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I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised that attempts to cover the following story are a mess. The hook is that South Floridian Henry Borga paid the Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church in West Palm Beach $10 to put bin Laden’s name on the prayer list there. The name appeared with four others under the mass intentions section in the church’s pamphlet, with a cross next to bin Laden’s name.
On Sunday, the head of the International Monetary Fund was arrested in connection with the alleged sexual assault of a maid at the Sofitel hotel in midtown Manhattan. And not just any head of the IMF but the man who was widely expected to become the Socialist candidate for the French presidency, Dominique Strauss-Kahn.
Remember when people used to take a break between campaigns? There would be an election and then some time off before the next campaign? What happened to that? I miss that. I hope it’s just because I live in Washington, D.C., but it’s hard to get a break from politics. So it’s with a bit of dread that I highlight some of the early religion coverage of the 2012 crop of GOP nominee wannabes.
Time has a very interesting take on what the death of Osama bin Laden means for al Qaeda in the May 20 issue. Written by Peter Bergen, he compares 9/11 to Pearl Harbor saying both events demonstrated “a stunning tactical victory that set in motion events that would end in the defeat of” the respective aggressors. We’re told that bin Laden was full of hubris and how some of his shrewder lieutenants didn’t support the particulars of his campaign to destroy the United States.
One of the things we discuss here with some frequency is the awkward way stories get written so as to diminish or hide religious details. This is just as true with breaking news as it is with human interest stories. It’s frustrating and religious adherents can usually tell that there’s something missing — ghosts lurking in the shadows.
Several dozen professors at Catholic colleges have written a blistering letter to Rep. John Boehner, the Republican Speaker of the House, in advance of his commencement address at Catholic University on Saturday. The New York Times‘ Laurie Goodstein highlighted the letter and compared it to the outcry over Notre Dame University’s invitation to President Barack Obama last year.
Last night a passenger was subdued on Boston-bound Delta flight 1102 after trying to open up an emergency exit door. The same thing happened on Continental Airline flight 546 from Houston to Chicago. In the former case, the man in question was upset because the flight was delayed and, well, he’d had too much to drink. There aren’t many details in the latter case. We just know that he is one Reynel C. Alcaide of Burbank, Illinois, 34.
