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）
A: Hard rock band Guns N’ Roses is touring Taiwan tomorrow. What about pop diva Lady Gaga? B: Unfortunately, Singapore has once again exclusively secured Gaga’s concerts in Asia, just like Taylor Swift’s exclusive Asian shows last year. A: The Singaporean government reportedly paid up to US$2.2 million to secure Swift’s shows. B: And the shows did boost its economy and tourism. A: But I’m angry about this approach, so I’m not going to Gaga’s shows this time. A: 硬式搖滾天團槍與玫瑰明天即將來台，流行天后女神卡卡呢？ B: 真可惜，新加坡再度取得卡卡亞洲巡演的獨家主辦權，就像去年泰勒絲的亞洲獨家演出一樣。 A: 據報導新加坡政府付出高達220萬美元，取得泰勒絲的亞洲獨家主辦權。 B: 而她的秀也的確提振了該國的經濟和旅遊業。 A: 但我對此還是很不爽，所以不去新加坡看卡卡了！ （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張迪）
A: Hard rock band Guns N’ Roses and pop diva Lady Gaga are finally touring Asia again. B: Are they also coming to Taiwan? A: The band will stage a show at the Taoyuan Sunlight Arena on Saturday. B: Wow, so this will be the band’s third visit. I really love its 1992 power ballad “November Rain.” The nine-minute hit was the Billboard chart’s longest song at one point. A: Let’s go celebrate the 40th anniversary of its release. A: 硬式搖滾天團槍與玫瑰、女神卡卡終於再度展開亞洲巡演了。 B: 他們也會來台巡演嗎？ A: 槍與玫瑰本週六即將在桃園陽光劇場開唱唷。 B: 哇這將是該團第三次來台演出，我超愛他們1992年強力情歌《November Rain》，全長近9分鐘還曾是告示牌排行榜最長神曲。 A: 那我們一起去慶祝該團出道40週年吧！ （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張迪）
Every May 1, Hawaii comes alive with Lei Day, a festival celebrating the rich culture and spirit of the islands. Initiated in 1927 by the poet Don Blanding, Lei Day began as a tribute to the Hawaiian custom of making and wearing leis. The idea was quickly adopted and officially recognized as a holiday in 1929, and leis have since become a symbol of local pride and cultural preservation. In Hawaiian culture, leis are more than decorative garlands made from flowers, shells or feathers. For Hawaiians, giving a lei is as natural as saying “aloha.” It shows love and
If you could nominate any toys for the Toy Hall of Fame, what would they be? Iconic playthings like yo-yos, toy cars, or video games seem like obvious __1__. Classic toys such as jacks, playing cards, and board games like Chess, Monopoly, and Uno have brought endless joy to generations. Overall, there are countless toys that __2__ in the Toy Hall of Fame. The National Toy Hall of Fame was __3__ in 1998 at The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York. The Toy Hall of Fame aims to __4__ items that have been cherished for generations, and several
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