In 2004, the Vatican launched a global diplomatic campaign for the recognition of Christianphobia.  

The need for such a campaign, according to the sponsor of the UK Parliamentary debate on the issue, was, “the relentless assault on the nation’s much loved Christian heritage. It’s about how anti-Christian sentiment is increasing.”  

After fights over rising costs and falling pilgrim estimates, government and church both need World Youth Day to be a hit, writes Linda Morris. 

In the autumn of 2003, a high-ranking Vatican official visited Sydney for a week. He was Cardinal James Stafford, a member of John Paul II's inner circle and a mate of the Sydney Archbishop, Cardinal George Pell.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says he can't stand artwork that depicts naked children. 

Mr Rudd today said work such as that shown in this month's edition of Art Monthly Australia did the opposite of restoring dignity to the debate over depictions of children in art. 

 

 

The Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal Pell, said yesterday there was nothing immoral about commercialism as he opened the first official World Youth Day venue: a merchandise tent in Hyde Park. 

The Archdiocese of Sydney is contributing $15 million toward WYD events and denies it will be making a profit from the event. On optimistic days the pilgrim juggernaut is expected to hit 500,000 participants and bring millions of tourist dollars into the state.  

What follows are just a few of the July 4th lies and errors that we are supposed to blindly accept: 

·                     The military is glorious, its heroes heroic, and our support is patriotic

The sex industry is expected to be blessed with an increase in customers thanks to the most unlikely of sources - World Youth Day. 

The remorseless destruction of the Murray-Darling river system is arguably the most grotesque of this country's more obscene political and environmental crimes of the 20th century. It's right up there at the top.  

US President George W Bush will attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, the White House says. 

Spokeswoman Dana Perino said Mr Bush will also visit South Korea and Thailand as part of the trip. 

“Saddam Hussein has also demonstrated a willingness to threaten to use the oil weapon and to use his own export program to manipulate oil markets.

Therefore the U.S. should conduct an immediate policy review toward Iraq including military, energy, economic and political/diplomatic assessments.” 

from Crikey ….. Hitchens' tortured pursuit of the truth

Charles Richardson writes:

After Senator Barack Obama said Thursday that he might “refine” his Iraq policies after meeting with military commanders there later this summer, he hastily held a second news conference to emphasize that he remains committed to his central proposal for withdrawing all combat troops from Iraq within 16 months of taking office. 

As these anecdotes illustrate, Downer never learnt the lesson of his tenure as a failed leader of the opposition. His leadership of the Liberal Party was already in strife but it was his ill-judged joke about domestic violence - "the things that batter," Downer chortled - that brought his term to a rapid end.