It was more than just an answer to prayer.
A US military mission that cornered and killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan was nothing short of a miracle, said Peru’s President Alan Garcia, who attributed the divine intervention to newly beatified pontiff John Paul II.
“His first miracle has been to rid the world of this incarnation of evil, this demon of hatred and criminality,” the Peruvian leader said, referring to the Al-Qaeda leader.
Photo: AFP
照片:法新社
The late John Paul II showed uncanny timing, with his miracle falling on the very same day as a Rome ceremony beatifying him.
Pope Benedict XVI on May 1 bestowed the status of “blessed” on his predecessor in front of a million people, after the Roman Catholic Church determined that John Paul II had performed the necessary miracle for beatification.
Garcia said the late pontiff wasted no time in performing the second miracle needed for sainthood, making it possible for American commandos to find and kill their hated Al-Qaeda foe, whom they had hunted for the past decade.
Photo: AFP
照片:法新社
“We hope that with his fall, that entire group that had hoped to spread terrorism throughout the world loses its importance,” Garcia said.
The Peruvian leader said on May 1 that the assault on bin Laden’s compound “should please US President Barack Obama and vindicate former US president George W. Bush,” whose relentless pursuit of a global “war on terror” became a central focus of US foreign and military policy during his tenure.
(AFP)
這不只是祈禱應驗而已。
祕魯總統艾倫‧賈西亞說,美國軍事行動致使奧薩瑪‧賓拉登被圍捕而斃命,簡直可以說是一個奇蹟,並將此歸功於剛獲宣福禮的已故教宗若望保祿二世的顯靈相助。
賈西亞表示,「他的第一個奇蹟即為天下去除這個邪惡的化身,這個仇恨與犯罪的惡魔。」他指的惡魔就是賓拉登。
已故的若望保祿二世大顯神蹟的時間點可說是恰到好處,因為他顯現奇蹟時,正好就是羅馬為他舉行宣福禮大典的日子。
現任教宗本篤十六世五月一日在百萬人的見證下,冊封若望保祿二世為「真福」。先前羅馬天主教會已經確認,若望保祿二世具備獲得宣福禮所該有的奇蹟。
賈西亞表示,這位已故教宗刻不容緩顯現了封聖所需的第二個奇蹟,也就是讓美國突擊隊得以找到,並擊斃他們已追捕十年的蓋達組織深仇大敵。
賈西亞說,「我們希望藉由他的死,使得向世界傳播恐怖主義的(蓋達)組織,失去重要性。」
祕魯總統五月一日表示,賓拉登宅第的突襲應該讓美國總統巴拉克‧歐巴馬感到欣慰,並也讓前美國總統小布希的理念得以澄清。
(法新社/翻譯:林亞蒂)
South Korea’s famous kimchi is falling victim to climate change, with scientists, farmers and manufacturers saying the quality and quantity of the napa cabbage that is pickled to make the ubiquitous dish is suffering due to rising temperatures. Napa cabbage thrives in cooler climates, and is usually planted in mountainous regions where temperatures during the key growing summer season once rarely rose above 25 degrees Celsius. Studies show that warmer weather brought about by climate change is now threatening these crops, so much so that South Korea might not be able to grow napa cabbage one day due to the intensifying heat. “We
It’s widely recognized that there are far more right-handed people than left-handed people in the world. Being right-handed simply means preferring to use one’s right hand for tasks that involve only one hand, such as writing and eating. But have you ever wondered about the possible reasons behind the global dominance of the right hand over the left? As with many complex biological questions, multiple factors appear to be at play. First, one reason seems to be genetics. __1__ Therefore, the global dominance of right-handedness is something that has been passed down through many generations of humans. Next,
A: What’s even more horrible is that the five suspects who purposely supplied ketamine to actor Matthew Perry were all his “friends.” B: Who exactly are the five suspects? A: They include Matthew’s two doctors, a broker, a drug dealer, and even his live-in assistant. B: Those scumbags should go to jail. A: Yeah, one of the doctors may be sentenced to up to 120 years in prison. A: 更可怕的是,提供男星馬修派瑞「K他命」的5人全是他的「朋友」。 B: 嫌犯是誰啊? A: 其中包括他的2位醫生、1位仲介、1位毒販、甚至他的同居助理! B: 那些人渣真該去坐牢。 A: 對啊,其中1位醫生可能面臨120年徒刑。 (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)
On blazing hot summer days, fresh ingredients and cool refreshments straight from a refrigerator feel like nothing short of a miracle. However, chilled foods didn’t begin with modern refrigerators. In fact, the origin of refrigeration precedes the invention of this now-indispensable appliance by centuries. Initially, the quest for refrigeration was motivated more by the desire to cool beverages than to preserve food. The ancient Greeks and Romans, for instance, used snow stored in insulated pits to chill wine. Around the fourth century BC, the Persians made a significant stride in refrigeration techniques when they devised the yakhchal. Fashioned from