c. 2008 Religion News Service

Vatican requires employees to punch the time clock

VATICAN CITY (RNS) Pope John XXIII is perhaps most famous for calling the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s to “throw open the windows of the church” and allow the fresh air of modernity to stir things up a bit.

Less well known is his decision to stop making Vatican staff members clock in for work.

Now Pope Benedict XVI, whom critics have accused of undoing John’s legacy of liberalization, has canceled that reform too.

For the first time in nearly half a century, the Vatican’s 4,500 employees will have to punch in and out. Or to be more precise, they’ll have to swipe their newly issued magnetic ID cards through electronic readers.

The rule applies to bishops, priests and members of the colorful Swiss Guard, as well as secretaries and janitors.

“We cannot afford to be wasteful,” Bishop Renato Boccardo, the No. 2 official of the Vatican governor’s office, told Italy’s La Stampa newspaper. “There is so much work to do here and the financial situation does not permit new hiring.”

This summer, the Holy See announced a deficit of $14 million for 2007, which it blamed on the falling U.S. dollar.

The new timekeeping system is part of a broader move toward greater efficiency. Starting in January, salaries for Vatican employees _ currently between about $1,700 and $3,000 a month _ will partially reflect performance. Until now, raises have been based purely on seniority.

John XXIII, for all his indulgence, would not have been surprised by the need to boost productivity. When asked how many people worked at the Vatican, he famously replied: “About half.”

_ Francis X. Rocca

Study finds link between faith, depression

WASHINGTON (RNS) A study released by Temple University found that people who feel close to a higher power and pray often are more likely to be depressed, while people who attend religious services and feel that their lives have purpose are less likely to be depressed.

Lead researcher Joanna Maselko found that people who report being in a close relationship with a higher power are 1.5 times more likely to struggle with depression. She believes depressed people may use religion as a coping mechanism, and as a result, “they’re more closely relating to God and praying more.”

People who did not necessarily report being close to a higher power but did attend religious services regularly are 30 percent less likely to struggle with depression. Being involved in a faith-based community helps forge attachments to others, which prevents depression, the report said.

“People with high levels of existential well-being tend to have a good base, which makes them very centered emotionally,” Maselko said in a news release. “People who don’t have those things are at greater risk for depression, and those same people might also turn to religion to cope.”

The study suggests that people who have a hard time forming close relationships may turn to God for a “stable and secure attachment figure.”

“It’s hard to disentangle these elements when treating mental illness,” Maselko said. “You can’t just ask a patient if they go to church to gauge their spirituality or coping behaviors. There are other components to consider when treating patients, and it’s important information for doctors to have.”

Stephen Gilman and Stephen Buka from the Department of Public Health at Harvard University and Brown University Medical School helped author the report.

_ Ashley Gipson

Quote of the Day: Swiss chocolatier Blaise Poyet

(RNS) “It’s not easy to represent theological ideas by using the taste buds. But the key thing for Calvin is the glory of God, his excellence, his perfection. So we chose a chocolate that we chocolatiers find exceptional, rare and flawless.”

_ Swiss chocolatier Blaise Poyet, describing the chocolate pralines he created to mark the 500th anniversary of Swiss Protestant reformer John Calvin’s birth. He was quoted by Ecumenical News International.

KRE/PH END RNS