Will a Latin American Become the Next Pope?

On Monday Pope Benedict XVI declared that he would resign from his post effective February 28th.  “After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry,” said Benedict in a statement read on Vatican radio.

His surprise announcement has led to speculation over who could soon replace the 85-year-old head of the Roman Catholic Church.  Is it possible that the new pontiff will come from Latin America rather than Europe?  Here are six possible candidates from the Americas who could become the church’s 266th pope:

Odilo Scherer (Brazil): Scherer is the Archbishop of São Paulo, which is the largest diocese in the world’s largest Catholic country.  He is young compared to other papal candidates (63-years-old) and his relatively moderate views could attract those dissatisfied with the scandals under Benedict.  The growth of evangelicals in Brazil could be a disadvantage for Scherer’s candidacy even though the next World Youth Day will be held this year in Rio de Janeiro.
 
Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga (Honduras): Betting house Paddy Power gave 10-to-1 odds in favor of the papal candidacy of the Archbishop of Tegucigalpa and ex-President of the Latin American Episcopal Conference.  As President of Caritas Internationalis, he has urged “the world’s richest nations to keep their promises to increase and improve development aid to the world’s poorest countries”.  His views on social inequality aside, he has also shared the Vatican’s hard line on areas such as homosexuality and birth control.

Leonardo Sandri (Argentina): Sandri is the head of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches and he was also chief of staff, the third most important Vatican post, under Pope John Paul II between 2000 and 2007.  His experience and his Italian heritage are factors that led one religious commentator to label Sandri as a "safe hands" candidate.

Weekend Headlines: March 31-April 1, 2012

* Latin America: A new album of Selena will be released on Tuesday while fans of the late “Queen of Tejano” music recall the singer who was tragically murdered on March 31, 1995.

* Chile: The U.N.’s human rights office called on Chilean officials to pass new anti-discrimination laws in the aftermath of the attack and death of homosexual teen Daniel Zamudio.

* Argentina: Prosecutors claimed that ex-president Carlos Menem should stand trial over the 1994 bombing of a Buenos Aires Jewish center that killed 85 people.

Today’s Video: Fidel and the Pope

Pope Benedict XVI departed Cuba on Wednesday afternoon, which ended his six-day visit of Latin America that also included Mexico.

Before leaving for Rome, the pontiff thanked the Cuban people for their hospitality, reiterated calls for greater religious freedom on the island and criticized the decades-long U.S. trade embargo.

After speaking in front of an estimated 300,000 in Havana's Revoultionary Square, the Pope held a private meeting with former Cuban president Fidel Castro:

Castro, who ceded the presidency to his brother Raul in 2006, reportedly asked many questions to the pontiff including "What does a Pope do?" He also allegedly expressed to Benedict his joy over the beatification of Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II, and requested that the pontiff send him books.

Video Source - YouTube via Associated Press

Online Sources - Voice of America, ABC News, ABC.es

Pope Calls for Change During Havana Mass

During an outdoor mass held in Havana this morning Pope Benedict XVI emphasized the need for change worldwide as well greater religious freedom in Cuba.

“The right to freedom of religion, both in its private and in its public dimension, manifests the unity of the human person, who is at once a citizen and a believer,” the pope said in his homily. He added that while the Cuban government has granted greater liberties to the Catholic Church, the pontiff called on “authorities to strengthen what has already been achieved and advance along this path of genuine service to the true good of Cuban society as a whole”.

Pope Arrives in Cuba for Three Day Visit (Updates Below Page Break)

Pope Benedict XVI just arrived in Cuba where expectations are high as to what the Pope will say regarding politics and the role of the Church on the island.

“As people who are marginalized, the oppressed, we too have a right to at least one minute with His Holiness,” said Bertha Soler, the head of the Ladies in White dissident group. Soler also remarked that she wants to give the Pope a list of political prisoners “in case there’s a possibility of pardon” much like in the visit of Pope John Paul II to Cuba in 1998.

Pope Preaches Against Violence During Mexico Trip

Pope Benedict XVI departed from Mexico minutes ago but not before speaking out against the country’s rampant violence.

“At this time when so many families are separated or forced to emigrate, when so many are suffering due to poverty, corruption, domestic violence, drug trafficking, the crisis of values and increased crime, we come to Mary in search of consolation, strength and hope," he said during an outdoor mass on Sunday.

Daily Headlines: March 20, 2012

* Latin America: According to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute global arms imports increased between 2007 and 2011 including an 11% boost in the Americas.

* Mexico: Gunmen killed twelve policemen investigating the deaths of ten beheaded people, while the Knights Templar drug gang called for a ceasefire during next week’s visit from Pope Benedict XVI to Mexico.

* Venezuela: President Hugo Chavez claimed that intelligence officials received information pertaining to a supposed assassination plot against rival candidate Henrique Capriles.

* Uruguay: Prosecutors said they have received additional reports of “suspicious deaths” possibly committed by a pair of nurses already charged with sixteen “mercy” patient killings.

Image Source – Flickr via Christian Frausto Bernal (Troops participating in the bicentennial Mexican Independence Day parade the town of Tepic). (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Online Sources- Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Bernama, NPR, IOL, Bloomberg

Daily Headlines: March 19, 2012 (Updated)

* Cuba: Police detained dozens of dissident activists over the weekend, including Ladies in White leader Berta Soler, ahead of next week’s visit from Pope Benedict XVI. (Update: Police reportedly released seventy members of the Ladies in White detained on Sunday. Meanwhile, a White House statement urged the Cuban government to "abandon their tactics of intimidation and harassment to stifle peaceful dissent.")

* Puerto Rico: Mitt Romney easily won over his GOP rivals in the Puerto Rico primary that included the participation of less than six percent of the commonwealth’s electorate.

* Venezuela: Twelve police officials were detained over the killing of Karen Berendique, the daughter of Chilean Honorary Consul Fernando Berendique, in Maracaibo.

* Bolivia: President Evo Morales warned that he would close the U.S. embassy in La Paz if diplomatic officials “continued bothering Bolivia.”

Video Source – YouTube via euronews

Online Sources (including Updates) - Comision Estatal de Elecciones de Puerto Rico, Reuters, CNN, AFP, The Guardian, Voice of America

Daily Headlines: March 15, 2012

* Cuba: A group of thirteen dissidents occupied a Catholic church in Havana and have called on Pope Benedict XVI to push for political freedom in Cuba.

* Peru: At least three people were killed during clashes between police and protesters opposed to a government crackdown on illegal mining.

* Mexico: A U.N. commission concluded that authorities have failed to properly investigate thousands of “forced disappearances” in Mexico over the past five years.

* Honduras: A letter signed by ninety-four members of the U.S. House of Representatives to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged the U.S. to suspend foreign aid to Honduras.

Image Source – YouTube via romereports.com (Cardinal Jaime Ortega, the archbishop of Havana, was allowed to appear on Cuban state TV in anticipation of Pope Benedict XVI’s upcoming visit to Cuba.)

Online Sources- MSNBC, Reuters, Houston Chronicle, WBEZ

Daily Headlines: December 15, 2011

* Chile: Student protest leader Camila Vallejo was named by a nationwide poll as Chile’s Person of the Year.

* Brazil: Federal prosecutors in Brazil are seeking the suspension of operations of Transocean and Chevron as well as $10.6 billion in environmental and social damages.

* Cuba: The National Endowment for Democracy gave their annual humanitarian award to the late Cuban dissident Laura Pollan.

* Colombia: According to the Vatican Radio, Pope Benedict XVI called for the freeing of all the hostages held against their will by Colombian guerillas.

Image Source – Flickr via gpoo

Online Sources – Santiago Times, MSNBC, UPI, Bloomberg

World Watch: Seeking change in Syria

* Syria: Security forces reportedly killed at least 49 people during nationwide protests against President Bashar al-Assad.

* Vatican: Pope Benedict XVI took on questions related to faith, mortality, and other subjects in a televised interview that aired on Good Friday.

* World: People in nearly 200 countries observed Earth Day, which was created in reaction to a 1969 oil spill off the California coast.

* Asia: Tensions rose between neighboring countries Thailand and Cambodia after four soldiers were killed in a disputed border region.

Image – AP via CSMonitor.com (“Syrian antigovernment protesters march during a demonstration following Friday prayers near Damascus, Syria, on April 22. Security forces fired live bullets and tear gas Friday at tens of thousands of people shouting for freedom and democracy in several areas across the country.”)
Online Sources- Reuters, Voice of America, The Telegraph, Bloomberg

World Watch: Tensions on the seas

* Middle East: Harsh condemnation worldwide has focused against Israel after nine people died in a military raid on ships carrying humanitarian aid to the blockaded Gaza Strip.

* Pakistan: A court removed the government ban on Facebook yet it’s reported that authorities monitor content via a “central exchange”.

* Ireland: Pope Benedict XVI appointed a panel to investigate child abuse in the Irish archdiocese.

* Africa: Economic growth and political stability are expected to be two of the main topics at the 25th Africa-France summit that opened on Monday.

Image – Newsweek (“An image from video of Israeli forces storming an aid ship bound for Gaza.”)
Online Sources- Voice of America, BBC News, AP, MSNBC

World Watch: Tory time

* Britain: After thirteen years of Labour Party rule Conservative David Cameron became the new British Prime Minister and will now rule in a coalition government with the Liberal Democrats.

* Vatican: "The greatest persecution of the church doesn't come from enemies on the outside but is born from the sins within the church," said Pope Benedict XVI with regards to sexual abuse scandals.

* World: Some airports in Morocco, Turkey, and Spain will be closed at least through Wednesday as a result of ash from Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokul volcano.

* Spain: Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero is expected to outline budget cuts designed to improve one of Europe’s most weakened economies.

Image – ABC News (“Britain's Queen Elizabeth II greets David Cameron, the leader of the Conservative Party, at Buckingham Palace, London, in an audience to invite him to be the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, following last week's General Election, May 11, 2010.”)
Online Sources- Reuters, MSNBC, BBC News, Guardian UK

Weekend World Watch: Seven and fifty

* World: Marches were held around the U.S. on Saturday in protest of the seventh anniversary of the military invasion of Iraq while South Africans are preparing to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the Sharpeville massacre.

* Europe: Outrage over sex abuse scandals in countries like Ireland and Germany continue to put pressure on Pope Benedict XVI.

* Russia: Approximately fifty rallies were held nationwide as part of a "Day of Anger" against the Russian government’s economic policies.

* France: French officials have egg on their face after mistaking five Catalan firefighters on vacation for a group of ETA separatists.

Image – Guardian UK (“The day that changed the course of South African history: on 21 March 1960, police opened fire on thousands of unarmed protesters, killing 69 people. The massacre sparked decades of armed struggle and forced the world to confront apartheid Photograph: Corbis.”)
Online Sources- Washington Post, BBC News, Times Online, Reuters, New York Times

World Watch: The not-so-beautiful game

* Togo: Africa's ruling soccer body banned Togo from the next two Africa Cup of Nations tournaments after the national team withdrew last month when gunmen attacked them.

* Israel: A pair of senior Israeli officers were "disciplined" with regards to the January 2009 military offensive on Gaza.

* U.K.: In a move seen as an attempt to attract conservative Anglicans opposed to opening the Church to gays and women, Pope Benedict XVI will visit Britain later this year.

* Iraq: At least 54 people died near the Iraqi capital of Baghdad after a suicide bomber targeted Shiite pilgrims.

Image – BBC Sport
Online Sources- BBC Sport, The Latin Americanist, Guardian UK, MSNBC, New York Times

Pope to Obama: Drop the Cuban embargo

In his Nobel Peace Prize Award acceptance speech, U.S. President Barack Obama said that the “moral and strategic interest in binding ourselves to certain rules of conduct” led him to order the closure of the jail at Guantanamo. Earlier today, Pope Benedict XVI had his own message on Cuba for Obama:

In addition to calling for improved U.S.-Cuba relations and an end to the embargo against the island, the Pope also called for expanding religious freedoms. The Pope emphasized that he did not wish for the Church to meddle into Cuban politics though he does want to “continue to nourish the ‘extraordinary spiritual and moral heritage that contributed in a decisive way to forging the Cuban soul’."

The pontiff also criticized abortion by calling on Cubans to respect life from conception to its “natural end.” (Most forms of abortions are legal in Cuba except in pregnancies after twelve weeks and for minors without parental consent).

Online Sources- YouTube, AP, Spero News, CNA, IPS, El Espectador

Daily Headlines: November 30, 2009

* Uruguay: Aside from Honduras there was another important election yesterday in Uruguay where former guerilla and ex-minister Jose Mujica became the new president-elect.

* Brazil: Scotland Yard has reached a settlement with the family of Jean Charles de Menezes- a Brazilian migrant gunned down by police who mistook him for a potential terrorist.

* Peru: The government issued a “historical pardon” to the country’s Afro-Peruvian population for countless abuses and discrimination from the colonial era up to the present.

* Latin America: Pope Benedict XVI met with the Argentine and Chilean presidents over the weekend.

Image – CNN
Online Sources- LAHT, Reuters, AFP, CNN, Guardian UK

Weekend Headlines: September 19-20, 2009

* Mexico: Two people were killed after a gunman “writing anti-government graffiti on a wall” opened fire in a Mexico City metro station Friday night. (The above video of the shooting is NOT SAFE FOR WORK).

* Latin America: Coming soon to a TV near you – a remake of “The Golden Girls” with an all-Latina cast.

* Honduras: According to a Honduran bishop “opposed to the military coup”, Pope Benedict XVI expressed his own opposition to the June 28th ouster of Manuel Zelaya.

* Haiti: Three unidentified Haitian migrants who drowned four months ago off the Floridian coast were honored by local activists.

* Brazil: The country’s Ibovespa stocks index closed on Friday at its highest point since July 2008.

* Colombia: Juan Pablo Montoya will look for a solid start to the NASCAR Chase today after winning the pole in the Sylvania 300.

Online Sources- CBC, YouTube, Broadcasting & Cable, Daily News (Sri Lanka), Miami Herald, Wall Street Journal, ESPN

LatAm leaders speak out on Israeli air strikes

For the third consecutive day Israeli air strikes have been launched against purported Hamas targets in Gaza, killing approximately 300 people. Reactions worldwide to the actions have included the conciliatory by Pope Benedict XVI, the indignant from several Arab states, and the overtly political by the Bush administration.

Several Latin American governments have also spoken out on the events in Gaza, mainly to condemn Israeli actions:

• A Cuban government communiqué termed the air strikes as "the bloodiest attack Israel has ever launched against the Palestinian people".
  
• Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez condemned what he called “criminal” attacks and criticized the U.S.’ staunch defense of Israel.
  
• A Brazilian government statement called on both the Palestinian and Israeli governments to cease the violence and regretted that attacks by both sides have “affected mainly the civilian population.”
• Argentina's Foreign Ministry lamented the violence and called on Israel to allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza.
  

The U.N. General Assembly president also gave his two cents on the Gaza actions. Nicaraguan Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann- who has been in the middle of a diplomatic spat with Israel- reportedly had this to say:

A statement, issued here early Sunday by his spokesperson, said:" The Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip represent severe and massive violations of international humanitarian law as defined in the Geneva Conventions, both in regard to the obligations of an occupying power and in the requirements of the laws of war."

"The behavior by Israel in bombarding Gaza is simply the commission of wanton aggression by a very powerful state against a territory that illegally occupies," the statement said.

Image- BBC News
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, BBC News, AP, Xinhua, Prensa Latina, CNN, AFP, newsday.com

Ecuador gains a Saint

Ecuadoran Catholics this week celebrated the beatification of Narcisa de Jesus Martillo Moran, a 19th century Ecuadoran woman of humble origins (born in Nobol, she was herself orphaned at an early age) that was known for helping the sick and poor, and for her intense devotion to ritual.

From the pope's speech on October 12th:

"The young Ecuadorian laywoman, Narcisa de Jesús Martillo Morán, offers us a perfect example of a prompt and generous response to the invitation that the Lord makes to us to participate in his love. And from a very young age, upon receiving the sacrament of confirmation, she clearly felt in her heart the call to live a life of sanctity and surrender to God. To assist with docility the action of the Holy Spirit in her soul, she always sought the counsel and guidance of good and expert priests, considering spiritual direction as one of the most effective means to reach sanctity... In her passionate love for Jesus, that brought her to embark on a path of intense prayer and mortification, and to identify herself more and more with the mystery of the cross, she offers us an inviting testimony and a polished example of a life totally dedicated to God and neighbor."

Saint Narcisa is the third Ecuadoran to gain papal beatification, and the first woman. She was just 37 years old when she died in Lima, Peru.

Sources: AP, Catholic.org, Zenit