The mayor of a town near Malta’s main airport called Monday for the removal of a sculpture resembling a phallus near the road leading to the capital Valletta ahead of a weekend visit by the pope.
The sculpture, which Mayor John Schembri described as “obscene” and “embarrassing,” should be removed “as a sign of respect” for Pope Benedict XVI.
“Colonna Mediterranea” (Mediterranean Column) is the work of ceramic artist and sculptor Paul Vella Critien and was installed on a roundabout at the entrance to the village of Luqa in January 2006.
The sculpture, which Critien describes as a modern three-dimensional representation of a symbol dating from ancient Egypt has rubbed many residents of predominantly Catholic Malta up the wrong way.
Similar works by Critien have been erected in Germany, Italy and Australia.
The pope is to visit on Saturday and Sunday after recent revelations that a paedophilia “response team” set up by the Maltese Catholic Church in 1999 had received allegations against 45 priests.
Nearly half of the cases have been ruled groundless, the Church said Monday, adding however: “For the Church, every case is one too many.”
The Roman Catholic Church has battled a wave of paedophile priest scandals in the US and Europe since last November.(AFP)
馬爾他主要機場附近某村鎮的鎮長週一呼籲,趁教宗週末來訪前,將通往首都法勒他公路旁一個狀似陽具的雕塑拆除。
村長約翰•仙卜立表示,那個雕塑不但「淫穢」,還「令人尷尬」,「為了尊敬」教宗本篤十六世,應該加以拆除。
這件名為「地中海之柱」的作品,出自陶藝家保羅•維拉•克利先之手,二00六年一月置於路迦村口的圓環上。
馬爾他民眾大都信奉天主教,這座克利先稱為某古埃及象徵現代3D版的雕塑,惹惱了多數民眾。
德國、義大利與澳洲也出現克利先類似的作品。
教宗本週六、日將訪問馬爾他,此行是為了造訪當他天主教會於一九九九年所成立的戀童癖應變小組。該小組最近接獲多達四十五件牧師戀童申訴。
教會當局週一表示,近半數的指控被認定是毫無根據,但他們也說:「對教會而言,即使一件也算太多。」
羅馬天主教會去年十一月以來,在美國與歐洲爆發多起神父戀童癖醜聞,爭議至今仍未有具體結果。(法新社╱翻譯:吳岱璟)
Rice is an essential ingredient in Taiwanese cuisine. Many foods are made of rice, adding more variety to our cooking, such as rice cake, or “gui.” Wagui is made by steaming rice flour batter in a bowl. The term “gui” refers to a type of food made from rice, while “wa” refers to a bowl. The pronunciation of “gui” in Taiwanese Hokkien is similar to the word for “nobility” in Chinese, so it is common for people to prepare various types of gui, including wagui, as offerings to the gods or ancestors,. 米是台灣重要的主食,用米製成的食品十分多元,豐富我們的飲食,如米做成的「粿」。粿的意思是米做成的糕點,碗粿是將在來米漿倒入碗中蒸熟,因而得名。粿因為音同「貴」,因此碗粿等粿食常用作供品祭拜神明和祖先。 nobility (n.) 高貴,高尚;貴族 offering (n.) 供品 While Taiwan may not be
It’s no secret that Japanese people have a deep affection for noodles. Like in the rest of East Asia, noodles are an important staple food, second only to rice. Japanese people have enjoyed noodles for over 1,000 years. The first noodles came from China and were introduced around 800 CE. As time passed, noodles in Japan not only became widespread but also developed some unique Japanese characteristics. The three most popular types of noodles in Japan are ramen, soba, and udon. Ramen, typically made from wheat flour, is usually thin and firm. The dough is kneaded and left to
On Tuesday last week, the flame for this summer’s Paris Olympics was lit at the birthplace of the ancient Olympic Games in southern Greece in a meticulously choreographed ceremony. It will then be carried through Greece for more than 5,000km before being handed over to French organizers at the Athens venue used for the first modern Olympics in 1896. The pageantry at Olympia has been an essential part of every Olympics for nearly 90 years since the Games in Berlin. It’s meant to provide an ineluctable link between the modern event and the ancient Greek original on which it was initially modelled. Once
Continued from yesterday(延續自昨日) https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang As with many aspects of Japanese culture, there is etiquette to follow when you enjoy noodles. To fully experience noodles like a local on your next visit to Japan, consider these simple guidelines. First, be careful where you put your chopsticks. Don’t leave them sticking up in the broth or set them at the side of the bowl. When you have finished eating or if you’re taking a break, place them on the chopstick rest next to the bowl. Also, it is impolite to wave chopsticks around or bring them above mouth-level. Second, don’t take too