The tumultuous life of Pope Pius IX
Here is an opportunity to study the life of Pope Pius IX and take a journey through the history of Roman Catholic Church that paved the way for modern Europe. Following the death of Pope Gregory XVI (1831–46), the political climate within Italy was turning its tide against Catholic Church’s autocracy. The church was steeped in a factional division between conservatives and liberals. The conservatives favored the hardline stances and papal absolutism of the previous pontificate, while liberals supported reforms.
In this book, author David Kertzer chronicles the tumultuous life of Pope Pius IX and the fate of Catholic Church in progressive Europe. Majority of the inhabitants of Papal states during this time did not like the church’s abuses. Majority of them wanted to live free from its clutches. Jews found themselves in the confines of poverty, abuse, and antisemitism in the slums of Rome. Life for them was beyond unbearable. Worst of all was that they lived in fear that their children may be taken from them forcibly, baptized under Roman Laws, and they would be raised as a Catholics.
During earlier years, the election of Pope Pius IX created much enthusiasm in Europe. But soon it faded as French revolution dominated the continent’s political arena. The separation of church and state was becoming increasingly popular. Consequently, Pope’s influence on people was decreasing. But Pope Pius did not shirk, he wanted more control within Europe and at the same time he expected Roman Catholics to have freedom in Russia and the Ottoman Empire. He also fought against anti-Catholic sentiments in Italy and Germany. When Pope’s life was threatened and became dangerous; he was guarded in seclusion by French forces. But after the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War (1870–1871), the Papal States lost its protector in Emperor Napoleon III and came under control Italian rulers. But until this time, Pope Pius IX was a Sovereign Ruler of the Papal States and expected to be treated as a King. During his reign, the Pontiff made full use of his spiritual arsenal and warned that Catholics must not believe in freedom of religion, or freedom of speech or freedom press. He summoned the world’s bishops and cardinals, and addressing the conference, he condemned the godless forces that emerged from French revolution. He proclaimed that he alone would find spiritual solutions for people.
Many modern-day Christian conservatives blame the hippie culture and X-generation for turning away from God. Pope Pius IX felt the same way during his leadership. But in its absolutism, the separation of church and state is less meaningful as religions like Islam is making inroads and introducing its political ideology through teachings of its books and Sharia Laws. The state-of-affairs in the Middle East and other Islamic countries demonstrate how clergy have cleverly taken control of its masses by intimidating their governments.
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
Saturday, February 17, 2018
Book Reviewed: The Plant Messiah by Carlos Magdalena
Studying the Silent Extinction of Rare Plants
In ecology, extinction refers to termination of an organism or of a group of organisms. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, and the ability to breed and recover may have been lost before this point. This term is generally used with animal extinction, but there are very few ecologists who study plant extinction. In this book, environmental biologist Carlos Magdalena describes his studies across to understand how plant extinction are taking place, and how we can fix this silent extinction.
The factors contributing to their disappearance are varied and complex, but the consequences of their loss are immeasurable. The author explores the principle factors for extinction. In almost all cases changes brought about in the environment by humans; through deforestation, breaking the natural balance with the introduction non-native species of animals, and global warming.
Some of the interesting examples from this book includes; The jellyfish tree, is a critically endangered and endemic to the island of Seychelles. It has been suggested that these trees have been lost from the natural habitat of moist forests through competition with other species and climate change. Roussea simplex is native of Mauritius in Indian Ocean, where it grows in mountain forests. The flowers of Roussea produce copious amounts of nectar and are pollinated only by the blue-tailed day gecko. The fruit secretes a gelatinous substance that contains the minute seeds. The blue-tailed gecko licks up this secretion and disperses the seeds in its droppings. But a small ant introduced to Mauritius by colonists invades the flowers of Roussea and cover with clay to protect themselves. The ants sting blue-tailed day gecko from drinking the pollen and thus stopping pollination process. Trochetia boutoniana also known by its native Creole name Boucle d'Oreille is a shrub close to extinction, because the monkeys introduced into its natural habitat feed on plants blossom buds that effectively eliminated this plant species.
The book is not accompanied by illustrations or the photographs of plants becoming extinct in natural habitats. On the lesser side of science, I find the title of this book is somewhat outlandish, after all no one used this term for other renowned ecologists and environmental biologists.
In ecology, extinction refers to termination of an organism or of a group of organisms. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, and the ability to breed and recover may have been lost before this point. This term is generally used with animal extinction, but there are very few ecologists who study plant extinction. In this book, environmental biologist Carlos Magdalena describes his studies across to understand how plant extinction are taking place, and how we can fix this silent extinction.
The factors contributing to their disappearance are varied and complex, but the consequences of their loss are immeasurable. The author explores the principle factors for extinction. In almost all cases changes brought about in the environment by humans; through deforestation, breaking the natural balance with the introduction non-native species of animals, and global warming.
Some of the interesting examples from this book includes; The jellyfish tree, is a critically endangered and endemic to the island of Seychelles. It has been suggested that these trees have been lost from the natural habitat of moist forests through competition with other species and climate change. Roussea simplex is native of Mauritius in Indian Ocean, where it grows in mountain forests. The flowers of Roussea produce copious amounts of nectar and are pollinated only by the blue-tailed day gecko. The fruit secretes a gelatinous substance that contains the minute seeds. The blue-tailed gecko licks up this secretion and disperses the seeds in its droppings. But a small ant introduced to Mauritius by colonists invades the flowers of Roussea and cover with clay to protect themselves. The ants sting blue-tailed day gecko from drinking the pollen and thus stopping pollination process. Trochetia boutoniana also known by its native Creole name Boucle d'Oreille is a shrub close to extinction, because the monkeys introduced into its natural habitat feed on plants blossom buds that effectively eliminated this plant species.
The book is not accompanied by illustrations or the photographs of plants becoming extinct in natural habitats. On the lesser side of science, I find the title of this book is somewhat outlandish, after all no one used this term for other renowned ecologists and environmental biologists.
Thursday, February 15, 2018
Book Reviewed: Atticus Finch by Joseph Crespino
The Man Behind Harper Lee’s ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’
This is the inspirational story of Atticus Finch, the father of author Harper Lee. Her celebrated work, “To Kill a Mockingbird’ narrates her life while growing up in her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama and the racial practices of the rural south. This takes us back to 1936, when she was 10 years old and her father represented black defendants faced with criminal charges. The significant aspect of this story is that the intrigues are narrated with unflagging gusto of a ten-year-old girl; It is Lee’s unique style of artistic execution that so gripped the literary world.
In this book, Emory University Professor Joseph Crespino revisits the story as the biographer of this acclaimed character and examines Finch’s life. It turns out that Atticus Finch was a product of his time and upbringing. The culture and prejudices in deep south impacted some of his thoughts, but remained steadfast in his beliefs in justice, fatherhood and civic responsibility for his community and country. Harper Lee’s second book “Go Set a Watchman” made sense of her father’s mental processes of his time. And his own consciousness and responsibilities for his daughters. But Gregory Peck’s outstanding performance in exceptionally well screen-written movie stuck in the minds of movie fans. In 2003 the American Film Institute voted Atticus Finch, as portrayed in the movie as the greatest hero of American cinema. Readers like me saw the movie first and read Lee’s book later. But what is pivotal is that it stuck in the minds of people that Gregory Peck is the real Atticus Finch, and related Harper Lee’s story with the movie. In April 1963, Gregory Peck won the Academy Award in the Best Actor Category. And in the same month, Dr. Martin Luther King Wrote from Birmingham jail as how good intentioned white people involve themselves in the path of genuine racial dialogue and progress. He later admitted that Harper’s Lee’s “To Kill a Mocking Bird” had a moral force in racial tolerance. President Barrack Obama in his farewell address, reminded us the advice given by Atticus to his daughter Harper Lee that “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view, until you climb into his skin and walk around it.”
Much of this book is focused on Atticus Finch, his inner thoughts and roots in rural south. Real-life comparisons with Lee's father, Amasa Coleman Lee (Atticus Finch) exists in the two differing versions in Harper Lee’s two books. Atticus was originally in favor of segregation but became more liberal later in life, changing his views to those of racial tolerance and human understanding. Tay Hohoff, Lee's editor At Lippincott is known to have played a significant role in the character development of the novel and particularly Atticus' liberal transformation. She re-wrote many passages to make it tender and touching in terms of human understanding. Harper Lee was also deeply affected by the well-known “Scottsboro Boys” criminal trial in 1931 when nine African American teenagers, ages 13 to 19 were accused in Alabama of raping two white women. The case was first heard in Scottsboro, Alabama; all but 12-year-old Roy Wright were convicted of rape and sentenced to death. The defendants had been denied an impartial jury, fair trial, fair sentencing, and effective counsel.
In Lee’s Mocking Bird, Finch takes a turn to his spiritual side. He handled highly controversial cases of defending black men in criminal trial, thus taking a stand against the established conventions. He despised mob-enforced rules, and denial of basic dignity of black population. He was deeply Inspired by his love of his children. Atticus Finch's defense of Tom Robinson has different endings in Lee’s two books. Tom Robinson was acquitted in “Go Set a Watchman” while in “To Kill a Mockingbird” his unjust conviction was shown because of prejudice among local population. This story was highlighted to show that Atticus was a righteous and progressive character. Atticus's patient teaching gives Scout (Harper Lee) a lesson; "get along better with all kinds of folks": she must remember to judge people on their intentions rather than their actions and put herself into the other person's shoes to understand them best. He talks to his daughter like she's an adult rather than a little girl. This part of the story is beautifully filmed in the movie and gives us a strong reason why Gregory Peck remained in the memory of so many fans of Lee’s literary work.
This is the inspirational story of Atticus Finch, the father of author Harper Lee. Her celebrated work, “To Kill a Mockingbird’ narrates her life while growing up in her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama and the racial practices of the rural south. This takes us back to 1936, when she was 10 years old and her father represented black defendants faced with criminal charges. The significant aspect of this story is that the intrigues are narrated with unflagging gusto of a ten-year-old girl; It is Lee’s unique style of artistic execution that so gripped the literary world.
In this book, Emory University Professor Joseph Crespino revisits the story as the biographer of this acclaimed character and examines Finch’s life. It turns out that Atticus Finch was a product of his time and upbringing. The culture and prejudices in deep south impacted some of his thoughts, but remained steadfast in his beliefs in justice, fatherhood and civic responsibility for his community and country. Harper Lee’s second book “Go Set a Watchman” made sense of her father’s mental processes of his time. And his own consciousness and responsibilities for his daughters. But Gregory Peck’s outstanding performance in exceptionally well screen-written movie stuck in the minds of movie fans. In 2003 the American Film Institute voted Atticus Finch, as portrayed in the movie as the greatest hero of American cinema. Readers like me saw the movie first and read Lee’s book later. But what is pivotal is that it stuck in the minds of people that Gregory Peck is the real Atticus Finch, and related Harper Lee’s story with the movie. In April 1963, Gregory Peck won the Academy Award in the Best Actor Category. And in the same month, Dr. Martin Luther King Wrote from Birmingham jail as how good intentioned white people involve themselves in the path of genuine racial dialogue and progress. He later admitted that Harper’s Lee’s “To Kill a Mocking Bird” had a moral force in racial tolerance. President Barrack Obama in his farewell address, reminded us the advice given by Atticus to his daughter Harper Lee that “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view, until you climb into his skin and walk around it.”
Much of this book is focused on Atticus Finch, his inner thoughts and roots in rural south. Real-life comparisons with Lee's father, Amasa Coleman Lee (Atticus Finch) exists in the two differing versions in Harper Lee’s two books. Atticus was originally in favor of segregation but became more liberal later in life, changing his views to those of racial tolerance and human understanding. Tay Hohoff, Lee's editor At Lippincott is known to have played a significant role in the character development of the novel and particularly Atticus' liberal transformation. She re-wrote many passages to make it tender and touching in terms of human understanding. Harper Lee was also deeply affected by the well-known “Scottsboro Boys” criminal trial in 1931 when nine African American teenagers, ages 13 to 19 were accused in Alabama of raping two white women. The case was first heard in Scottsboro, Alabama; all but 12-year-old Roy Wright were convicted of rape and sentenced to death. The defendants had been denied an impartial jury, fair trial, fair sentencing, and effective counsel.
In Lee’s Mocking Bird, Finch takes a turn to his spiritual side. He handled highly controversial cases of defending black men in criminal trial, thus taking a stand against the established conventions. He despised mob-enforced rules, and denial of basic dignity of black population. He was deeply Inspired by his love of his children. Atticus Finch's defense of Tom Robinson has different endings in Lee’s two books. Tom Robinson was acquitted in “Go Set a Watchman” while in “To Kill a Mockingbird” his unjust conviction was shown because of prejudice among local population. This story was highlighted to show that Atticus was a righteous and progressive character. Atticus's patient teaching gives Scout (Harper Lee) a lesson; "get along better with all kinds of folks": she must remember to judge people on their intentions rather than their actions and put herself into the other person's shoes to understand them best. He talks to his daughter like she's an adult rather than a little girl. This part of the story is beautifully filmed in the movie and gives us a strong reason why Gregory Peck remained in the memory of so many fans of Lee’s literary work.
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