In brief
Iran: Publication of The Da Vinci Code finally banned
The Iranian government has forbidden the distribution of the novel The Da Vinci Code.
“The Minister for Culture has decided to withdraw authorization for the publication of this book,” announced Mohammad Reza Vasfi, spokesman for the Ministry. The decision was taken after the reception of a letter from Christian authorities, he said. According to the daily Etemad, 30,000 copies of the book have already been sold in Iran.
Switzerland: A minaret without a muezzin
On July 13, the Solothurn Department of Works and Justice announced the authori-zation of the construction of a six meter high minaret at Wangen near Olten, but prohibited calls to prayer by the muezzin or loud speaker.
In September, 2005, the publication of plans for the construction of a minaret by the Turkish Cultural Association of Olten provoked controversy. Roland Kissling, UDC (Democratic Union of the Centre), collected 400 signatures opposed to the plan and warned in a local daily of a “deluge of Muslim prayers” and “a surreptitious infiltration of our society by Islam.” Markus Meyer, president of the Commission of Reformed Churches, also declared: “Our Christian values are under threat by this minaret, which will be visible to everyone.”
Ireland: Discovery of a collection of Psalms from the Middle Ages
A collection of Psalms has been discovered in Irish marshland during excavation work in the South Midlands. Pat Wallace, director of the Irish National Museum in Dublin announced the discovery of this impressive witness of the period of the blossoming of Christianity in Ireland. This manuscript of well preserved parchment is a work of large scale in which each page carries a text of around 40 lines. According to Bernard Meehan, an expert on manuscripts at the museum, it is a collection dating from the High Middle Ages which, according to the preliminary examinations, dates from around the year 800.
Spain: Recourse to conscientious objection against the new school curriculum
Several Spanish associations are opposing new school teaching material which contains a “real risk of ideological indoctrination in schools on account of the government in office.” These associations have decided to publish a guide to conscientious objection in order to indicate to parents how they should act and the possible consequences of the absence of their children from these courses.
Among them the Catholic Federation of Fathers of Families (CONCAPA), has published a press release which states that “it rejects once again the indoctrination to which the government wishes to submit our children.” “We will continue,” it said, “to teach our children, with respect for all persons and their sexual choices, that there is only one family: formed of a mother and a father with their children. In the face of the possibility of creating in them a psychological conflict caused by contradictions in their education, we repeat our right to decide what their moral education must be, having recourse, if necessary, to conscientious objection.”
Vatican: Cardinal Bertone as seen by Joaquin Navarro-Valls
Joaquin Navarro-Valls, former spokesman of the Holy See, gave his opinion in an interview given on July 23, to the Italian television channel TG, on the future Secretary of State of the Holy See. For him, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone possesses three “new characteristics” for this post. He is an academic, a person who can make decisions and a man gifted with a happy nature, he explained. Cardinal Bertone, archbishop of Genoa, will succeed Cardinal Angelo Sodano next September. DICI will be presenting a profile of him.
