A Portuguese priest has been honoured for his wartime actions in saving of dozens of Jews during the Nazi holocaust. Fr Joaquim Carreira risked his life to save others while at a Rome pontifical college during the Second World War. A nephew of Fr Carreria, also a priest, received a medal on his behalf from Read more
A statue of the late Pope John Paul II, which some critics have claimed resembles the Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, is – in true Italian style – about to receive some early cosmetic surgery.
The five-metre bronze monument, which rises from one of the flower beds outside Rome’s main Termini train station, was unveiled on 18 May, on what would have been the late pope’s 91st birthday. Its abstract rendering of John Paul, who was beatified on 1 May, features a heavy-set head on a minimalist, billowing cloak, intended to symbolise the pontiff’s willingness to embrace his flock.
But the statue’s tent-liked form, squashed facial features and bullet-shaped head did not go down well with church or layman
Read the article...