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On his return flight to Rome from Rio De Janeiro, on Sunday 28 July 2013, the Holy Father responded to questions from journalists on a variety of topics.
Father Lombardi:
Now, my friends, we are delighted to have the Holy Father, Pope Francis, with us on this return flight. He has been good enough to allow plenty of time to review the visit with us and to respond in complete freedom to your questions. I shall ask him to give us a brief introduction and then we will begin with the list of those who have asked to speak, and we will take them from different national groups and language groups. So, over to you, Your Holiness, for your words of introduction.
Pope Francis:
Good evening, and thank you very much. I am pleased. It has been a good journey, spiritually it has done me good. I am quite tired, but my heart is joyful, and I am well, really well: this has done me good spiritually. Meeting people does me good, because the Lord works in each one of us, he works in our hearts, and the Lord's riches are so great that we can always receive many wonderful things from others. And this does me good. So that is my first reflection. Then, I would say that the goodness, the hearts of the Brazilian people, are big, really big. They are a very lovable people, a people who like to celebrate, who even amid suffering always find a path to seek out the good somewhere. And this is good: they are lively people, and they have suffered greatly! The liveliness of the Brazilians is contagious, it really is! And these people have big hearts. Then, I would say of the organizers, both at our end and those at the Brazilian end, well! I felt as if I was sitting in front of a computer, an incarnate computer ... no, really! Everything was timed so well, wasn't it? It was wonderful. Then, we had problems with the plans for security: security here, security there; there wasn't a single accident in the whole of Rio de Janeiro during these days, and everything was spontaneous. With less security, I could have been with the people, I could have embraced them, greeted them, without armoured cars ... there is security in trusting a people. It is true that there is always the danger of some mad person .. the danger that some mad person will do something, but then there is the Lord! But to make an armed space between the bishop and the people is madness, and I prefer the other madness: away with it! And run the risk of the other madness! I prefer this madness: away with it! Closeness is good for us all.
Then, the organization of WYD, not any particular aspect, but overall: the artistic element, the religious element, the catechetical element, the liturgical element .. it was all wonderful! They have the capacity to express themselves in art. Yesterday, for example, they did really lovely things, really lovely! Then, Aparecida: Aparecida for me was a powerful religious experience. I remember the Fifth Conference, I went there to pray, to pray. I wanted to go alone, somewhat hidden, but there was an impressive crowd! But it is not possible, as I knew before I arrived. And we prayed. I don't know ... one thing ... but on your part as well, your work, they tell me – I didn't read the newspapers during these days, I didn't have time, I didn't see the television, nothing – but they tell me that good work was done, really good work. Thank you, thank you for your collaboration, thank you for doing all this. Then the number, the number of young people. Today – I can hardly believe it – but today, the Governor spoke of three million. I cannot believe it. But from the altar – it's true! I don't know whether you, or some of you, were at the altar. From the altar, at the end of Mass, the whole beach was full, as far as the curve; more than four kilometres. There were so many young people. And they say, Archbishop Tempesta said, they came from 178 countries: 178! The Vice-President gave me the same figure, so it's certain. It is important! Amazing!
Thank you. Now we invite Juan de Lara to speak first, from Efe, he is Spanish, and it is the last journey he will make with us. So we are pleased to give him this opportunity.
Juan de Lara:
Your Holiness, good evening. On behalf of all our colleagues, we want to thank you for these days that you have given us in Rio de Janeiro, for the work that you have done and the effort you have made. And also, on behalf of all the Spanish journalists, we want to thank you for your prayers for the victims of the train accident in Santiago de Compostela. Thank you very much indeed. The first question does not have much to do with the journey, but we take the opportunity that this occasion gives us, and I would like to ask you: Your Holiness, in these four months of pontificate, we see that you have created various commissions to reform the Curia. I want to ask you: what kind of reform do you have in mind, do you foresee the possibility of suppressing the IOR, the so-called Vatican Bank? Thank you.
The steps I have taken during these four and a half months come from two sources: the content of what had to be done, all of it, comes from the General Congregations of the Cardinals. There were certain things that we Cardinals asked of the one who was to be the new Pope. I remember that I asked for many things, thinking that it would be someone else... We asked, for example, for the Commission of eight Cardinals, we know that it is important to have an outside body of consultors, not the consultation bodies that already exist, but one on the outside. This is entirely in keeping – here I am making a mental abstraction, but it's the way I try to explain it – in keeping with the maturing of the relationship between synodality and primacy. In other words, having these eight Cardinals will favour synodality, they will help the various episcopates of the world to express themselves in the very government of the Church. There were many proposals made that have yet to be implemented, such as the reform of the Secretariat of the Synod and its methodology; the Post-Synodal commission, which would have a permanent consultative character; the consistories of Cardinals with less formal agendas, canonization, for example, but also other items, etc. So the source of the content is to be found there! The second source has to do with present circumstances. I admit that it was no great effort for me, during the first month of the pontificate, to organize the Commission of the eight Cardinals, which is an initial step. The financial part I was planning to address next year, because it is not the most important thing that needed to be done. But the agenda changed on account of circumstances that you know about, that are in the public domain. Problems arose that had to be dealt with. The first is the problem of the IOR, that is to say, how to manage it, how to conceptualize it, how to reformulate it, how to put right what needs to be put right, hence the first Commission of Reference, as it is called. You are familiar with the chirograph, what the aims are, who the members are, etc. Then we had the meeting of the Commission of 15 Cardinals who follow the economic affairs of the Holy See. They come from all over the world. And then, while we were preparing for this meeting, we saw the need to make a single Commission of Reference for the whole economy of the Holy See. That is to say, the economic problem was not on the agenda when it had to be addressed, but these things happen when you're in governance: you try to go in one direction, but then someone throws you a ball from another direction, and you have to bat it back. Isn't that the way it is? So, life is like that, but this too is part of the wonder of life. I repeat the question that you asked me about the IOR, excuse me, I'm speaking Spanish. Excuse me, the answer came to me in Spanish.
Returning to the question you asked about the IOR, I don't know how the IOR will end up. Some say perhaps it would be better as a bank, others say it should be an aid fund, others say it should be shut down. Well! That's what people are saying. I don't know. I trust the work done by the IOR personnel, who are working on this, and the Commission personnel too. The President of the IOR is staying, the same one as before, whereas the Director and Vice-Director have resigned. But I don't know how all this is going to end up, and that's fine, because we keep looking and we will come up with something. We are human in all this. We must find the best solution, no doubt about that. But the hallmarks of the IOR – whether it be a bank, an aid fund, or whatever else – have to be transparency and honesty, they have to be. Thank you.
Many thanks, Your Holiness. So, now we move on to a person from the representatives of the Italian group, and we have someone you know well: Andrea Tornielli, who is going to ask you a question on behalf of the Italian group.
Andrea Tornielli:
Holy Father, I want to ask something perhaps a little indiscreet: there was a photograph that went all over the world when we set off, of you climbing the steps of the aeroplane carrying a black brief-case, and there have been articles all over the world commenting on this new departure. Yes, about the Pope climbing the steps – let's say it had never happened before that the Pope should climb on board with his own hand-luggage. So, there have been various suggestions about what the black bag contained. So my questions are these: firstly, why was it you carrying the black bag, and not one of your entourage, and secondly, could you tell us what was in it? Thank you.
It wasn't the key for the atom bomb! Well! I was carrying it because that's what I've always done. When I travel, I carry it. And inside, what was there? There was a razor, a breviary, an appointment book, a book to read, I brought one about Saint Thérèse, to whom I have a devotion. I have always taken a bag with me when travelling – it's normal. But we must be normal ... I don't know ... what you say is a bit strange for me, that the photograph went all over the world. But we must get used to being normal. The normality of life. I don't know, Andrea, whether I have answered your question.
Now we will invite a representative of the Portuguese language to speak, Aura Miguel, who is from Radio Renascença:
Aura Miguel:
Your Holiness, I want to ask why you ask so insistently that people pray for you? It isn't normal, we're not used to hearing a Pope ask so often that people pray for him...
I have always asked this. When I was a priest, I asked it, but less frequently. I began to ask with greater frequency while I was working as a bishop, because I sense that if the Lord does not help in this work of assisting the People of God to go forward, it can't be done. I am truly conscious of my many limitations, with so many problems, and I a sinner – as you know! – and I have to ask for this. But it comes from within! I ask Our Lady too to pray to the Lord for me. It is a habit, but a habit that comes from my heart and also a real need in terms of my work. I feel I have to ask ... I don't know, that's the way it is ...
Now we pass to the English language group, and we invite our colleague Mr Pullella from Reuters, here in front, to speak.
Philip Pullella:
Your Holiness, thank you, on behalf of the English group, for making yourself available. Our colleague de Lara has already put the question that we wanted to ask, so I will continue just a little further along the same lines: When you were seeking to make these changes, I remember you said to the group from Latin America that there are many saints working in the Vatican, but also people who are rather less saintly, didn't you? Have you encountered resistance to your wish to change things in the Vatican? Have you met with resistance? The second question is this: you live in a very austere manner, you have remained at Santa Marta, and so on... Would you like your collaborators, including the Cardinals, to follow this example, and perhaps to live in community, or is this something for you alone?
The changes ... the changes also come from two sources: what we Cardinals asked for, and what has to do with my own personality. You mentioned the fact that I remained at Santa Marta. But I could not live alone in the Palace, and it is not luxurious. The Papal apartment is not particularly luxurious! It is a fair size, but it is not luxurious. But I cannot live alone or with just a few people! I need people, I need to meet people, to talk to people. And that's why when the children from the Jesuit schools asked me: "Why did you do that? For austerity, for poverty?" No, it was for psychological reasons, simply, because psychologically I can't do otherwise. Everyone has to lead his own life, everyone has his own way of living and being. The Cardinals who work in the Curia do not live wealthy, opulent lives: they live in small apartments, they are austere, they really are, austere. The ones I know, the apartments that APSA provides for the Cardinals. Then it seems to me that there is something else I wanted to say. Everyone has to live as the Lord asks him to live. But austerity – general austerity – I think it is necessary for all of us who work in the service of the Church. There are many shades of austerity .. everyone must seek his own path. With regard to the saints, it's true, there are saints: cardinals, priests, bishops, sisters, laypersons; people who pray, people who work hard, and who also help the poor, in hidden ways. I know of some who take trouble to give food to the poor, and then, in their free time, go to minister in this or that church. They are priests. There are saints in the Curia. And there are some who are not so saintly, and these are the ones you tend to hear about. You know that one tree falling makes more noise than a whole forest growing. And it pains me when these things happen. But there are some who create scandal, some. We have this Monsignor in prison, I think he is still in prison. He didn't exactly go to prison because he was like Blessed Imelda, he was no saint. These are scandals, and they do harm. One thing – I've never said this before, but I have come to realize it – I think that the Curia has fallen somewhat from the level it once had, in the days of the old curialists ... the profile of the old curialist, faithful, doing his work. We need these people. I think ... there are some, but not as many as there once were. The profile of the old curialist: I would say that. We need more of them. Do I encounter resistance! Well! If there is resistance, I haven't seen it yet. It's true that I haven't done much, but I would say that I have found help, and I have found loyal people. For example, I like it when people say to me: "I don't agree", and I have found this. "But I don't see that, I disagree: that's what I think, you do as you wish." This is a real collaborator. And I have found people like this in the Curia. And this is good. But when there are those who say: "Oh, how wonderful, how wonderful, how wonderful", and then they say the opposite somewhere else... I have yet to come across this. Maybe it happens, maybe there are some like this, but I'm not aware of them.. Resistance: in four months, you won't find that much.
Well, now we pass to a Brazilian lady, as seems only right. So here is Patricia Zorzan, and perhaps Mr Izoard could come forward, so that we can have a French speaker next.
Patricia Zorzan:
Speaking on behalf of the Brazilians: society has changed, young people have changed, and in Brazil we have seen a great many young people. You did not speak about abortion, about same-sex marriage. In Brazil a law has been approved which widens the right to abortion and permits marriage between people of the same sex. Why did you not speak about this?
The Church has already spoken quite clearly on this. It was unnecessary to return to it, just as I didn't speak about cheating, lying, or other matters on which the Church has a clear teaching!
But the young are interested in this ...
Yes, though it wasn't necessary to speak of it, but rather of the positive things that open up the path to young people. Isn't that right! Besides, young people know perfectly well what the Church's position is.
What is Your Holiness' position, if we may ask?
The position of the Church. I am a son of the Church.
Well, now let's return to the Spanish group, Dario Menor Torres ..., oh, excuse me, Mr Izoard, whom we have already called forward, so that we have someone from the French group – and then Dario Menor.
Antonie-Marie Izoard:
Greetings, Your Holiness, on behalf of my francophone colleagues on board – there are nine of us on this flight – for a Pope who does not want to give interviews, we are truly grateful to you. Ever since 13 March, you have presented yourself as the Bishop of Rome, with great, very great insistence. So, we would like to understand the deep significance of this insistence, whether perhaps, rather than collegiality, we are perhaps speaking about ecumenism, perhaps of your being the primus inter pares of the Church? Thank you.
Yes, in this, we must not go beyond what is said. The Pope is a bishop, the Bishop of Rome, and because he is the Bishop of Rome he is the Successor of Peter, Vicar of Christ. There are other titles, but the first title is "Bishop of Rome" and everything follows from that. To say, to think that this means being primus inter pares, no, that does not follow. It is simply the Pope's first title: Bishop of Rome. But there are others too ... I think you said something about ecumenism. I think this actually helps ecumenism. But only this ...
Now Dario Menor from La Razón, from Spain:
Dario Menor Torres:
A question about how you feel. A week ago you mentioned that a child had asked you how it felt, whether someone could imagine being Pope and whether anyone would want to be Pope. You said that people would have to be mad to want that. After your first experience among a great multitude of people, such as you found during these days in Rio, can you tell us how it feels to be Pope, whether it is very hard, whether you are happy to be Pope, whether in some way your faith has grown, or whether, on the contrary, you have had some doubts. Thank you.
To do the work of a bishop is a wonderful thing, it is wonderful. The problem arises when someone seeks that work: this is not so good, this is not from the Lord. But when the Lord calls a priest to become a bishop, this is good. There is always the danger of thinking oneself a little superior to others, not like others, something of a prince. There are dangers and sins. But the work of a bishop is wonderful: it is to help one's brothers and sisters to move forward. The bishop ahead of the faithful, to mark out the path; the bishop in the midst of the faithful, to foster communion; and the bishop behind the faithful, because the faithful can often sniff out the path. The bishop must be like that. You asked me whether I like it. Yes, I like being a bishop, I like it. In Buenos Aires I was very happy, very happy! I was happy, it's true. The Lord helped me in that. But as a priest I was happy, and as a bishop I was happy. In this sense I say: I like it!
Question from the floor:
And as Pope?
Likewise, likewise! When the Lord puts you there, if you do what the Lord wants, you are happy. This is my feeling, this is how I feel.
Now another from the Italian group: Salvatore Mazza from "Avvenire".
Salvatore Mazza:
I cannot even stand up. Excuse me, I cannot even stand up, for all the wires I have under my feet. We have seen during these days, we have seen you full of energy, even late in the evening. We are watching you now on board the aircraft which is tilting from side to side, and you are calmly standing there, without a moment's hesitation. We would like to ask you: there is talk of future journeys. There is much talk of Asia, Jerusalem, Argentina. Do you already have a more or less definite schedule for next year, or is everything still to be decided?
Definite, nothing is definite. But I can say something of what is being planned. One thing that is definite – excuse me – is 22 September in Cagliari. Then, 4 October in Assisi. I have it in mind, within Italy, to go and visit my relatives for a day: to fly there one morning and to return the next morning, because, bless them, they call me and we have a good relationship. But only for one day. Outside Italy: Patriarch Bartholomaios I wants to have a meeting to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the meeting between Athenagoras and Paul VI in Jerusalem. The Israeli Government has also issued a special invitation to go to Jerusalem. I think the Government of the Palestinian Authority has done the same. This is what is in the pipeline: it is not quite clear whether I'm going or not going ... Then, in Latin America, I don't think there is a possibility of returning, because the Latin American Pope, his first journey is to Latin America! Enough! We must wait a little now! I think I could go to Asia, but this is all up in the air. I have been invited to go to Sri Lanka and also to the Philippines. But I must go to Asia. Because Pope Benedict did not have time to go to Asia, and it is important. He went to Australia and then to Europe and America, but Asia... Going to Argentina: at the moment I think this can wait a little, because all these journeys have a certain priority. I wanted to go to Istanbul on 30 September, to visit Bartholomaios I, but it is not possible, it is not possible because of my schedule. If we meet, it will be in Jerusalem.
Fatima, there is also an invitation to Fatima, it's true, it's true. There is an invitation to go to Fatima.
30 September or 30 November?
November, November: Saint Andrew.
Good. Well, now we move to the United States, and we invite Ada Messia from CNN to ask you a question:
Ada Messia:
Greetings. You are coping better than I ... No, no, no, it's all right, it's all right. My question is this: when you met the young people from Argentina, maybe with tongue in cheek, maybe seriously, you told them that you too, at times, feel penned in. We would like to know what exactly you were referring to ...
You know how often I've wanted to go walking through the streets of Rome, because, in Buenos Aires, I liked to go for a walk in the city, I really liked to do that! In this sense, I feel a little penned in. But I have to say one thing and that is that these fellows from the Vatican Gendarmerie are so good, they are really, really good, and I am grateful to them. Now they're letting me do a few more things! I think… their job is to maintain security. So, penned in in that sense. I'd like to go out walking but I understand that it isn't possible: I understand. That was what I meant. Because I used to be – as we say in Buenos Aires – a callejero, a street priest…
And now we call on another Brazilian: it is Marcio Campos, and I also ask Mr Guénois to come up for the next question, for the French.
I was asking what time it is, because they have to serve supper, but are you all hungry?
No, no…
Marcio Campos:
Holy Father, I want to say that whenever you miss Brazil, the joyful Brazilian people, hold onto the flag that I gave you. I would also like to thank my colleagues at the daily newspapers Folha de São Paulo, Estado, Globo and Veja for being able to represent them in this question. Holy Father, it is difficult to accompany a Pope, very difficult. We are all tired, you are going strong and we are exhausted… In Brazil, the Catholic Church has lost a number of the faithful in these recent years. Is the Charismatic Renewal movement one possible way for ensuring that the faithful do not go to the Pentecostal Church or other pentecostal churches? Many thanks for your presence and many thanks for being with us.
It is very true what you are saying about the fall in numbers of the faithful: it is true, it is true. The statistics are there. We spoke with the Brazilian bishops about the problem at a meeting held yesterday. You asked about the Charismatic Renewal movement. I'll tell you one thing. Back at the end of the 1970s and the beginning of the 1980s, I had no time for them. Once, speaking about them, I said: "These people confuse a liturgical celebration with samba lessons!" I actually said that. Now I regret it. I learned. It is also true that the movement, with good leaders, has made great progress. Now I think that this movement does much good for the Church, overall. In Buenos Aires, I met frequently with them and once a year I celebrated a Mass with all of them in the Cathedral. I have always supported them, after I was converted, after I saw the good they were doing. Because at this time in the Church – and here I'll make my answer a little more general – I believe that the movements are necessary. The movements are a grace of the Spirit. "But how can you control a movement which is so free?" The Church is free, too! The Holy Spirit does what he wants. He is the one who creates harmony, but I do believe that the movements are a grace, those movements which have the spirit of the Church. Consequently I don't think that the Charismatic Renewal movement merely prevents some people from passing over to pentecostal denominations. No! It is also a service to the Church herself! It renews us. Everyone seeks his own movement, according to his own charism, where the Holy Spirit draws him or her.
Question in the background:
Yo estoy cansado. I am tired.
So, Mr Guénois from Le Figaro, for the French group.
Jean-Marie Guénois:
Holy Father, one question, with my colleague from La Croix: You have said that without women, the Church grows barren. What concrete measures will you take? For example, the diaconate for women or a woman as a head of dicastery? Also, a little technical question: you said you were tired. Have special arrangements been made for the return flight? Thank you, Your Holiness.
Let's begin with the last question. This plane doesn't have any special arrangements. I am up front, I have a nice seat, a normal one, the same as everyone else has. I had them write a letter and make a phone call to say that I did not want special arrangements on the plane: is that clear? Second, about women. A Church without women is like the college of the Apostles without Mary. The role of women in the Church is not simply that of maternity, being mothers, but much greater: it is precisely to be the icon of the Virgin, of Our Lady; what helps make the Church grow! But think about it, Our Lady is more important than the Apostles! She is more important! The Church is feminine. She is Church, she is bride, she is mother. But women, in the Church, must not only… I don't know how to say this in Italian… the role of women in the Church must not be limited to being mothers, workers, a limited role… No! It is something else! But the Popes.. Paul VI wrote beautifully of women, but I believe that we have much more to do in making explicit this role and charism of women. We can't imagine a Church without women, but women active in the Church, with the distinctive role that they play. I think of an example which has nothing to do with the Church, but is an historical example: in Latin America, Paraguay. For me, the women of Paraguay are the most glorious women in Latin America. Are you paraguayo? After the war, there were eight women for every man, and these women made a rather difficult decision: the decision to bear children in order to save their country, their culture, their faith, and their language. In the Church, this is how we should think of women: taking risky decisions, yet as women. This needs to be better explained. I believe that we have not yet come up with a profound theology of womanhood, in the Church. All we say is: they can do this, they can do that, now they are altar servers, now they do the readings, they are in charge of Caritas (Catholic charities). But there is more! We need to develop a profound theology of womanhood. That is what I think.
For the Spanish group, now, we have Pablo Ordas, from El País:
Pablo Ordas:
We would like to know about your working relationship, not just your relationship of friendship but that of collaboration, with Benedict XVI. There has never been a situation like this before, and whether you are frequently in contact and if he is helping you in this work. Many thanks.
I think that the last time that there were two Popes, or three Popes, they weren't speaking to one another; they were fighting to see which was the true Pope. We ended up with three Popes during the Western Schism.
There is one thing that describes my relationship with Benedict: I have such great affection for him. I have always loved him. For me he is a man of God, a humble man, a man of prayer. I was so happy when he was elected Pope. Also, when he resigned, for me it was an example of greatness. A great man. Only a great man does this! A man of God and a man of prayer. Now he is living in the Vatican, and there are those who tell me: "How can this be? Two Popes in the Vatican! Doesn't he get in your way? Isn't he plotting against you?" All these sorts of things, no? I have found a good answer for this: "It's like having your grandfather in the house", a wise grandfather. When families have a grandfather at home, he is venerated, he is loved, he is listened to. Pope Benedict is a man of great prudence. He doesn't interfere! I have often told him so: "Holiness, receive guests, lead your own life, come along with us". He did come for the unveiling and blessing of the statue of Saint Michael. So, that phrase says it all. For me it's like having a grandfather at home: my own father. If I have a difficulty, or something I don't understand, I can call him on the phone: "Tell me, can I do this?" When I went to talk with him about that big problem, Vatileaks, he told me everything with great simplicity … to be helpful. There is something I don't know whether you are aware of – I believe you are, but I'm not certain – when he spoke to us in his farewell address, on 28 February, he said: "In your midst is the next Pope: I promise him obedience". He is a great man; this is a great man!
Now it is the turn of a Brazilian once again; Ana Fereira; and then Gianguido Vecchi for the Italians.
Ana Fereira:
Good evening, Holy Father. Thanks. I would like to say any number of "thanks". Thanks for having brought so much joy to Brazil, and thanks also for responding to our questions. We journalists really like to ask questions. I would like to know, since yesterday you spoke to the Brazilian bishops about the participation of women in our Church... I would like to understand better, what this participation of us women in the Church would be like. Also, what do you think of women's ordination? What should our position in the Church be like?
I would like to explain a bit more what I said about women's participation in the Church. It can't just be about their acting as altar servers, heads of Caritas, catechists… No! They have to be more, profoundly more, even mystically more, along with everything I said about the theology of womanhood. And, as far as women's ordination is concerned, the Church has spoken and said: "No". John Paul II said it, but with a definitive formulation. That door is closed, but on this issue I want to tell you something. I have said it, but I repeat it. Our Lady, Mary, was more important than the Apostles, than bishops and deacons and priests. Women, in the Church, are more important than bishops and priests; how, this is something we have to try to explain better, because I believe that we lack a theological explanation of this. Thank you.
Gianguido Vecchi, from Corriere della Sera: then I would ask Mrs Pigozzi and Nicole to come forward.
Gianguido Vecchi:
Holy Father, during this visit too, you have frequently spoken of mercy. With regard to the reception of the sacraments by the divorced and remarried, is there the possibility of a change in the Church's discipline? That these sacraments might be an opportunity to bring these people closer, rather than a barrier dividing them from the other faithful?
This is an issue which frequently comes up. Mercy is something much larger than the one case you raised. I believe that this is the season of mercy. This new era we have entered, and the many problems in the Church – like the poor witness given by some priests, problems of corruption in the Church, the problem of clericalism for example – have left so many people hurt, left so much hurt. The Church is a mother: she has to go out to heal those who are hurting, with mercy. If the Lord never tires of forgiving, we have no other choice than this: first of all, to care for those who are hurting. The Church is a mother, and she must travel this path of mercy. And find a form of mercy for all. When the prodigal son returned home, I don't think his father told him: "You, sit down and listen: what did you do with the money?" No! He celebrated! Then, perhaps, when the son was ready to speak, he spoke. The Church has to do this, when there is someone… not only wait for them, but go out and find them! That is what mercy is. And I believe that this is a kairos: this time is a kairos of mercy. But John Paul II had the first intuition of this, when he began with Faustina Kowalska, the Divine Mercy… He had something, he had intuited that this was a need in our time. With reference to the issue of giving communion to persons in a second union (because those who are divorced can receive communion, there is no problem, but when they are in a second union, they can't…), I believe that we need to look at this within the larger context of the entire pastoral care of marriage. And so it is a problem. But also – a parenthesis – the Orthodox have a different practice. They follow the theology of what they call oikonomia, and they give a second chance, they allow it. But I believe that this problem – and here I close the parenthesis – must be studied within the context of the pastoral care of marriage. And so, two things: first, one of the themes to be examined with the eight members of the Council of Cardinals with whom I will meet on 1-3 October is how to move forward in the pastoral care of marriage, and this problem will come up there. And a second thing: two weeks ago the Secretary of the Synod of Bishops met with me about the theme of the next Synod. It was an anthropological theme, but talking it over, going back and forth, we saw this anthropological theme: how does the faith help with one's personal life-project, but in the family, and so pointing towards the pastoral care of marriage. We are moving towards a somewhat deeper pastoral care of marriage. And this is a problem for everyone, because there are so many of them, no? For example, I will only mention one: Cardinal Quarracino, my predecessor, used to say that as far as he was concerned, half of all marriages are null. But why did he say this? Because people get married lacking maturity, they get married without realizing that it is a life-long commitment, they get married because society tells them they have to get married. And this is where the pastoral care of marriage also comes in. And then there is the legal problem of matrimonial nullity, this has to be reviewed, because ecclesiastical tribunals are not sufficient for this. It is complex, the problem of the pastoral care of marriage. Thank you.
Thank you. And now we have Mrs Pigozzi, from Paris Match, also from the French group…
Carolina Pigozzi:
Good evening, Holy Father. I would like to know if, now that you are the Pope, you still feel that you are a Jesuit…
That is a theological question, because Jesuits make a vow of obedience to the Pope. But if the Pope is a Jesuit, perhaps he has to make a vow of obedience to the General of the Jesuits! I don't know how to resolve this … I feel a Jesuit in my spirituality; in the spirituality of the Exercises, the spirituality deep in my heart. I feel this so deeply that in three days I will go to celebrate with the Jesuits the feast of Saint Ignatius: I will say the morning Mass. I have not changed my spirituality, no. Francis, Franciscan, no. I feel a Jesuit and I think as a Jesuit. I don't mean that hypocritically, but I think as a Jesuit. Thank you.
If you can hold out, there are still some questions. Now, Nicole Winfield, from the Associated Press, and there are … I had a list and actually I thought you had things planned among yourselves… Anyway, Elisabetta, get in line too, sorry.
Nicole Winfield:
Your Holiness, thank you once again for coming "among the lions". Your Holiness, in the fourth month of your pontificate, I wanted to ask you to make a little tally. Can you tell us what is the best thing about being Pope, an anecdote, and what is the worst, and what is the thing that has most surprised you in this period?
I don't know how to answer that, really. Big things, major things, there just haven't been any. Beautiful things, yes; for example, my meeting with the Italian bishops was very good, very good. As Bishop of the capital of Italy, I felt at home with them. And that was good, but I don't know if it was the best. Also a painful thing, one which really touched my heart, the visit to Lampedusa. It was enough to make you weep, it did me good. When these boats arrive, they leave them several miles out from the coastline and they must come ashore alone, on a boat. And this pains me because I think that these people are victims of a world-wide socio-economic system. But the worst thing that happened – excuse me – was an attack of sciatica – really! – that I had the first month, because I was sitting in an armchair to do interviews and it hurt. Sciatica is very painful, very painful! I don't wish it on anyone! But these things: talking with people; the meeting with seminarians and religious was quite beautiful, it was really beautiful. Also, the meeting with the students of Jesuit schools was very beautiful… good things.
What surprised you most?
People, people, the good people I found. I found many good people in the Vatican. I was wondering what I could say, but that is true. I am being fair in saying this: so many good people. So many good people, so many good people, but good, good, good!
Elisabetta, someone that you know, and also Sergio Rubini, come forward, and so now we have the Argentinians.
Elisabetta Piqué
Pope Francis, first of all, on behalf of the fifty thousand Argentinians whom I met and who told me, "You will be travelling with the Pope, so please tell him that he was fantastic, stupendous; ask him when he will come". But you already said you wouldn't be going .... therefore, I would like to ask you a more difficult question. Were you afraid when you saw the Vatileaks report?
Pope Francis
No! I will tell you a story about the Vatileaks report. When I met with Pope Benedict, after we had prayed in the Chapel, we were in his study and I saw a large box and envelope. Excuse me . . . Benedict said to me; "In this big box are all the statements, all that the witnesses said, everything is there. But the summary and the final judgment are in this envelope. And it says here . . ." He had it all in his head! What intelligence! Everything memorized, everything! But no, it didn't frighten me, no. No, no. Though it is a big problem. But it didn't frighten me.
Sergio Rubín
Your Holiness, two things. The first is this: you insisted a great deal on stemming the loss of the faithful. In Brazil, you were very strong. Do you hope that this trip will contribute to people returning to the Church, to them feeling closer to the Church? And second, more informally: you loved Argentina and held Buenos Aires in your heart. The Argentinians are asking if you miss Buenos Aires a lot, riding on the bus, walking through the streets? Many thanks.
I believe that a Papal trip always helps. I believe it will do Brazil good, not just because the Pope was present, but because of what happened during WYD, how the youth mobilized themselves and these young people will do great good, and maybe they will be able to help the Church a great deal. But these faithful who have left the Church, many are not happy because they know they belong to the Church. I think that this will be very positive, not only for the trip, but above all for the event. WYD was a marvellous event. And yes, at times I do miss Buenos Aires and I feel it. But I am serene about it. But I believe that you, Sergio, know me better than all the others and you are able to answer this question, with the book that you wrote!
Padre Lombardi
Now we have the Russian reporter and then there is Valentina, our senior reporter, who would like to be last.
Alexey Bukalov
Good evening, Holy Father. Holy Father, returning to ecumenism: today, the Orthodox are celebrating one thousand and twenty-five years of Christianity, and there are great festivities in many capital cities. If you would comment on this, I would be grateful. Thank you.
In the Orthodox Churches, they have retained that pristine liturgy, which is so beautiful. We have lost some of the sense of adoration. The Orthodox preserved it; they praise God, they adore God, they sing, time does not matter. God is at the centre, and I would like to say, as you ask me this question, that this is a richness. Once, speaking of the Western Church, of Western Europe, especially the older Church, they said this phrase to me: Lux ex oriente, ex occidente luxus. Consumerism, comfort, they have done such harm. Instead, you retain this beauty of God in the centre, the reference point. When reading Dostoevsky – I believe that for all of us he is an author that we must read and reread due to his wisdom – one senses what the Russian soul is, what the eastern soul is. It is something that does us much good. We need this renewal, this fresh air from the East, this light from the East. John Paul II wrote about this in his Letter. But many times the luxus of the West makes us lose this horizon. I don't know, but these are the thoughts that come to me. Thank you.
Father Lombardi
And now we close with Valentina who, having been first during the trip to Rio de Janiero, will be the last for the return trip to Rome.
Valentina Alazraki
Your Holiness, thank you for keeping your promise to respond to our questions on this return trip ...
I have made you late for dinner ...
It doesn't matter ... The question for all Mexicans is: when are you going to visit Guadalupe? ... But this is the question of the Mexicans ... Mine would be: you will canonize the two great Popes, John XXIII and John Paul II. I would like to know what is – according to you – the model of holiness that emerges from them both and what is the impact that these Popes have had on the Church and on you?
John XXIII is a bit like the figure of the country priest, the priest who loves all the faithful, who knows how to care for the faithful and this he did as a Bishop, and as a Nuncio. How many baptismal certificates did he forge in Turkey to help the Jews! He was courageous, a good country priest, with a great sense of humour, and great holiness. When he was Nuncio, some did not support him in the Vatican, and when he would arrive in Rome to deliver something or to ask a question, certain offices would make him wait. But he never complained: he would pray the Rosary, say the breviary. He was meek and humble, and he always concerned himself with the poor. When Cardinal Casaroli returned from a mission – I believe it was from Hungary or from what was then Czechoslovakia, I don't remember which, though – the Cardinal went to Pope John to tell him how the mission went, in that epoch of the diplomacy of "small steps". And the Pope and Cardinal Casaroli met – twenty days later Pope John XXIII would be dead – and as the Cardinal was leaving, the Pope stopped him: "Your Eminence – no, he wasn't yet a Cardinal – Your Excellency, a question: are you still going to see those young people?" He asked because Cardinal Casaroli had been going to the juvenile prison in Casal del Marmo and visiting with the young people. And Cardinal Casaroli said: "Yes, yes!" "Never abandon them." This to a diplomat, who was returning from a diplomatic mission, a very important trip, that John XXIII said: "Never abandon the young". How great he was, how great! Then, he was also a man of the Council: he was a man docile to the voice of God, which came to him through the Holy Spirit, and he was docile to the Spirit. Pius XII was thinking of calling the Council, but the circumstances weren't right. I believe that John XXIII didn't think about the circumstances: he felt and acted. He was a man who let the Lord guide him. Regarding John Paul II, I would say he was "the great missionary of the Church": he was a missionary, a man who carried the Gospel everywhere, as you know better than I. How many trips did he make? But he went! He felt this fire of carrying forth the Word of the Lord. He was like Paul, like Saint Paul, he was such a man; for me this is something great. And to canonize them both together will be, I believe, a message for the Church: these two were wonderful, both of them. Paul VI's cause is also under way, as is the cause of John Paul I. Both are under way. One more thing that I believe I said already, but I don't know if I said it here or elsewhere – the canonization date. One date under consideration was 8 December this year, but there is a significant problem; those who will come from Poland, some can afford to come by air, but the poor will come by bus and the roads are already icy in December, so I think the date needs to be rethought. I spoke with Cardinal Dziwisz and he suggested to me two possibilities: Christ the King Sunday this year or Divine Mercy Sunday next year. I think there is too little time for Christ the King this year, since the Consistory will be on 30 September and the end of October will be too soon. But I don't know. I must speak with Cardinal Amato about this. But I don't think it will be 8 December.
Question from the floor
But they will be canonized together?
Both together, yes.
Thank you, Your Holiness. Who is still to come? Ilze? Then everyone will have had a turn, even more than had signed up before ...
Ilze Scamparini
I would like permission to ask a delicate question: another image that has been going around the world is that of Monsignor Ricca and the news about his private life. I would like to know, Your Holiness, what you intend to do about this? How are you confronting this issue and how does Your Holiness intend to confront the whole question of the gay lobby?
About Monsignor Ricca: I did what canon law calls for, that is a preliminary investigation. And from this investigation, there was nothing of what had been alleged. We did not find anything of that. This is the response. But I wish to add something else: I see that many times in the Church, over and above this case, but including this case, people search for "sins from youth", for example, and then publish them. They are not crimes, right? Crimes are something different: the abuse of minors is a crime. No, sins. But if a person, whether it be a lay person, a priest or a religious sister, commits a sin and then converts, the Lord forgives, and when the Lord forgives, the Lord forgets and this is very important for our lives. When we confess our sins and we truly say, "I have sinned in this", the Lord forgets, and so we have no right not to forget, because otherwise we would run the risk of the Lord not forgetting our sins. That is a danger. This is important: a theology of sin. Many times I think of Saint Peter. He committed one of the worst sins, that is he denied Christ, and even with this sin they made him Pope. We have to think a great deal about that. But, returning to your question more concretely. In this case, I conducted the preliminary investigation and we didn't find anything. This is the first question. Then, you spoke about the gay lobby. So much is written about the gay lobby. I still haven't found anyone with an identity card in the Vatican with "gay" on it. They say there are some there. I believe that when you are dealing with such a person, you must distinguish between the fact of a person being gay and the fact of someone forming a lobby, because not all lobbies are good. This one is not good. If someone is gay and is searching for the Lord and has good will, then who am I to judge him? The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains this in a beautiful way, saying ... wait a moment, how does it say it ... it says: "no one should marginalize these people for this, they must be integrated into society". The problem is not having this tendency, no, we must be brothers and sisters to one another, and there is this one and there is that one. The problem is in making a lobby of this tendency: a lobby of misers, a lobby of politicians, a lobby of masons, so many lobbies. For me, this is the greater problem. Thank you so much for asking this question. Many thanks.
Thank you. It seems to me that we cannot do more than we have done. We have kept the Pope too long, after he already said he was a little tired. We wish him now some time of rest.
Thank you. Goodnight, have a good trip and rest well.
[Provided by the Vatican Press Office]
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My name is Sarah Brown. I love hot dogs and macaroni & cheese. Preferably together. I sell houses for a living and believe that Costco is the best thing since...since ever. Oh and I use commas way, way too much - It's a disease!
My Crew is rounded out by my handsome husband, Jess, and our 2 wonderfully irritating dogs. Who I wouldn't trade for the world. Unless you're interested. Then let's talk.
The four of us just arrived in Germany where we will be living for the next few years. We have no idea what we are doing here, but enjoying it all the same.
Why SoulMoxie? because it's a powerful marriage of words. Something that I strive to have personally and professionally...
"It's a street-smart spirit that's as old as recorded history, and as new as the rising sun. David had it; Goliath didn't. It's that intangible tangible. You don't learn it in school and you can't get it from a book. It can jump oceans and move mountains. It says, "Make your life what it can be. Take your life wherever it can go."
running, blogs, reading, camping, traveling, skiing, canyoneering, bbc, going to costco.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Mothers selling breast milk . . . to men
Anna Corral started selling her breast milk because she needed the extra cash. Since she produces twice the milk her baby needs, Corral says her freezer is filled with sterile bags of it.
By selling her milk for $1.50 an ounce online, the former nanny from Milwaukee made $500 in a month and a half.
"At first the whole idea sounded weird," said Corral, who has shipped both frozen and fresh milk to Nebraska, Texas and North Carolina. "But the more you think about it, the more normal it seems to be. Years ago, there were wet nurses."
Mothers began selling breast milk online in 2005, and there are now hundreds of offers on the Web. In this unregulated market, a new clientele has appeared: men with a breast milk fetish. While some women refuse to sell the milk to men, others don't mind.
Customers also include women who are unable to breastfeed their own babies and mothers who can't afford the cost of milk sold at one of the country's 11 certified human milk banks, which are usually located in hospitals and supervised by the Food and Drug Administration.
Lactation organizations discourage the unregulated sale of breast milk because viruses can be transmitted by human milk.
Corral's best customers so far are a mother who is unable to breastfeed and a man who enjoys drinking breast milk. She doesn't mind selling to men and chose the online nickname of "hot mama milk" to attract attention.
"I think it's gross," she said about men who drink her breast milk, "but if they enjoy it, fine."
Steve, who lives in Kentucky and who declined to give his real name because he doesn't want his wife to know about his fetish, has twice bought milk online. He pours the liquid into a glass and drinks it. "I just like the taste of it, and it turns me on," he wrote in an e-mail message.
On radioball.net, the main Web site where women sell milk, some men ask for photos or promise large sums of money to mothers willing to nurse them.
Relationships in which women nurse adults are called "adult nursing." An online forum was created last November for fans of the practice. It has 600 members, both men and women whose fantasy is to breastfeed or be breastfed.
But not everyone wants to satisfy this craving. Sarah Scott posted an ad online to sell her milk but got discouraged after getting eight e-mail messages from men in two days. The 28-year-old from Murfreesboro, Tenn., didn't want to sell her milk to men, so she ended up sharing it with a woman who lives near her town.
Those looking to give their breast milk to babies in need say it can be hard to tell who will ultimately use the milk. Some men lie to obtain breast milk for themselves.
Amy Horton was willing to give away her milk free but said 10 men contacted her shortly after she posted her ad. One said he needed milk because he had a baby and his wife had just died. But when Horton asked for proof, the man declined to answer.
"The stories got kind of creative," she said. "I just know that there are a lot of sick people out there."
Buying breast milk online--especially to give to babies--can be dangerous. Mary Rose Tully, who works for the Human Milk Banking Association of North America, said two to three women a week call her to ask whether it is safe to buy milk online. She tells them not to do it. Human milk can transmit all sorts of diseases, including HIV.
"If these people depend on selling milk to make money, they might not be very careful," Tully said.
Sellers often offer medical test results, but the screening can never be as thorough as in licensed milk banks, she added. In certified milk banks, donors are thoroughly screened and given lengthy questionnaires. Then the milk is pasteurized and repeatedly controlled for bacteriological growth. Tully said this level of control can't be matched by private sellers.
Kathy Lebbing, a lactation consultant and volunteer for La Leche League, agrees the risks are high.
"Who knows what they are selling?" she said. "It's a chancy thing. You don't even know that you are getting human milk."
Right now, only California and New York have restrictions against selling breast milk. But other states are considering legislation to ban the practice.
However, buying from official milk banks can be expensive, at $3 an ounce, while prices online range from $1 to $2, according to a sampling of sites.
A woman buying breast milk from an accredited milk bank would need to pay about $93 a day to feed her baby, according to Tully, although some insurance plans will pay for the cost.
The high cost makes buying breast milk online attractive for a number of women.
Corral took several medical tests before selling her milk but said most of her customers didn't ask for copies of the documents.
"I am surprised that they don't ask," Corral said. "I personally wouldn't do it. I wouldn't feel safe enough."
E-mail: email@example.com


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Frequent travelers, take heart—the time of the year is at hand that marks the perfect time to take stock of accumulated points, and decide whether you need to shift loyalties next year.
However, hotels are working hard to keep fickle travelers by rolling out a slew of new bells and whistles to keep you from straying.
Changes in hotel frequent stay program rules, member amenities and alliances, your own travel patterns and rising room prices makes the holiday season the right time to take inventory of potential bonuses and rewards.
A recent lodging outlook from PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC) predicts that in 2015 industry-wide occupancy levels are expected to reach 64.9 percent, the highest since 1984.
Read MoreFlightCar launches service at three more airports
That may give hotel operators more confidence to hike prices. Additionally, it may also be the trigger behind some recently announced policy changes for 2015—most notably the decision by Hilton Worldwide to adopt a stricter cancellation policy.


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Dear All, Just witnessed the very successful launch of Delfi-C3 and all other satellites launched from India via DD National live. My congratulations to all those involved in making this launch a success. Now awaiting the reception of the first signals some 9 hours from now. Will have to wait for tomorrow morning to copy the first signal from Delfi-C3 due to it being in eclipse during the first pass over West Malaysia. Good luck to all those in copying the downlink. 73, Sion Chow Q. C., 9W2QC. _______________________________________________ Sent via firstname.lastname@example.com. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
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Telugu professors do homeland proud
HYDERABAD: It is said that if there's one thing Telugus value more than gold, it's education. What's well known is that in the best of universities across the world, Telugus are among the creme de la creme of the student pool. But not content with just learning, Telugus are also making a mark for themselves as teachers.
Donning a teacher's robe is not a novel career choice, just one that has been largely overshadowed by the more visible options of engineering and medicine for Telugus. But these intellectually inclined folk can no longer be ignored.
Analysts estimate that there are easily more than 300-400 academicians of Telugu origin in universities across the US alone, including the Ivy League. They are not just fixtures in the Foreign Language or the South-Asian Studies departments but are distinguished research scholars, professors, heads of departments, deans, vice presidents, among others.
Some very distinguished academicians are people of Telugu origin. Consider Mysore-born Telugu man చల్యంపుడి రాధాకృష్ణ రావు (Calyampudi Radhakrishna Rao) (popularly known as CR Rao). Currently a Professor Emeritus at Penn State University, 89-year old Rao is a living legend and among the best known statisticians in the world. He has won innumerable awards, has 28 honorary degrees from universities over 17 countries and has his name etched in history for giving 'Cramer-Rao bound' and 'Rao-Blackwell theorem' to the world. Contemporary IT students will certainly have heard of రాజ్ రెడ్డి (Raj Reddy), the man behind the establishment of the IIIT at Hyderabad. A native of Katur in Chittoor district, this former professor at Stanford University is a pioneer, having founded the first-of-its-kind Robotics Institute in Carnegie Mellon University, way back in 1979.
CR Rao and Raj Reddy might be most prominent, but many other Telugus are shining on the American academic scene. డా. బాలమురళి అంబాటి (Dr Balamurali Ambati), India's own 'Doogie Howser' became the world's youngest doctor when graduated at 17. So what drives these academicians to become the achievers that they are?" Telugus do not care for name, fame or designation but teach because of their love for teaching," explains Pudur Jagdeeswaran, a professor at the University of North Texas. He believes that Telugus, like most Indian professors, are able to bring more to their classroom because of their global outlook. Besides that, their excellent academic records, commitment to hard work and training skills nurtured in India help, he adds.
Which probably explains why several of these academicians are occupying responsible positions in their universities as well. For instance కృష్ణ పాలెపు (Krishna Palepu), the Senior Associate Dean for International Development at Harvard Business School and also Ross Walker professor of Business Administration. మైకెల్ రావు (Michael Rao) is the President of Virginia Commonwealth University. Breaking stereotypes, more and more Telugu teachers are reaching beyond subjects of engineering and medicine to social sciences, media and cultural studies, journalism etc. Speaking for Indian academicians (particularly Telugus) former professor of journalism, అనంత్ బబ్బిల్లి (Ananth Babbilli) also Dean, Provost and Vice President Academic Affairs at Texas A&M says, "Our intellectual depth nurtured by a multicultural and diverse cultural milieu in which we grew up, coupled with a confident global intuition are the secrets of our success". He received the Texas Professor of the Year award by the Carnegie Foundation.
వంశీ జులురి (Vamsee Juluri), professor of Media Studies at University of San Fransico says that its natural for Telugus to be excellent professors, no matter what their subject, because they come from a culture of learning and a mindset that requires respect for education. On his part he always trying to break stereotypes and represent the Telugu voice of India in his class. He routinely screens Tollywood movies to his Do students to give them a better insight into Telugu culture. While spreading gyan among global students, mana gurus seem to be doing their homeland proud.
Courtesy: TOI


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Telecommunication networks and the Internet have made communicating with people easier than ever, but have also made surveillance more prevalent than it has ever been in human history. Without taking extra steps to protect your privacy, every phone call, text message, email, instant message, voice over IP (VoIP) call, video chat, and social media message may be vulnerable to eavesdroppers.
Often the safest way to communicate with others is in person, without computers or phones being involved at all. Because this isn't always possible, the next best thing is to use end-to-end encryption while communicating over a network if you need to protect the content of your communications.
How Does End-to-End Encryption Work? Anchor link
When two people want to communicate securely (for example, Akiko and Boris) they must each generate crypto keys. Before Akiko sends a message to Boris she encrypts it to Boris's key so that only Boris can decrypt it. Then she sends the already-encrypted message across the Internet. If anyone is eavesdropping on Akiko and Boris—even if they have access to the service that Akiko is using to send this message (such as her email account)—they will only see the encrypted data and will be unable read the message. When Boris receives it, he must use his key to decrypt it into a readable message.
End-to-end encryption involves some effort, but it's the only way that users can verify the security of their communications without having to trust the platform that they're both using. Some services, such as Skype, have claimed to offer end-to-end encryption when it appears that they actually don't. For end-to-end encryption to be secure, users must be able to verify that the crypto key they're encrypting messages to belongs to the people they believe they do. If communications software doesn't have this ability built-in, then any encryption that it might be using can be intercepted by the service provider itself, for instance if a government compels it to.
You can read Freedom of the Press Foundation's whitepaper, Encryption Works for detailed instructions on using end-to-end encryption to protect instant messages and email. Be sure to check out the following SSD modules as well:
- An Introduction to Public Key Cryptography and PGP
- How to: Use OTR for Windows
- How to: Use OTR for Mac
Voice Calls Anchor link
When you make a call from a landline or a mobile phone, your call is not end-to-end encrypted. If you're using a mobile phone, your call may be (weakly) encrypted between your handset and the cell phone towers. However as your conversation travels through the phone network, it's vulnerable to interception by your phone company and, by extension, any governments or organizations that have power over your phone company. The easiest way to ensure you have end-to-end encryption on voice conversations is to use VoIP instead.
Beware! Most popular VoIP providers, such as Skype and Google Hangouts, offer transport encryption so that eavesdroppers cannot listen in, but the providers themselves are still potentially able to listen in. Depending on your threat model, this may or may not be a problem.
Some services that offer end-to-end encrypted VoIP calls include:
In order to have end-to-end encrypted VoIP conversations, both parties must be using the same (or compatible) software.
Text Messages Anchor link
Standard text (SMS) messages do not offer end-to-end encryption. If you want to send encrypted messages on your phone, consider using encrypted instant messaging software instead of text messages.
Some end-to-end encrypted instant messaging services use their own protocol. So, for instance, users of Signal on Android and iOS can chat securely with others who use those programs. ChatSecure is a mobile app that encrypts conversations with OTR on any network that uses XMPP, which means you can choose from a range of independent instant messaging services.
Instant Messages Anchor link
Off-the-Record (OTR) is an end-to-end encryption protocol for real-time text conversations that can be used on top of a variety of services.
Some tools that incorporate OTR with instant messaging include:
- Pidgin (for Windows or Linux)
- Adium (for OS X)
- ChatSecure (for iPhone and Android)
- Jitsi (Linux, Windows, Mac OS)
Email Anchor link
Most email providers give you a way of accessing your email using a web browser, such as Firefox or Chrome. Of these providers, most of them provide support for HTTPS, or transport-layer encryption. You can tell that your email provider supports HTTPS if you log in to your webmail and the URL at the top of your browser begins with the letters HTTPS instead of HTTP (for example: https://mail.google.com).
If your email provider supports HTTPS, but does not do so by default, try replacing HTTP with HTTPS in the URL and refresh the page. If you'd like to make sure that you are always using HTTPS on sites where it is available, download the HTTPS Everywhere browser add-on for Firefox or Chrome.
Some webmail providers that use HTTPS by default include:
- Gmail
- Riseup
- Yahoo
Some webmail providers that give you the option of choosing to use HTTPS by default by selecting it in your settings. The most popular service that still does this is Hotmail.
What does transport-layer encryption do and why might you need it? HTTPS, also referred to as SSL or TLS, encrypts your communications so that it cannot be read by other people on your network. This can include the other people using the same Wi-Fi in an airport or at a café, the other people at your office or school, the administrators at your ISP, malicious hackers, governments, or law enforcement officials. Communications sent over your web browser, including the web pages that you visit and the content of your emails, blog posts, and messages, using HTTP rather than HTTPS are trivial for an attacker to intercept and read.
HTTPS is the most basic level of encryption for your web browsing that we recommend for everybody. It is as basic as putting on your seat belt when you drive.
But there are some things that HTTPS does not do. When you send email using HTTPS, your email provider still gets an unencrypted copy of your communication. Governments and law enforcement may be able to access this data with a warrant. In the United States, most email providers have a policy that says they will tell you when you have received a government request for your user data as long as they are legally allowed to do so, but these policies are strictly voluntary, and in many cases providers are legally prevented from informing their users of requests for data. Some email providers, such as Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft, publish transparency reports, detailing the number of government requests for user data they receive, which countries make the requests, and how often the company has complied by turning over data.
If your threat model includes a government or law enforcement, or you have some other reason for wanting to make sure that your email provider is not able to turn over the contents of your email communications to a third party, you may want to consider using end-to-end encryption for your email communications.
PGP (or Pretty Good Privacy) is the standard for end-to-end encryption of your email. Used correctly, it offers very strong protections for your communications. For detailed instructions on how to install and use PGP encryption for your email, see:
What End-To-End Encryption Does Not Do Anchor link
End-to-end encryption only protects the content of your communication, not the fact of the communication itself. It does not protect your metadata—which is everything else, including the subject line of your email, or who you are communicating with and when.
Metadata can provide extremely revealing information about you even when the content of your communication remains secret.
Metadata about your phone calls can give away some very intimate and sensitive information. For example:
- They know you rang a phone sex service at 2:24 am and spoke for 18 minutes, but they don't know what you talked about.
- They know you called the suicide prevention hotline from the Golden Gate Bridge, but the topic of the call remains a secret.
- They know you spoke with an HIV testing service, then your doctor, then your health insurance company in the same hour, but they don't know what was discussed.
- They know you received a call from the local NRA office while it was having a campaign against gun legislation, and then called your senators and congressional representatives immediately after, but the content of those calls remains safe from government intrusion.
- They know you called a gynecologist, spoke for a half hour, and then called the local Planned Parenthood's number later that day, but nobody knows what you spoke about.
If you are calling from a cell phone, information about your location is metadata. In 2009, Green Party politician Malte Spitz sued Deutsche Telekom to force them to hand over six months of Spitz's phone data, which he made available to a German newspaper. The resulting visualization showed a detailed history of Spitz's movements.
Protecting your metadata will require you to use other tools, such as Tor, at the same time as end-to-end encryption.
For an example of how Tor and HTTPS work together to protect the contents of your communications and your metadata from a variety of potential attackers, you may wish to take a look at this explanation.


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Crazy Taxi is an arcade-style game in which you play a taxi driver trying to get as many people to their destinations as possible before you run out of time. The game has two additional modes of play- Original and Crazy Box- that have different rules from Arcade mode.
Arcade mode begins with a few minutes on the clock and adds extra time whenever a fare is completed. Original mode is different in that a set number of minutes is given in which to play without adding extra time. Crazy Box mode has the player strive for specific goals while driving on closed courses.


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S. Major Dr., right onto TX-124S, left onto LaBelle Rd.
Developer's Dream! Bayou the Beautiful is a perfect setting for Beaumont's next sought-after subdivision, complete with rolling hills & ponds.
Mortgage Payments
Many options are available for financing your home. There are many differing loan programs with varied interest rates and down payment requirements. Your mortgage consultant will advise you on the loan program that best suits you and the property.
00 Steinhagen Road, Beaumont, TX 77705
- Lots and Land
- MLS Number: 193863
- School district: Beaumont
- Lot acreage is: 33.4
All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. Information is provided exclusively for consumers' personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing.
Copyright © 2018 Beaumont Board of Realtors®.
Copyright © 2018 Beaumont Board of Realtors®.


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Saint Michael Episcopal School
Education Website Designhttp://www.smesdallas.org
We love working on Education websites, like the content management system we put together for Saint Michael Episcopal School. They were looking to have a separate web presence from the church they are affiliated with while still being able to integrate features like the monthly calendar from the main church website with ease. We supplied with them with a colorful, responsive web design that matches their school and logo colors perfectly. The site has a blog that enables the teachers and staff at Saint Michael Episcopal School to keep students, parents, and visitors current with the highly visible News & Updates section. A Jquery Promo Slider was placed on the site to give them a platform for showcasing the most important school news and activities with pictures and dynamic text. The site has efficient cross-browser compatibility and brings together the best of online marketing tools via social network share icons.
Similar Education Website LayoutsThe items below are listed in the education category of our layouts database. Your website can look like just about any of the options below when we are Your-Web-Guys.
Make Us Your-Web-Guys Today
Portfolio CategoriesThis is a categorized list of the clients we have currently online.
- 3D Modeling
- Agricultural
- Animals and Animal Care
- Artist
- Associations
- Authors
- Automotive
- Builders
- Business
- Business to Business
- Chamber of Commerce
- Charitable Organization
- City Portal
- Cleaning and Janitorial
- Clothing
- Club or Group
- Commercial Services
- Community Focus
- Construction
- Consultant
- Continuing Education
- Cosmetics
- Counseling Services
- Courier Service
- Custom Embroidery
- Custom Jewelry
- Document Management
- Education
- Electrical Services
- Energy
- Engineering
- Entertainment
- Event Needs
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- For Kids
- Furniture
- Government
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- Health and Beauty
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- Hotels and Hospitality
- HR and Manpower
- Hunting and Fishing
- Industrial
- Industry Specific Group
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- Interior Design
- Investment and Investing
- Jewelry Designer
- Jewelry Store
- Legal
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- Lighting
- Manufacturer
- Marblecrafting
- Medical
- Non Profit
- Nursing
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- Opinion
- Outdoor
- Patio & Outdoor Decor
- Pets and Pet Stores
- Photo and Video
- Photography
- Printing
- Public Relations
- Real Estate
- Recruiting and Staffing
- Residential Services
- Restaurant
- Retail
- School
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- SEO Specific
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- Sports
- Storage
- Tanning
- Teachers
- Technology
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- Truck Sales
- Wedding
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- Window and Door
Success Studies
New version of Russell Feed's Website This multi-location feed company not only needed a better ... Read More
New layout for mansfieldisdfoundation.org A Complete Content Management System, an integrated Calendar, and multiple ... Read More


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The G.A.P. TAX Team has extensive experience in every major area of the development of a tax business. The business needs of a single tax office can be vastly
different from the needs of a national tax franchise, and the G.A.P. TAX Team is ready and equipped to handle each business' individual needs.
Below are some of the client types that the G.A.P. TAX Team has had the pleasure of working with and developing solutions for each of their individual needs.
How do I generate new business? What do I need to do to be in compliance with the IRS? Where do I get this and where do I get that? How do I develop a marketing plan? How do I buy top notch software without paying through the nose for it? We've got the answers!
You have more than likely seen a 10-15% drop in business in the last 3 years. Why? We can hypothesize all year or we can help you implement proven tax business growth strategies. We would appreciate the opportunity to explore your current strategies, tactics and partner relationships in order to help you develop a winning formula to get that volume back!
How do I gain market share and lower the prospective customer's barrier to entry? What value added services can I offer to create an element of stickiness and lower customer attrition? If these are questions you are having difficulty answering, we may be able to help!
Generally speaking you know what you are doing… how can we assist you? By lowering your software implementation costs and provide you a platform that gives you more visibility into office activities and their production. This is important for the obvious reasons of billing and to ensure adherence to company quality assurance guidelines for brand uniformity and protection of brand integrity. Be prepared for a long discussion.


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Natalie Portman: I'm Like a Different Person to My Mom!
Natalie Portman is cute and casual while arriving for a flight at LAX Airport on Thursday (September 27) in Los Angeles.
The 31-year-old actress was seen carrying her adorable pet pooch Whiz in her dog carrier and calmly made her way to security.
PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Natalie Portman
Earlier in the week, Natalie was spotted in daisy dukes while visiting a friend's house in L.A.
Natalie recently shared what her mom thought about her new blond locks to THR. She said, "My mom says I'm like a different person!"
FYI: Natalie is wearing Westward Leaning sunglasses.


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Tips for Buying Best Bridesmaid Dresses under 100
Purchasing the right bridesmaid gowns must be one of the plans you make for your wedding ceremony, which requires you to be rather considerate, for example, you need to deal with many details. However, among all the details, the most crucial factor is how much you are able to spend on the bridesmaid dresses. Nowadays, even though your budget is extremely low, you can also look stunning on the big day because bridesmaid dresses under 100 are availed.
Where can you pick cheap bridesmaid dresses under 100? In fact, this should not be a problem for you anymore because places such as online websites, local bridal stores can enable you to get the perfect bridesmaid gowns at the cheap prices. Please do not feel shameful when you wear cheap bridesmaid dresses, for fashionable styles and good quality are also included in these gowns.
It is very easy for you to find a store from which you can get the long bridesmaid dresses under 100, while picking the perfect bridesmaid dresses might need you to spend a large amount of time, so some experienced brides often choose to buy the dresses ahead of their wedding date. It is better for you to start picking the bridesmaid gowns at least two months before the date of the wedding day.
Since the purple bridesmaid dresses under 100 you buy will be worn by the bridesmaid, you had better meet her to talk about some details, such as the color, the styles with the bridesmaid so that you can buy a dress which satisfy her very much. There is no need to worry that the bridesmaid will feel unhappy when they know you will buy bridesmaid dresses at the cheap prices because best friends will not care about this issue.
Arranging a schedule is very necessary for you when you want to buy chiffon bridesmaid dresses under 100 because sometimes your bridesmaid's schedule might be not consistent with yours. Shopping for bridesmaid dresses together with your bridesmaid dresses, you are possible to buy what they love. Otherwise, the dresses you buy for them might be not perfect in design, color or especially the size.
Categories: Bridesmaid Dresses, Dresses under 100
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The 18th annual Kansas Silent Film Festival will join the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Little Tramp, Charlie Chaplin's moustached character that would become an international icon.
The festival, which runs from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday (with meal breaks) in White Concert Hall on the Washburn University campus, will salute Chaplin in its closing session.
The 7:30 p.m. Saturday session will be capped by "Modern Times," Chaplin's 1936 movie in which the Little Tramp struggles to survive in the modern, industrialized world. The movie would be the Little Tramp's last appearance.
The festival, admission to which is free, will open with a double feature, "Ella Cinders" and "Doubling for Romeo."
In "Ella Cinders," an adaptation of the Cinderella story, Colleen Moore plays the title character, a coed who despite interference by her stepmother and stepsisters wins a beauty contest and a chance to be a star in Hollywood.
"Doubling for Romeo," on loan from the Will Rogers Museum in Claremore, Okla., stars Rogers as a cowpoke who goes to Hollywood to learn how to romance his girlfriend.
Saturday's feature films include Rex the Wonder Horse in "The Devil Horse," a spectacular western adventure with startling camera work and animal stunts; Marion Davies in "The Patsy," a delightful Hollywood-style comedy; and "Souls for Sale," a romantic tale offering behind the scenes views of classic Hollywood featuring Eleanor Boardman and Richard Dix.
Early animation, cartoons and comedy shorts will precede the feature films, and all the movies will be accompanied by live music.
Accompanists include organist Marvin Faulwell, percussionist Bob Keckeisen, pianists Rodney Sauer and Jeff Rapsis and the Colorado-based Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra.
Film historian Denise Morrison will introduce the movies.
A detailed schedule of the films, program notes and information about a by-reservation cinema dinner Saturday evening can be found on the festival's website at www.kssilentfilmfest.org. The festival also has a Facebook page and is on Twitter @kssilentfilm.


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Nation writer Shane Bauer and his friends have been detained by Iran for almost 100 days. A fourth member of their party appeals directly to Iran's president for their release.
H.E. Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Tehran, Iran
November 2, 2009
Dear Mr. President,
I am writing to appeal to you to intercede with the appropriate authorities for the immediate release of my friends Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd and Josh Fattal from detention in Iran.
I traveled from Damascus to Iraqi Kurdistan on vacation with Shane, Sarah and Josh in July. Several of our friends in Damascus had previously visited northern Iraq and recommended that we too make the trip to a region they told us was beautiful, peaceful and safe. We set out the day after celebrating the wedding of local friends at Shane and Sarah's apartment and had planned to be away for one week. That was three months ago.
Had I not had a cold and remained behind at our hotel when my friends hiked to the Ahmed Awa waterfall near your country's border, I would undoubtedly be in detention with them now. I was, in fact, en route to meet them when I received Shane's call that they had been taken into custody.
On August 6, I published a statement about our trip to northern Iraq which I attach to this letter. I had hoped the statement might clarify why we were in the area and help the authorities understand that Shane, Sarah and Josh had no intention of entering Iran. As I said in that statement, if they did so, it was because of a simple and very regrettable mistake.
Since then, I have maintained silence in deference to the investigation. As much as my friends' absence has been acutely painful, I understood that investigators would want to clarify the circumstances of their trip. I had hoped that the misunderstanding would be resolved quickly. Three months have now passed, and I cannot imagine what more the Iranian authorities might have to learn about my friends or what they were doing in the area. To help put to rest any such questions, I would like to offer to submit a notarized statement to your country's mission to the United Nations vouching for my friends and detailing the circumstances of our trip. If this is not sufficient, I would be willing to come to Tehran to attest to their characters in person.
Mr. President, by continuing to deprive Shane, Sarah and Josh of their liberty, Iran is working against some of the very causes it supports. Each of these three has a long and public record of contesting injustice in the world and addressing some of the inequities between rich and poor which you have spoken about through their humanitarian work in their own country and overseas.


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At Oakwood we have a heart to serve and reach our community with the love and truth of Jesus. We partner with many community organizations to help meet real needs. We also hold special outreach events throughout the year.
Oakwood is sending a group of volunteers to Crossroads on Satruday, May 24th from 9:00am to 3:00pm to clean the cabins, bathhouse and maintain pathways. For a $5 fee, pizza, a salad bar, and pop will be avilable for lunch and we will have an opportunity to learn about the facility and their programs. Please note that Crossroads requires all volunteers to be at least 10 years old. Sign up to help at Oakwood on Sunday mornings or contact the church office.
God's Helping Hands is a nonprofit community outreach organization providing food and clothing to families in need. With God's guidance and the help of other agencies, they have been able to help over 8,500 families since their beginning in 1998. Volunteers are needed to help sort clothing and other household items, straighten and restock warehouse shelves, and sometimes help clients with supplies.
Oakwood serves at God's Helping Hands at different times throughout the year. There are no age restrictions for serving with God's Helping Hands, so families can serve together. Parents should use their best judgment when including kids and will be responsible for supervising their own children. Check back here for upcoming opportunities to serve.
Oxford/Orion FISH provides emergency aid and financial services to individuals in Oxford, Lake Orion, Addison and Oakland Townships. They provide basic canned goods, as well as houshold items like shampoo, conditioner, shaving cream, razors, cereal, eggs, milk, meat, bread, snacks, pasta, garbage bags, facial tissues, etc.
Oxford/Orion FISH is a nonprofit organization and the services they provide are facilitated 100% by volunteers. They need lots of help to manage their food pantry and the donations they receive from local businesses. Here are some upcoming opportunities to serve Oxford/Orion FISH (no sign-ups required):
Gleaners is one of the oldest and largest food banks in the country. They distribute donated and purchased food to more than 550 soup kitchens, food pantries, homeless shelters, senior homes and other partner agencies that feed hungry people in Southeastern Michigan. You can learn more at the Gleaners website or by download their fact sheet here.
Oakwood serves occassionally at Gleaners. This is an outreach opportunity that the whole family can participate in! Check back here for upcoming opportunities to serve.
Grace Centers of Hope is Oakland County's oldest and largest homeless shelter, providing hope and help since 1942. Daily they confront issues of homelessness, addiction, poverty and hopelessness. On any given night, Grace Centers of Hope is home to 150-200 men, women, and children. yearly, they serve over 127,000 meails and provide over 55,000 nights of stay.
Grace Centers of Hope is not interested in just providing a hand-out - they are passionate about giving a hand-up. Their mission is to transform lives and care for the whole person - physically, emotionally, and spiritually - investing in people that society regards as unimportant and giving them the nurturing and mentoring needed to turn their lives around. Oakwood partners with Grace Centers of Hope for occasional service and outreach projects. The next opportunity to serve will be:


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From Bellingham to Yakima (and everywhere in between!), there's some dang good beer being brewed in our state. Check out the April issue of Seattle Met Magazine for eight new breweries to watch for. #DrinkWaBeer
Read the full article here: http://bit.ly/1E3mGq0
Posted April 17, 2015
©2017 Bale Breaker Brewing Company


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Two days after bacteria levels at a section of Baker Beach hit their second-highest level in more than three years, the pollution was found to have washed away and no-swimming signs were removed.
No-swimming signs were posted near the mouth of Lobos Creek Wednesday after high counts of E. Coli and enterococcus were detected.
Both types of bacteria cause human illnesses but the source of the pollution remains a mystery.
Levels of enterococcus recorded in water samples taken from the site on Tuesday were lower than just one other weekly recording taken since the start of 2007, city monitoring data shows.
The next samples are scheduled to be taken Tuesday.


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A masked gunman on a motorcycle killed a Yemeni security official, Qassem Aqlani, an employee of the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa for about 20 years. They attacked him as he was riding in his car to work yesterday.
The attacker fled but it is the type of attack carried out by al-Qaida. The murdered official would be considered a soft target, an easy mark for the terrorist group.
Yemen lost southern parts of its country to al-Qaida last year and is battling to regain the territory from al-Qaida's Yemen branch.
The presence of al-Qaida in the mid-East and Africa has grown more powerful despite President Obama's claims that once Osama bin Laden was killed, al-Qaida was weakened and is a relatively insignificant force in the region.
Sanaa had a violent protest at the U.S. Embassy last month – the wall was breached.
Listen to Lara Logan talk about the region based on her extensive experience and knowledge:


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Mark System
DJ and producer from London, living in Ibiza. Releasing on and around Exit Records UK.
Mark System, DJ Mag HQ
Nominated for best DJ Mag HQ set 2017 alongside Carl Cox, Alan Fitzpatric, DJ Yoda and Artwork.
Mark System's sound is mature and confident yet far from tamed. From club to festival, the intensity of his DJ sets evokes strong emotion. He is a flag-bearer for Exit Records and their forward thinking approach to music and art.


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Contact Us
December 7, 2017
PORTLAND — Municipal governments worry the tax overhaul in Washington, D.C. could chill the construction of affordable housing as homelessness reaches a crisis point on the West Coast.
Officials with the housing authority in Portland said Tuesday the U.S. could lose nearly 1 million units of affordable housing over 10 years if the final bill eliminates the tax-exempt status for a type of bond commonly used by developers to finance affordable housing.
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Love is in the air.
You've probably seen tons of wedding photos gracing your newsfeed this August, and may have even gone to some ceremonies yourself. And while big fabulous weddings and engagements are wonderful and worth celebrating, summer wedding season is also a time to be reminded that those material things typically associated with weddings don't have to symbolize the love shared between a couple.
For example, an engagement ring may be a symbol for a couple's union, but the size of the rock doesn't represent the size of their love. And it certainly does not have to serve as a status symbol.
This was made clear by Rachel Pedersen who defended her engagement ring in a Facebook post six months ago. She heard time and time again that her 1/4-carat ring should be traded in for something bigger.
Revisiting her amazing response to her "ring critics" is the perfect reminder this month that a ring can be as big or small as the symbolism a couple chooses to ascribe to it.
"I know that my wedding ring is small. Friends and family often ask me when I'm going to have it 'upgraded,' " she wrote. "After all, it doesn't represent the level of success we are achieving."
One person even told her she should have a bigger backup engagement ring to wear to important events to ensure people didn't get the impression she was unsuccessful.
"Since when did the size of someone's ring become an indication of success?! For me, the ring is SO much more," Pedersen wrote.
That ring may seem small to other people, but to her it represents something of great importance. Each time she looks at it on her finger, she's reminded of how she met her husband and the deep love they share.
The pair fell in love after one night at a diner. "One short week later, and we professed our love to one another, him leading the conversation," she wrote. "We couldn't wait for the future. So we didn't. Thirteen days after meeting, we eloped. I didn't even THINK about a ring until my husband surprised me before the ceremony. He drained his savings to gift me with a small token of his love. I say small, only because it pales in comparison with how big his love is, even now, after years of marriage."
We're not sure why anyone feels the need to ring shame in the first place, but we're glad Pedersen's post defending it went viral. Her post, just as relevant today as it was six months ago, has inspired many others to share photos of their rings in the comments and tag their significant others.
It also serves as a reminder that all the things you find most valuable may not be worth much to others, but that doesn't make them any less special. Only you can truly understand what the tokens of love you possess mean to you.
Whether you have a huge, impressive ring or a simple, small one, focusing on building a relationship and future together is so much more important than worrying about size.
(H/T: Glamour)


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Bula Vinaka and good afternoon to you all.
I am very happy to be with you in Ba to officially open the new Moto Bridge, together with 5 kilometers of new sealed road.
It's been a long journey to today, after the old bridge was washed away in the January 2012 flood. Since then, not one, but two Irish crossings had to be built here after the first was destroyed in the March flood, which devastated the entire Western Division.
While the Irish Crossing was a necessary and important temporary measure, it prevented passage during high water. No longer.
Now, the temporary crossing has given way to a new, permanent bridge. And that in itself is a symbol of my commitment to you and to rural communities throughout Fiji. It is a mark of permanence, an investment in this community, in the people who live and work here.
This bridge is a life-line for those who rely on it. It provides thousands of Fijians access to towns and hospitals.
It provides children access to schools. And it provides farmers access to markets.
Across the bridge, we have one primary and one secondary school, a health centre and the water reservoir, all of which sustain this community.
The bridge also forms a vital link in a major supply route for sugar cane to the Rarawai Mill. For the last two seasons, the crossing's unreliability dealt a big blow to the industry here.
Many sugar cane farmers have held back on planting new ground because they didn't trust the crossing, especially during bad weather. And there was also far too much stand-over cane for the same reason.
The new Moto Bridge will give farmers peace of mind knowing that the cane they plant will get to the mill no matter what the weather. They will no longer have to risk their money and their immense effort on the chance their cane won't make it.
That's why a bridge immune to flooding is so important. It will once again unlock this area's potential.
As you know, my Government has made the revitalisation of the Sugar Industry a major national priority, and I am proud to say that we are already seeing results.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
My Government is committed to fulfilling our responsibilities to the Fijian people: to keep our citizens safe from harm; to help our citizens when catastrophes hit; to provide services collectively that people cannot be expected to provide for themselves; and to maintain a climate in this country in which people are free to produce, to innovate, and to earn a living that will support themselves and their families.
We do this in many ways—by building new schools, roads and bridges or fixing old ones; by providing new services or making the existing services run better; by supporting the old industries that Fijians rely on for a living or helping create new ones; and by establishing laws and policies that encourage investment and reward your hard work.
This bridge should remind you that the Government is accountable to you- the people of Ba.
Earlier this afternoon I also announced that we will build a new hospital for Ba at the cost of 23.26 million dollars.
Phase 1 will commence next year at the cost of 7.3 million dollars. We all know that Ba needs a new hospital.
We now have a new Constitution. One that establishes the legal and moral basis for a common and equal citizenry without denying anyone's individuality or culture. A single, united nation. For the first time, every person born in Fiji has the right to call themself a Fijian. No one must ever be considered a second class citizen again.
For the first time ever, we have a Constitution which in its Bill of Rights protects the rights of land ownership and a right to a fair return and also at the same time protects the rights of tenants and lessees to secure a just, fair and reasonable terms and conditions of land leases and tenancies.
And in less than one year we will have free and fair elections—the very first elections in this country where every Fijian's vote counts equally.
The new Constitution gives every Fijian the right to housing and sanitation, reasonable access to transportation, education, adequate food, clean water, a just minimum wage, social security schemes, health services and sanitation. It guarantees freedom of expression, religion and assembly, and it grants specific rights to children and the disabled.
This is your Constitution. It ensures that power lies with Parliament, which is elected and accountable to you, the people. There is even a provision that allows for a referendum. None of Fiji's previous constitutions has ever given so much direct power to the will of the people.
It creates a Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission and an Accountability and Transparency Commission. None of Fiji's previous constitutions has ever created such bodies to keep public officials, civil servants and parliamentarians accountable.
I urge each of you to read and understand the new Constitution. You must choose a party to form a Government that is future focused, cares for all Fijians, and has sound economic policies to grow the economy, create jobs and improve your livelihoods and it must not be corrupt.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I would now like to thank all those involved with this project, including the Exim Bank of China for providing the loan and the China Railway First Group for completing the construction.
Ladies and Gentlemen, it is now my great pleasure to officially open the Moto Bridge.
Vinaka vakalevu. Thank you.