters helping out in the cleanup of Ground Zero -- you know, beloved superheroes like Thor, and Captain America, and ... um, Dr. Doom?
Marvel Comics
And Juggernaut in the back ... who once knocked down one of the towers. In a Spider-Man comic. He laughed.
Yep, there's Marvel's biggest mass murderers standing distraught in the wreckage. Kingpin, Juggernaut, Magneto -- they've all put aside their agendas and gathered to help the city recover from a terrorist attack. Never mind that at least one of them is a self-proclaimed terrorist whose entire motivation is to kill normal, innocent humans in order to preserve mutantkind.
Marvel Comics
*All these guys are mass murderers, true believer! -Cracklin' Cracked
The artist defended this scene, explaining that it was supposed to be symbolic, but the thing is, there were plenty of sympathetic Marvel villains who could have realistically set aside their petty motives to help out there (we're pretty sure we saw Fing Fang Foom tear up a little during the Concert for New York). But they went with three guys who have a bigger body count individually than all of al-Qaida combined. And they're crying over what to them would normally be considered the acceptable collateral damage from breakfast.
Marvel Comics
He's crying because he was planning to do that to the Baxter Building next week.
#3. Anarky, the Anarchist Batman Villain
DC Comics
In the tradition of the wacky-themed Bat-villains of the '60s comes Anarky, the character whose superpower is giving pedantic stoner monologues.
DC Comics
Ugh, wait until he gets really into Ayn Rand freshman year.
Anarky was a mysterious criminal who targeted Gotham City's upper class while spouting pseudo-philosophical catchphrases and calling the oppressed to rise up. Eventually, Batman finds out the true identity of this modern-day Robin Hood: a naive pre-teen named Lonnie Machlin, who uses a fake neck and a mask to look taller. Batman grabs his ass and dumps him in juvie.
DC Comics
"I'm not Anarky! This is just how I masturbate. Honest."
Haha, what brilliant satire! The character who thinks this base-level philosophy is so cool is literally a snotty 12-year-old. Suck it, teenagers with Che posters and overdue copies of Nausea. But nope: Anarky's creator, Batman writer Alan Grant, admits that the character was meant to be a mouthpiece for his own thoughts. More alarmingly, Grant has Batman admit to both Alfred and Commissioner Gordon that he is intrigued by those half-baked ideas.
DC Comics
"Yes, yes, I am thinking that whoever spouts such brilliant philosophy surely has a huge dong,
no matter what Jenny Walker said in home ec."


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Is there any published research of decent quality linking news or unstructured information to asset returns? I know that Thomson Reuters offers its Machine Readable news (MRN), so somebody must use it. But I can't find much in the public domain.
I know that I have seen things like this in the past. Wasn't there something recently that used Twitter?
Here are a few recent papers as examples, although I will be brutally honest that I don't know if they speak to your decent quality requirement:
Just FYI the Reuters product is called NewsScope.
The selling point is that they provide a sentiment reading per news item so the user doesn't have to do any NLP.
If you have a Reuters sales rep or contact them then they can get you several research/white papers that are interesting. Here are the ones I have been able to find online (my sales rep has provided me with better ones but I didn't save them):
Using their Event Indices product: http://puppetmastertrading.com/images/Reuters_NewsScope_Event_Indices_Whitepaper.pdf
Deutsche Bank's Quantitative Strategy (US) team put together the following piece on this topic (note: their research is available for clients, but I found that somebody uploaded the piece to a sketchy web site). In case the link dies, some of the academic papers they site are:
Their introduction says:
A more recent DB Quant piece highlights another recent paper, Dzielinski, 2011, "News sensitivity and the cross-section of stock returns".
In the same piece, DB also mentions
A cautionary tale on all these approaches it told by Tim Loughran and Bill MacDonald in the Journal of Finance, 2011 (When Is a Liability Not a Liability? Textual Analysis, Dictionaries, and 10-Ks, here).
In their analysis they show that the commonly used Harvard Psychosociological Dictionary is inadequate for sentiment classification in a financial context. Their findings are specific to the analysis of 10-k, but probably also indicative of the general difficulties with NLP in finance. Some findings:
There are of course several caveats:


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Ashton in other companiesWho would you like to see do what?
Posted 19 July 2004 - 08:19 AM
In an email exchange, a friend who's seen Scenes de Ballet often said she'd like to see POB do it.
I know the look would change, especially the torso (French placement is so solid because the torso holds its shape from shoulders to hips) but I think the Parisian sense of chic could make for an interesting version.
I would rather not see ABT do Scenes. I think Rhapsody would be a good choice for them and also possibly The Two Pigeons It wouldn't hurt SFB to consider The Two Pigeons either. (I'd give a lot just to be able to see that more frequently!)
NYCB originated two Ashton works - Illuminations and Picnic at Tintagel. I think Ashton on the present company would look like a very different animal, but if the RB can do a few well selected works of Balanchine, could NYCB do the same with Ashton? If so, what would be the right choice for something that could be done within NYCB's style?
Posted 19 July 2004 - 09:44 AM
I'd second "Scenes" for Paris. They'd have the crystalline brilliance the ballet needs, and, According to Vaughan, Ashton was a great admirer of the French style.
Posted 19 July 2004 - 10:01 AM
I remember someone writing here about Kyra Nichols qualities as a dancer as being of the earth. I think they were right and because of those qualities I think Five Brahms Waltzers in the Manner of Isadora Duncan would be a magnificent showpiece for Nichols.
But the ballet I would really love to see NYCB try to perform would be Les Patineurs. A joyous and fun plotless ballet with a touch of characterization that would give City Ballet dancers an opportunity to let their hair down and have some fun. But that's not to say this ballet would not challenge them technically - this is not a ballet easily perform. This ballet I think could stitch them both technically and in term of character development. The Blue Boy is a happy go lucky virtuoso; the Couple in White are charmingly sweet; The Girls in Blue are dazzling show-offs; and the Girls in Red are deliriously goofy.
The Boy in Blue: Damian Woetzel, Peter Boal, Joaquin DeLuz
The Girls in Blue: Sofiane Sylve & Maria Kowroski; Jennie Somogyi & Miranda Weese
The Couple in White: Jenifer Ringer & James Fayette; Yvonne Borre & Stephen Hanna
The Girls in Red: Alexandra Ansanelli & Ashley Bouder; Amanda Edge & Carla Korbes
Posted 19 July 2004 - 10:13 AM
Nichols could be quite interesting in the Duncan, and I think the company could do Patineurs.
re: ABT - I have liked their Ashton, especially Fille mal Gardee. But ABT's version of Symphonic Variations leads me to think Rhapsody is a better choice for them than Scenes.
Posted 19 July 2004 - 10:29 AM
Funny, that's EXACTLY what I was thinking! I'd also love to see ABT revive their production of Les Patineurs, and tackle Monotones (the studio company did it last year, but I'd love to see the main company do it - the casting possibilities are endless).
I would rather not see ABT do Scenes. I think Rhapsody would be a good choice for them and also possibly The Two Pigeons
On the other hand, who could argue with GeorgeB fan's desire to see Wendy Whelan in MonotonesII? Let's just hope the NY companies add lots of Ashton to their repertories this year! :yes:
Posted 19 July 2004 - 12:19 PM
Posted 19 July 2004 - 02:36 PM
Posted 19 July 2004 - 03:21 PM
Posted 19 July 2004 - 03:30 PM
Posted 19 July 2004 - 03:53 PM
Posted 19 July 2004 - 03:54 PM
Although ABT is always on the lookout for full-length ballets, I don't think Cinderella would be a good fit for them. Its charms are of the gentle, quiet variety, and ABT's style is big and brassy.
I wish some company would add Ashton's Romeo & Juliet to its rep, if only to keep the ballet alive. I don't think the English National Ballet, which has revived it in the past, has done it for many years. You'd think there would be lots of companies eager to snap this up, as R&J is box office gold, but perhaps it's hard to get someone to stage it. (?) How about the Royal Danish Ballet, for whom the ballet was made? They could give Neumeier's version (which isn't bad, actually) a rest for a while.
Posted 19 July 2004 - 04:30 PM
I'd rather see ABT do Ashton's "Cinderella" than Stevenson's (the version they had last). It would help them be less brassy They were in the right key for "The Dream" and "Fille," so I think they could do it.
Posted 19 July 2004 - 05:36 PM
By the way speaking of NYCB performing Ashton are any other choreograher's work, isn't there, or it seems at least, an unwritten policy in where they don't perform ballets that was not created for their company. Does anyone know if this is true or not?
Posted 19 July 2004 - 06:25 PM
Posted 19 July 2004 - 06:44 PM
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Loft Giulia - NAVONA
Size35 m²
Floor No.0
- Air conditioning
- Internet/WiFi
- Family/child friendly
- Disabled access
- Kitchen
- Towels
|Vicolo dei Soldati, 00186 Roma, Italy
|Property type
|Property ID
|Acceptance rate
|Response time
|A few hours
|Calendar updated
|4 days ago
In 5 minutes walking you can reach the Pantheon, Castel S. Angelo, Campo dei Fiori and Coronari street.
In 10 minutes by feet you arrive in Piazza di Spagna, Fontana di Trevi, and in 15 minutes in Trastevere district, Campidoglio and Colosseo.
Close to the museum Altemps in an ancient roman vicolo, the apartment is located on the ground floor of a building of 1600, consists in a single room equipped with air conditioning, a large and comfortable double bed, a small sofa bed, a small kitchen equipped, a table with folding chairs, a small bathroom with shower without bidet.
Central location, ground floor with independent entrance, without architectural barriers, no gas, kitchen equipped with electric plates, air conditioning, bathroom with shower, sleeps 2 +1 extra, 1 minute to bus stops, children welcome no smoking, no animals.
Supplied accessories included: free Wi-Fi internet, microwave, plates, cutlery, cookware, glasses, fridge, hair dryer, iron and ironing board, linen bed, towels, hoover, kettle, security door and window.
The apartment has wood ceiling, armored door and window.
Ideal for tourists who are searching for the history of the "eternal city".
Remember to wear comfortable shoes and enjoy you roman holiday!
Papa Francesco announces the Jubilee Misericordia that will start on 2015 December 8 and will end on 2016 November 20. Our apartment is just a few steps from the Vatican view map!
Please respect the timetable agreed for the arrival and notify immediately via text message in case of delay. Otherwise we can not ensure the immediate entry into the apartment. Check-in is from 2 pm and check-out within 11 am.
If neccessary there will be changes with availability, please contact us.
Courtesy line and assistance during your stay.
Username and password Wi-Fi's available inside the loft.
Feel at home and enjoy your stay!
|Price for > 2 guests
|$ 136 HKD per guest/night extra
|Check-in after
|Check-in before
|On arrangement
|Check-out before
|Cancellation Policy
Very well located and well equipped with everything what is necessary. Quiet nice street.
Really a very, very small flat, but absolutely in the middle of the historical part of rome - just 2 minutes by feet to piazza navona and 10 minutes to st angelo. It was not very well-kept especially the bath-"room". But all in all, it was ok for a 7-days-trip to this incredible and faszinating city.
Perfect place, phoned Lavinia as explained on information received after booking, very hospitable arrived on time explained everything we needed to know. property was perfect the position was right in the center of everything, could not have booked a better place.Will definitely book again. Thank you.
I had a very unpleasant meeting with Latvia, because we were 20 min. late, could not find the address, my GPS did not work and tried to ask people, and unfortunately got the wrong direction. I had left my luggage and my husband on the street, I was so stressed out and ran to the address alone. Latvia called twice and askede where we were, because she did not have time to wait, and had to go to the next address. I explained to her my situation, and hoped for a little understanding from her, but she was grumpy. She was gone when I was there, but came back quickly after I called her. I said I was sorry to be late, she said the same to me with a hard voice I felt so stupid and it was very uncomfortable but tried to smile and explained what had happened to us, and so she began to smile and was nice. She showed me the room i 2 min. The room was cold, very dark and moist ... the bathroom did not smell good in the morgning. Network did not work most of the time. But I liked the location because it was very close to many things.
Very good location , in a small quiet side street in Piazza Navona .
Everything within walking distance. The hosts were very nice and helpful . The apartment is rather small but very good for a long weekend .
The pity is that the Internet does not work well . Thank you
We arrived in pouring rain to Ceiling Gulia. Our host was very superficial, would quickly out the door. Asked for help for wifi, she could not find out, and we never found out that in the week we were there. The apartment is very very dark. Despite sunshine for 6 days, so we only sun a quarter a day in the street.
The apartment is probably ok for a weekend, but no more than that.
Vi kom i silende regn til Loft Gulia. Vores vært var meget overfladisk, ville hurtigt ud af døren. Bad om hjælp til wifi, det kunne hun ikke finde ud af, og vi fandt aldrig ud af det i den uge vi var der. Lejligheden er meget meget mørk. Trods solskin i 6 dage, så vi kun solen et kvarter om dagen i gaden.
Lejligheden er sikkert ok til et weekendophold, men ikke mere end det.
The location in ancient Rome near the Piazza Navona, and yet very quiet, it was ideal for us. Just a pity that WiFi was not working ...
De locatie in het oude Rome vlakbij de Piazza Navona, en toch zeer rustig, was ideaal voor ons. Alleen jammer dat WiFi niet werkte...
Clean accommodation, although slightly smaller than the pictures suggested. No TV, WiFi moderate but good location to explore the historic center of Rome. At night sometimes a bit noisy (empty bottles from restaurants that were put in the dirt, and dirt pick). Altogether equally enjoyable!
Nette accommodatie, hoewel iets kleiner dan de foto's deden vermoeden. Geen tv, matig WiFi, maar goede locatie om het oude centrum van Rome te ontdekken. 's Nachts soms een beetje rumoerig (lege flessen van restaurants die bij het vuil werden gezet, en vuil ophalen). Al met al prima bevallen!
The apartment has a superb location.
El apartamento tiene una ubicación magnífica.
First say that we agreed with the host that the 11 am arrive to Termini and stayed in the apartment for the handover. Got this at 12pm and the hostess who was waiting in a car and when we took 5-10 minutes and was worth to get off, we begin to reñirnos in English because we had arrived late, very rude we opened the door and We explain the rules, upon arrival and made my experience was bad.
Another point to consider is that the WIFI is not cable, but by line 3G, if you're like me, that work needed connection is not valid, since almost not allowed to even open the mail. (They should indicate your wifi is poor and it is not a 100%)
For the rest well, very well it located, and access directly from the street, even maybe too much noise to be at street level.
En primer lugar decir que habíamos quedado con la anfitriona que las 11 de la mañana llegaríamos a Termini y quedamos en el apartamento para la entrega de llaves. Llegamos a este a las 12h y la anfitriona que estaba esperando en un coche y que cuando ya llevamos 5-10 minutos se digno a bajarse, nos empieza en ingles a reñirnos por que habíamos llegado tarde, con muy mala educación nos abrió la puerta y nos explico las normas, nada más llegar ya hizo que mi experiencia fuera mala.
Otro punto a tener en cuenta es que el WIFI no es por cable, si no por linea 3G, si es como mi caso, que por trabajo necesitaba la conexión no es valida, ya que casi no permitía ni abrir el correo.(Deberían indicar que su wifi es de mala calidad y que no es una garantía 100%)
Por el resto bien, esta muy bien situado, y accedes directamente desde la calle, aun que quizás demasiado ruido a estar a pie de calle.
- Quality assured accommodation
- Every host is verified by telephone
- Secure payment via SSL encryption


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The Regent Honeyeater Insitu project is a school and community-based project that, with the support of many partners, has established itself in the wider communities of the Capertee Valley, NSW and Chiltern, Victoria.
Primary students from Manly Village, Manly West, Harbord, Curl Curl North, Manly Vale and Beacon Hill Public schools were mentored by High school students from Manly Selective, Cromer, Balgowlah Boys and Mackellar Girls campuses.
Find out more about the students experiences by reading the latest blogs:


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No-Sweat Science: Optical Illusion Experiments
by Michael A. DiSpezio, illustrated by Jack Gallagher
Kids can be both scientists and magicians--all at once! With just a little practice, they'll amaze people with fool-the-eye illusions that also illustrate basic principles of visual perception.
- 50 super experiments
- Features tricks of motion; distortions of length and size; tilts, twists, and topsy-turvies that give a new slant on things; and fantastic flat-screen phantoms that play with illusions of depth
128 pages


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I have now posted the full video of the 8 December UCL debate on 'Sharia law negates human rights'. You've already read about handshake-gate but there is a lot more to say on this.
What took place at the debate is nothing new.
Our opponents, Ayyaz Mahmood and Jonathan Butterworth, were quick to brush aside any evidence of Sharia law's negation of human rights by saying that none of it is true Islam nor is it mentioned in the Koran. They say this even though they know full well that Sharia law is based not only on the Koran but the Hadith (sayings and actions of Mohammad) and Islamic jurisprudence.
Stoning is one such example. Proponents will dishonestly say that stoning is not mentioned in the Koran knowing full well that is mentioned in the Hadith and that it is part and parcel of Sharia law: [Read more…]