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Friday, June 26, 2015

Joke - Left Brain Right Brain

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---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, Jun 26, 2015 at 9:05 AM

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Joke - Left Brain Right Brain

O-M-G ! 
I have finally discovered 
what's wrong with my brain:
on the left side, 
there's nothing right; 
and on the right side, 
there's nothing left.

~ Despicable Me


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Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Singaporean breaks Guinness World Record for Pull-Ups

We know of someone else who 
was obsessed with pull-ups at the age of 
YOUNGER THAN 15.

This is...
Yeo Kim Yeong
~ Singaporean with Guinness World Record for doing 44 pull-ups in 1 minute
~ Just look at those Abs



YouTube Video
Most pull ups in one minute - Guinness World Records
~ posted by
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News Article
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Singaporean breaks Guinness World Record for doing 44 pull-ups in 1 minute
PUBLISHED ON JUN 23, 2015 5:24 PM
by CHITRA KUMAR

SINGAPORE - While most teenage boys were dribbling on the football pitch, Mr Yeo Kim Yeong was obsessed with pull-ups at the age of 15.

His obsession has paid off - he broke the world record for the most number of pull-ups done in one minute. He managed 44 pull-ups, two more than the previous record of 42 set by American David Bourdon, reported the Guinness World Records on its website.

When contacted, Mr Yeo, 25, told The Straits Times that he was both satisfied and relieved with his accomplishment. "It's something I've been training for," said the National University of Singapore undergraduate.

In an interview published on the Guinness World Records website, he said he set his mind on setting a world record because "I have always believed that nothing is impossible, and that one's dreams are achievable".

To prepare for the feat, he has been training four times a week - each session lasting between one and three hours - under professional guidance for over a year. He also practised self-meditation in the evenings where he envisioned himself achieving the record while reviewing the techniques of pull-ups repeatedly in his head.

But he has been training on his own for years. He said: "It is an activity that I have always enjoyed, and thus something I practise every time I visit the gym."

The practice came in handy when he was serving national service. "All males have to serve army and it was useful from a fitness perspective," he said, adding that it was also useful in helping him pass one of the more difficult stations in the national physical fitness test that he had to go through during his school days.

Fresh from setting a world record, he is already eyeing more challenges.

Said Mr Yeo, who is 1.6m tall and weighs 54kg: "Possibly involving anything to do with pull-ups and bodyweight. I am a small guy, so it is more advantageous to me to focus on anything to do with body weight."

He said setting a world record means a lot to him. "That you can achieve your dreams when you put your mind to it. That nothing is impossible. That the struggle, the sacrifice, and the failures were not only worth it, but necessary."

To break the record for most pull-ups in a minute, Mr Yeo Kim Yeong, 25, trained four times a week, up to three hours a day, even when he was not feeling well. In the future, he plans to break more pull-up records
-- ST PHOTO: LIM SIN THAI

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Friday, June 19, 2015

Eat Durian with Fork and Spoon

If you love Durian and you DO like the Fresh Aroma of the Durian smell, BUT hate the Stale after-smell... here's an idea to Eat Durians with a Fork and Spoon. Don't let that stop you from eating the King of Fruits.

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Flu & The Common Cold

I did some research so I thought I’ll share.

Next time you go to the doctor for Flu, you can refuse Antibiotics. I did.

I got this idea from my wife’s Gynecologist when she was pregnant and had Flu.

He said, “you don’t need antibiotics for Flu, and try not taking any medicine because with medicine you’ll get better in 7 days and without medicine you’ll get better in a week.

I asked, “What’s the difference?”

He replied, “Exactly... there is NO difference.”

All we need is just paracetamol to manage & relieve the symptoms of fever and muscle aches associated with the flu

Also, if you like Green Tea, you'll be glad to know that Green Tea is good for preventing Flu... so go ahead and enjoy it.

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Antibiotics the Common Cold & influenza

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"Antibiotics are not effective against viruses such as the common cold or influenza, and may be harmful when taken inappropriately."

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"Antibiotics and antivirals ~ Antibiotics have no effect against viral infections and thus have no effect against the viruses that cause the common cold.[65] Due to their side effects, antibiotics cause overall harm, but are still frequently prescribed.[65][66]Some of the reasons that antibiotics are so commonly prescribed include people's expectations for them, physicians' desire to help, and the difficulty in excluding complications that may be amenable to antibiotics.[67] There are no effective antiviral drugs for the common cold even though some preliminary research has shown benefits.[50][68]"

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"Treatment ~ Main article: Influenza treatment ~ People with the flu are advised to get plenty of rest, drink plenty of liquids, avoid using alcohol and tobacco and, if necessary, take medications such as acetaminophen (paracetamol) to relieve the fever and muscle aches associated with the flu.[119] Children and teenagers withflu symptoms (particularly fever) should avoid taking aspirin during an influenza infection (especially influenza type B), because doing so can lead to Reye's syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal disease of the liver.[120] Since influenza is caused by a virus, antibiotics have no effect on the infection; unless prescribed for secondary infections such as bacterial pneumonia. Antiviral medication may be effective, but some strains of influenza can show resistance to the standard antiviral drugs and there is concern about the quality of the research.[121]"

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Green Tea ~ High dietary intake of Green Tea (specifically, catechins and theanine that is found in tea products) has been correlated with reduced risk of contracting influenza, as well as having an antiviral effect upon types A and B.[62][63][64] Specifically, the high levels of epigallocatechin gallate, epicatechin gallate, and epigallocatechin present in green tea were found to inhibit influenza virus replication.[65] Additionally, topical application has been suggested to possibly act as a mild disinfectant.[66] Regular dietary intake of green tea has been associated with stronger immune response to infection, through the enhancement of T-Cell function.[67]
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Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Old 100th ~ Psalm 134 ~ Psalm 135 ~ using Common Metre

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Old 100th
~ Psalm 134
~ Psalm 135
~ using Common Meter


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Old 100th
~ Psalm 134
~ Psalm 135
~ using Common Meter
(image with text caption)


Old 100th psalm tune in the tenor voice. This, the oldest known English harmonization of the tune, by William Parsons, was first published in Day's Whole Booke of Psalmes and widely republished thereafter.[9]

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Old 100th
~ Psalm 134
~ Psalm 135
~ using Common Meter
(image with image caption)



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Old 100th
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_100th
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/76/Old_100th_Parsons.png

"Old 100th" or "Old Hundredth" (also commonly called "Old Hundred") is a hymn tune in Long Metre from Pseaumes Octante Trois de David (1551) (the second edition of the Genevan Psalter) and is one of the best known melodies in all Christian musical traditions. The tune is usually attributed to the French composer Loys Bourgeois (c. 1510 – c.1560).
Although the tune was first associated with Psalm 134 in the Genevan Psalter, the melody receives its current name from an association with the 100th Psalm, in a translation by William Kethe entitled All People that on Earth do Dwell. The melody is commonly sung with diverse other lyrics as well.

Background


The Genevan Psalter was compiled over a number of years in the Swiss city of Geneva, a center of Protestant activity during the Reformation, in response to the teaching of John Calvin that communal singing of psalms in the vernacular language is a foundational aspect of church life.[1] This contrasted with the prevailing Catholic practice at the time in which sacred texts were chanted in Latin by the clergy only.[2] Calvinist musicians including Loys Bourgeois supplied many new melodies and adapted others from sources both sacred and secular. The final version of the psalter was completed in 1562.[3] Calvin intended the melodies to be sung in plainsong during church services, but harmonized versions were provided for singing at home.

Lyrics


The original lyrics set to this tune in the Genevan Psalter are translated from Psalm 134:[4]

You faithful servants of the Lord,
sing out his praise with one accord,
while serving him with all your might
and keeping vigil through the night.

Unto his house lift up your hand
and to the Lord your praises send.
May God who made the earth and sky
bestow his blessings from on high.

Old 100th is commonly used to sing the lyrics that begin "All People That on Earth Do Dwell," Psalm 100, a version that originated in the Anglo-Genevan Psalter (1561) and is attributed to the Scottish clergyman William Kethe.[4] Kethe was in exile at Geneva at this time, as the Scottish Reformation was only just beginning. This version was sung at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, with harmonization and arrangement by the composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. The first verse is as follows:[5]
All people that on earth do dwell,
Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice.
Him serve with fear, His praise forth tell;
Come ye before Him and rejoice.

A hymn commonly sung to Old 100th is "Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow," using the text often referred to as the Doxology, written in 1674 by Thomas Ken, a clergyman in the Church of England.[6] This hymn was originally the final verse of a longer hymn entitled "Awake, My Soul, and With the Sun,"[7] though it is most commonly sung by itself as a doxology. The traditional text is:
Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Modernized versions of that text are also widely used. The melody can be used for any hymn text in long meter, that is, with four lines of eight syllables each. The hymn From all that dwell below the skies, a paraphrasing of Psalm 117 by Isaac Watts with the Doxology as the final verse, is commonly sung to the tune.[8] In the Sacred Harp and other shape note singing traditions, the tune is sung with the text "O Come, Loud Anthems Let Us Sing," a metrical paraphrase of Psalm 95 from Tate and Brady's A New Version of the Psalms of David.
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St Flavian ~ John Day's Psalter Tune ~ Common Meter 8686


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St Flavian
~ John Day's Psalter Tune
~ Common Meter 8686


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Common Text used:

Lord! Who throughout these forty days,
For us didst fast and pray,
Teach us with Thee to mourn our sins,
And close by Thee to stay.

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Friday, June 05, 2015

Did Pope Francis Say Homosexual Sex Is OK?

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Did Pope Francis Say Homosexual Sex Is OK?
~ by PGA


The short answer is 'NO'. But Pope Francis seem to be taking a 2 lines in CCC 2358 very seriously, and it would seem he places more emphasis on these 2 lines than all that's being said about 'Chastity and homosexuality' from CCC 2357 to 2359.

Here are the 2 lines:

They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity.

Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.
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Chastity and homosexuality (CCC 2357 to 2359)

2357
 ~ Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity,141 tradition has always declared that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered."142 They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.


2358 ~ The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.


2359 ~ Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.

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Did Pope Francis Say Homosexual Behavior Is OK?
~ on website Catholic Vote, by Joshua Bowman, 2015

DID POPE FRANCIS SAY HOMOSEXUAL BEHAVIOR IS OK?

BY 
Short Answer: No
Pope Francis made some impromptu remarks for reporters (scroll down to next article while returning from World Youth Day, and now headlines across the mainstream media blare that he made some kind of stunning reversal of Catholic teaching. Earlier in the same interview, he half-jokingly said, “I think like a Jesuit.” True to the stereotype of the Society of Jesus, Pope Francis has a very logical mind, so we must pay careful attention to his words. What did Pope Francis actually say (emphasis added)?
When I meet a gay person, I have to distinguish between their being gay and being part of a lobby. If they accept the Lord and have goodwill, who am I to judge them? They shouldn’t be marginalized. The tendency [to homosexuality] is not the problem…they’re our brothers.

Pope Francis speaks to reporters aboard his plane while returning to Rome from World Youth Day. (AP Photo/Luca Zennaro, Pool)
First of all, the supposedly provocative line begins with the word, “if,” and it’s aBIG IF. Most homosexuals do not accept Jesus’ teachings on chastity. Salvation comes from Jesus. Sin is a rejection of salvation. Adultery is a sin. Sex outside of marriage is adultery. The divine sacrament of marriage requires that one man and one woman vow their mutual love, fidelity, and openness to life publicly and before God. Therefore, homosexual sex is a rejection of Jesus. QED.
Some people with homosexual tendencies choose to accept the salvation of our Lord and maintain a life of chastity. This is the key to what Pope Francis is saying: people with homosexual desires who are able to exhibit this level of self-control should be welcomed as our brothers and given encouragement in their struggle. This is a very beautiful statement. However, it does not say anything about people who give in to carnal desires and live promiscuously—whether gay or straight.
Pope Francis does hint at this though. He says that the tendency to homosexuality is “not the problem,” which is to imply that there is a problem. There may not be an official “gay lobby” in the Holy See, but there is definitely a gay lobby in secular political life and it is viciously opposed to the Catholic Church. People who campaign for same-sex marriage or who objectify the human body do not have goodwill for us. We do not need to judge them because their actions speak for themselves.
It’s unclear whether the ellipsis indicates that Pope Francis spoke about any of this at all. He didn’t need to though. If you take his words at face value, he made a very powerful statement which encapsulates all of Catholic teaching on sexuality and chastity in a very simple and profound observation. He said exactly what he meant to say and nothing more. Liberal advocates of same-sex marriage—especially in the press—make a grave error by misinterpreting his words to imply otherwise.
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Q.E.D. is an initialism of the Latin phrase quod erat demonstrandummeaning "which had to be proven".

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Pope on homosexuals: 'Who am I to judge?'

Pope Francis listens to a question from a journalist on his Monday flight back to Rome. 
The pope answered questions from 21 journalists over a period of 80 minutes on his return from Brazil. 
(CNS/pool via Reuters)
John L. Allen Jr.  |  Jul. 29, 2013

ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE

One way to tell that a pope is feeling good at the end of a long trip is when he comes back to the press compartment and does precisely what he said at the beginning of the journey he won't, or can't, do.


On the way to Rio de Janeiro on July 22, Pope Francis told reporters, "I don't give interviews." But at the end of his seven-day tour de force in Brazil, not only did the pope give an interview, he gave a whopper of one.


He took questions from reporters traveling aboard the papal plane for a full hour and 21 minutes with no filters or limits and nothing off the record. Francis stood for the entire time, answering without notes and never refusing to take a question. The final query was an especially delicate one about charges of homosexual conduct against his recently appointed delegate to reform the Vatican bank, and not only did Francis answer, but he actually thanked reporters for the question.

On background, officials said the decision to hold the news conference aboard the 12-hour flight from Rio de Janeiro to Rome was a personal decision by Francis and that aides at one point had counseled him against it.


Not since John Paul II, prior to the debilitating effects of his illness, has a pope engaged in such a free-wheeling and spontaneous exchange with the press. Francis spoke in Italian and Spanish, the languages in which his comfort level is the greatest.

Among other points, Pope Francis:

• Replied when asked about the Vatican's alleged "gay lobby" that while a lobby might be an issue, he doesn't have any problem with the inclination to homosexuality itself: "Who am I to judge them if they're seeking the Lord in good faith?" he said.

 Conceded he doesn't yet know what to do about the Vatican bank, saying it could become an ethical bank, an assistance fund for good causes, or be closed altogether.

 Said he hasn't run into significant resistance to reform inside the Vatican and joked that if there really is a "gay lobby," he hasn't yet seen it stamped on anyone's ID cards.

 Argued for the importance of women in the church, yet said John Paul II "definitively ... closed the door" to women priests. He called for a deeper "theology of women" beyond disputed questions such as whether they can be lectors at Mass or head Vatican agencies such as Caritas Internationalis.

 Said a preliminary investigation had been conducted regarding charges of immoral conduct against his hand-picked prelate for the Vatican bank, Italian Msgr. Battista Ricca, and the investigation "found nothing."

 Said of Msgr. Nunzio Scarano, the former Vatican accountant who was recently arrested for alleged involvement in a plot to smuggle $26 million in cash into Italy, that he's not in jail "because he resembles the Blessed Imelda" -- an Argentinian expression meaning he doesn't seem to be any saint.


 Suggested that the Synod of Bishops may be in for a shake-up in the direction of both greater efficiency and greater collegiality.

The following are highlights of that Q and A with the pope; a full transcript has been promised soon.

The Vatican bank

"I don't know yet how to fix the IOR [Institute for the Works of Religion, better known as the Vatican bank] ... some say it should be a sort of ethical bank, others that it should be an assistance fund, others want to close it altogether. I've heard all these voices, but I don't know. I will trust the work of the persons working on it, of the commission. [Note: Francis has established a five-member commission to investigate the Vatican bank.] ... What's important is transparency and honesty. It must be like this."

Security

"The climate [in Rio de Janeiro] was spontaneous ... I could be close to the people, greet them, embrace them, without armored cars. During the entire time, there wasn't a single incident. I realize there's always a risk of a crazy person, but having a bishop behind bulletproof glass is crazy, too. Between the two, I prefer the first kind of craziness."

Cardinals and austerity

"Everyone has to live in their own way. The cardinals in the Curia, at least the ones I know, don't live like wealthy people. They have fairly modest apartments. But in a general sense, austerity is necessarily for all those who work in the service of the church."

"There are saints in the Roman Curia, among the cardinals, priests, religious, sisters and laity. They work hard, and also do things that are often hidden. I know some who concern themselves with feeding the poor or who give up their free time to work in a parish. As always, the ones who aren't saints make the most noise ... a single tree falling makes a sound, but a whole forest growing doesn't."

Resistance to reform

"If there's resistance [in the Vatican], I haven't seen it. It's true that I haven't done a lot yet, but so far I've found helpful, loyal people. I like it when someone says, 'I don't agree with you,' and I have found that. People will say, 'I'll say what I think, but you do what you want.' I've found that attitude in the Curia. That's better than those who say, 'That's great, that's great,' but then say the opposite later ... maybe people like that are there, but I haven't run into significant resistance."

Travels

"I can tell you that I'm going to Cagliari on Sept. 22, and to Assisi on Oct. 4. I'd like to be able to join Patriarch Bartholomew I [of Constantinople] in Jerusalem, who has invited me for the 50th anniversary of Paul VI [referring to a historic meeting between Pope Paul and the Patriarch of Constantinople in 1964].' The Israeli government has also invited me, and I believe the Palestinian Authorities has done the same. We're thinking about it, but I'm not sure yet. I think a trip to Asia can be done, especially because it's a continent Benedict XVI did not get to, though he wanted to ... maybe Sri Lanka, maybe the Philippines, I'm not sure."

"I wanted to go to Constantinople for the feast of St. Andrew, but it wasn't possible."

The Charismatic Movement

"We talked about the statistics regarding Pentecostals with the bishops on Brazil in a meeting yesterday. I'll tell you something about the Charismatic Movement ... at the end of the '70s and in the '80s, I wasn't a big fan. I used to say they confused the holy liturgy with a school of samba. I was converted when I got to know them better and saw the good they do. In this moment of the life of the church, the movements are necessary. They're a grace of the Spirit, and in general, they do much good for the church. The charismatic renewal movement isn't just about winning back a few Pentecostals, but it serves the church and its renewal."

Women in the church

"A church without women would be like the apostolic college without Mary. The Madonna is more important than the apostles, and the church herself is feminine, the spouse of Christ and a mother."

"The role of women doesn't end just with being a mother and with housework ... we don't yet have a truly deep theology of women in the church. We talk about whether they can do this or that, can they be altar boys, can they be lectors, about a woman as president of Caritas, but we don't have a deep theology of women in the church."

"On the ordination of women, the church has spoken and said no. John Paul II, in a definitive formulation, said that door is closed."

Benedict XVI

"I love Benedict XVI. He's a humble man of God and a man of prayer. When he resigned, it was a great example ... some say to me, how is it possible to have two popes in the Vatican? I heard a beautiful phrase that it's like having your grandpa at home, someone who's wise, venerated, loved and listened to. If I have a problem, something I don't understand, I can ask. On the Vatican leaks scandal, for example, he explained everything with simplicity and a spirit of service."

Divorced and remarried Catholics

"This theme always comes up ... I believe this is a time of mercy, a change of epoch. It's a kairosmoment for mercy ... In terms of Communion for those who have divorced and remarried, it has to be seen within the larger pastoral context of marriage. When the council of eight cardinals meets Oct. 1-3, one of the things they'll consider is how to move forward with the pastoral care of marriage. Also, just 15 days ago or so, I met the secretary of the Synod of Bishops, and maybe it will also focus on the pastoral care of marriage. It's complicated."

The Jesuits

"The Jesuits have a vow to obey the pope, but if the pope is a Jesuit, maybe he should have a vow to obey the superior general ... I feel like I'm still a Jesuit in terms of my spirituality, what I have in my heart. In three days, I'll go to celebrate the feast of St. Ignatius. Also, I think like a Jesuit."

John Paul II/John XXIII

"John XXIII was the figure of a county priest who loves all of his faithful and knows how to take care of them. He was a great bishop, and also a great nuncio. When he was in Turkey, he was responsible for so many false baptisms in order to save Jews ... he was courageous. He had a great sense of humor and a great holiness. Some in the Vatican didn't like him, and when he would come in they would make him wait, but he would always pray his rosary or read his breviary. He truly cared about the poor ... once when Casaroli [the cardinal Secretary of State] returned from a mission in Eastern Europe, he reported to the pope, who asked him if he was still working with school kids. When he said yes, John XXIII told him never to abandon them. He called the council, and was extremely docile to the call of God."

"John Paul II was a great missionary of the church. He carried the Gospel everywhere. ... How many trips did he make? He felt the need to carry the words of the Lord, like St. Paul. He was great. Putting both together is a message to the church, that both were extremely good. Causes for both Paul VI and for Papa Luciani [John Paul I] are also underway."

The date

"Dec. 8 had been talked about as the date [for the canonizations], but the problem is all the people who will want to come from Poland, not all of whom can fly. Many will take buses, and by December the roads are iced. We have to rethink the date. I've talked about it to Cardinal [Stanislaw] Dziwisz [of Krakow, Poland], who gave me a couple of possibilities. One is the feast of Christ the King this year [late November], and the other is the feast of Divine Mercy next year [shortly after Easter]. I have to talk to Cardinal [Angelo] Amato [prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints] about it."

The Ricca case

"I did what canon law requires, which is to conduct a preliminary investigation. We didn't find anything to confirm the things he was accused of, there was nothing. ... I'd like to add that many times we seem to seek out the sins of somebody's youth and publish them. We're not talking about crimes, which are something else. The abuse of minors, for instance, is a crime. But one can sin and then convert, and the Lord both forgives and forgets. We don't have the right to refuse to forget ... it's dangerous. The theology of sin is important. St. Peter committed one of the greatest sins, denying Christ, and yet they made him pope. Think about that."

Gay lobby

"There's a lot of talk about the gay lobby, but I've never seen it on the Vatican ID card."
"When I meet a gay person, I have to distinguish between their being gay and being part of a lobby. If they accept the Lord and have goodwill, who am I to judge them? They shouldn't be marginalized. The tendency [to homosexuality] is not the problem ... they're our brothers."

(Follow John Allen on Twitter: @JohnLAllenJr)
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