c. 2003 Religion News Service
Vatican Crime Rate Soars _ But in This Case, Figures Mislead
VATICAN CITY (RNS) The per capita crime rate in the tiny Vatican city-state is 133.6 percent, according to statistics issued Wednesday (Jan. 8), but in this case, figures do lie.
For the first time in the 74-year history of the world’s smallest sovereign state, Vatican officials made a public report of crime statistics to mark the opening of the judicial year.
During 2002, there were 397 civil and 608 criminal cases, they said. Given a population of 455 inhabitants, this would mean that 87.2 percent of the population committed civil offenses and 133.6 percent criminal offenses.
But, in fact, nearly all crimes were blamed on outsiders _ petty thieves who prey on visitors to the Vatican. An estimated 10 million pilgrims and tourists flock to the Vatican each year, including more than 1 million who tour the Vatican Museums and tens, sometimes hundreds, of thousands who attend outdoor Masses in St. Peter’s Square and gather for the Angelus prayer on Sundays.
Officials said most of the crimes were purse-snatchings and pick-pocketing. Others involved charges of theft from shops, fraud and insult to public officials.
Nicola Picardi, who as promoter of justice acts as the Vatican’s chief prosecutor, said that more than 90 percent of those responsible for crimes were never caught.
The last capital case on Vatican territory was in 1998 when the newly promoted commander of the Swiss Guards, his wife and a Swiss Guard were found shot to death. The Vatican said the disgruntled guard had killed the couple and then turned his gun on himself.
In 1981, Turkish gunman Mehmet Ali Agca shot and seriously wounded Pope John Paul II as he rode through St. Peter’s Square in an open vehicle during a general audience.
The Vatican city-state covers 108.7 acres of land within the city of Rome and includes St. Peter’s Basilica, the museums, the Apostolic Palace, Vatican Radio, an astronomical observatory, gardens, libraries, offices, shops and apartments.
_ Peggy Polk
Almost a Quarter of American Readers Say They’d Choose Religious Books
(RNS) Nearly a quarter of American readers surveyed said they are “very likely” to read religion and theology books, a Gallup Poll has found.
Twenty-four percent of American adults who read at least one book in the past year said they would choose religious literature.
That figure was similar to the 25 percent who said they would choose thriller or suspense novels. The top draw for readers was biographies or books about history, with 30 percent saying they were very likely to choose that category.
Readers who attend church are more likely to pick up a book related to faith, researchers found.
Forty-four percent of weekly church attenders said they were very likely to read religious books, compared to 17 percent of those who attend “nearly weekly” and 8 percent of those who never attend church.
Conservatives were far more likely to choose books on religion, with 32 percent of them saying they were “very” or “somewhat” likely to choose a book in that category, compared to 18 percent of ideological moderates and 17 percent of liberals.
Women were only slightly more likely to say they read books on theology, with 26 percent stating that choice compared to 21 percent of men.
Education also did not seem to have much influence on choosing religious books, with 19 percent of college graduates saying they were very likely to select them, compared to 25 percent of those with a high school education or less.
The poll results are based on nationwide telephone interviews of 1,001 U.S. adults, conducted Dec. 5-8, 2002. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
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Material suitable for graphic follows:
Books American Readers Are “Very Likely” to Read
Biographies/books about history, 30 percent
Thrillers/suspense novels, 25 percent
Religion/theology books, 24 percent
Self-improvement books, 23 percent
Mystery novels, 21 percent
Current literary fiction, 20 percent
Current events books, 16 percent
Classic literature, 14 percent
Business management/leadership, 13 percent
Science fiction novels, 13 percent
Romance novels, 10 percent
Personal finance books, 9 percent
Horror novels, 9 percent
_ Adelle M. Banks
P.O.D., Brentwood Records Gain Non-Gospel Grammy Nominations
(RNS) The Christian band P.O.D. and Brentwood Records, a Christian music label specializing in children’s products, have garnered Grammy nominations outside the usual gospel categories.
The Grammy Awards nominations were announced Tuesday (Jan. 7) in New York. The ceremony is scheduled for Feb. 23 at Madison Square Garden and will be broadcast on CBS at 8 p.m. (ET/PT).
P.O.D., which also received a nongospel Grammy nomination last year, was nominated in two categories. The group’s song “Youth of the Nation,” from the album “Satellite,” was among the nominees for best hard rock performance. Another track from that album, “Portrait,” was nominated for best metal performance.
“Big Songs for Little Kids _ I Feel Like Praising,” a recording by various artists from Brentwood Records, was nominated for best musical album for children.
The nominees in the traditional gospel categories were:
Best rock gospel album: “Lift” by Audio Adrenaline; “The Art of Translation” by Grits; “The Way I Am” by Jennifer Knapp; “Come Together” by Third Day; “Momentum” by tobyMac.
Best pop/contemporary gospel album: “New Map of the World” by Paul Colman Trio; “The Eleventh Hour” by Jars of Clay; “The Christmas Shoes” by NewSong; “The Heart of Me” by Kathy Troccoli; “See the Light” by True Vibe.
Best Southern, country or bluegrass gospel album: “How Sweet the Sound: 25 Favorite Hymns and Gospel Greats” by the Charlie Daniels Band; “Everything Good” by Gaither Vocal Band; “We Called Him Mr. Gospel Music: The James Blackwood Tribute Album” by the Jordanaires, Larry Ford and the Light Crust Doughboys; “An Inconvenient Christmas” by the Oak Ridge Boys.
Best traditional soul gospel album: “Higher Ground” by the Blind Boys of Alabama; “Walking by Faith” by the Canton Spirituals; “Live in Charlotte” by Twinkie Clark & Friends; “Live at Home” by Dorothy Norwood; “Bishop T.D. Jakes Presents Woman Thou Art Loosed _ Worship 2002” by various artists.
Best contemporary soul gospel album: “The Commissioned Reunion Live” by Commissioned; “Sidebars” by Eartha; “Lost and Found” by Deitrick Haddon; “Speak Those Things: POL Chapter 3” by Fred Hammond; “Live and Up Close” by BeBe Winans.
Best gospel choir or chorus album: “Be Glad” by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir; “Family Affair II Live at Radio City Music Hall” by Hezekiah Walker & the Love Fellowship Choir; “Go Get Your Life Back” by the Tri-City Singers; “Mighty in the Spirit” by Victory in Praise Mass Choir; “Soul Interpretations” by Excelsior.
_ Adelle M. Banks
Web Site Details Miracle Attributed to Mother Teresa
(RNS) Fourteen doctors who examined an Indian woman said there was no medical explanation why her ovarian cyst disappeared after praying to Mother Teresa, according to organizers of a campaign to make the beloved nun a saint.
A new Web site, http://www.motherteresacause.info, details the medical history of Monika Besra, who says she was healed after praying to Mother Teresa. The miracle, certified last month by Vatican investigators, allows Mother Teresa to be beatified next October.
The site, which has the support of Mother Teresa’s Sisters of Charity order, also contains a history of the Calcutta nun who died in 1997 and has moved swiftly toward sainthood. Visitors can also register to reserve tickets for the October beatification ceremony at the Vatican.
The lengthy medical history details how Besra suffered from tuberculosis and an ovarian cyst beginning in November 1997. On Sept. 5, 1998, the first anniversary of Teresa’s death, nuns at the Sisters of Charity order in Patiram placed a medal that had been blessed by Teresa on Besra’s stomach and prayed for healing. In the middle of the night, Besra awoke and said the cyst and the pain were gone.
Doctors who examined her the next day agreed that the cyst had suddenly disappeared.
Her husband, Salku Murmu, told church officials that “it is only because of the prayer. I do believe that it is because of Mother Teresa.” But last October, he told Time magazine that his wife was cured by medicine and all the miracle talk was “much ado about nothing.”
Doctors who testified said Besra would have been healed by her medications, but not so quickly. “No natural explanation is possible,” one doctor said, according to the site. “Medically, we can’t explain this,” said another.
Local church officials investigated the alleged miracle for 15 months, and Vatican officials studied it in 2002. In order to be declared a saint, another certified miracle will have to be attributed to Mother Teresa’s intercession.
_ Kevin Eckstrom
Quote of the Day: The Rev. Dorian Baxter of Toronto
(RNS) “Everybody loves Elvis. The king of rock ‘n’ roll worshipped the king of kings, Jesus Christ. There’s something about Elvis that just breaks down barriers.”
_ The Rev. Dorian Baxter of Toronto, who calls himself “Elvis Priestley” and held the inaugural service of the Graceland Independent Anglican Church of Canada on Sunday (Jan. 5) in Newmarket, just north of Toronto. The service was timed to coincide with the birthday of Presley on Wednesday. Baxter was quoted by USA Today.
DEA END RNS
