BENEDICT XVI: NEWS, PAPAL TEXTS, PHOTOS AND COMMENTARY

Saturday, January 22

Center photo: Sculpture of St. Vincent on the gridiron, Mseum of Valencia.
ST. VICENTE DE ZARAGOZA [San Vicente Martir] (Spain, d 304)
Deacon and Martyr, Patron Saint of Lisbon
Like San Lorenzo (Lawrence), the first deacon saint, Vincent was born in Huesca, northern
Spain, but served in Zaragoza, where he was ordained a deacon by Bishop (later Saint)
Valerius. In the Diocletian persecutions, Valerius and his deacon were imprisoned in
Valencia, but Valerius was later exiled, leaving Vincent behind. He is said to have
resisted many tortures, and when offered release if he would burn Sacred Scriptures,
he refused. He was then condemned to die on the gridiron, an element probably borrowed
from the story of St. Lawrence. His hagiography is based on the work of Prudentius
(348-413), a Spanish Christian, who wrote a book on the early Roman and Hispanic martyrs.
It is said Vincent's remains were protected by ravens until his followers could bury him
in what is now Cape St. Vincent, Portugal, the most southwestern point of the European
continent. His remains were exhumed and transferred by a 12th century Portuguese king
to Lisbon, an event commemorated in the city's coat of arms.
Readings for today's Mass: www.usccb.org/nab/readings/012211.shtml


OR today.

Benedict XVI speaks to Roman policemen about
'The ethical principles on which law is based'
The other papal story in this issue is the traditional blessing of the lambs whose wool will be woven into the palliums to be conferred by the Pope on new diocesan bishops next June 29. There are two short items on Italian President Giorgio Napolitano's calls for a prompt and proper investigation of charges against Prime Minister Berlusconi and his admonition to Italian media to report facts responsibly, as well as Cardinal Bertone's statement of support for the President's words, without naming Berlusconi himself. Page 1 international news: China's President Hu assures Americans that his country does not threaten anyone; South Korea accepts to undertake direct dialog with North Korea; and the European parliament passes a resolution condemining anti-Christian persecution anywhere.


PAPAL EVENTS TODAY

The Holy Father met today with

- Cardinal Marc Ouellet, P.S.S., Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops (weekly meeting)

- Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, Archbishop of Genoa and president of the Italian bishops' conference

- College of Prelate-Auditors of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota. Address in Italian.




- As expected, Italian media today exploited to the max the Holy Father's words to the Rome police yesterday,
to 'support' their ongoing trial by publicity of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who has fed the fires by his
indiscreet private entanglements which are potentially criminal.

And as usual, media have chosen to read too much into what the Pope said, simply because it serves their purpose.
If Berlusconi's behavior had not been in the news, they would not have given a second thought, much less headlines,
to the Pope's routine address yesterday. And even if Berlusconi was not in the news at all, the Pope would have made
exactly the same general remarks he made about ethical and moral principles that Christians must live by, especially
those who are public officials - but the media would have ignored it as not being newsworthy at all, merely Christian
teaching that should have no space or place in the public sphere!