Postscript.

"The role of the church in politics is not to get involved.... The responsibility we face as a church is to raise issues of what we believe in.... [I]t is totally inappropriate and out of line for me to suggest what candidates people would vote for."

--Bishop-elect of Pittsburgh David Zubik. (1)

"I can just hear Pilate saying, 'You know, I'm personally opposed to crucifixion but I don't want to impose my beliefs on others.'"

--Providence Bishop Thomas Tobin on Rudy Giuliani's prochoice views. (2)

"[The] wound is still more profound [in Protestant denominations]. Despite the fact that this teaching has created no little distress ... it is nevertheless difficult to see how the title of 'Church' could possibly be attributed to them."

--The Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, doing its bit for ecumenism by declaring all non-Catholic faiths to be deficient. (3)

"There is a whiff of Stalinism or perhaps only Henry VIII."

--Cardinal George Pell, the archbishop of Sydney, after he was accused of interfering in the political process due to his opposition to stem-cell research legislation. (4)

"You witch! ... If you want to kill people, do it to yourself first."

--Rev. Tadeusz Rydzyk, head of an ultraconservative media group in Poland, attacking the Polish first lady for her support of abortion rights. (5)

"You know that it's about Poland giving $65 billion [to the Jews].... They will come to you and say: Give me your coat. Take off your pants. Give me your shoes."

--Rev. Tadeusz Rydzyk (again!), criticizing the Polish government's decision to compensate some Jews for property nationalized by the postwar communist government. (6)

"I noticed that he has a purse, but I didn't realize he's a boy. At first I thought that must be a bother for him. Later I learned that there could be some hidden homosexual undertones.... If inappropriate attitudes have been promoted, we need to react."

--Ewa Sowinska, a children's rights watchdog appointed by the Polish government, commenting on Tinky Winky (the purple Teletubby) and her plans to have the show reviewed by psychologists to see if it should be allowed on public television. (7)

(1) Rocco Palma, "With My Heart Racing and My Knees Knocking," Whispers in the Loggia (Weblog), July 18, 2007. (2) Ray Henry, "IRS asked to investigate Catholic bishop who blasted Giuliani," Associated Press, June 13, 2007. (3) Phil Stewart, "Vatican reaffirms Catholic primacy," Washington Post, July to, 2007. (4) "Pell detects whiff of Stalinism in reaction to stem-cell research," Tablet (U.K.), June 23, 2007. (5) Ryan Lucas, "Polish priest rejects criticism after alleged anti-Semitic comments" Associated Press, July 12, 2007. (6) Ryan Lucas, "Polish priest rejects criticism after alleged anti-Semitic comments" Associated Press, July 12, 2007. (7) "Pursed Lips in Poland Over Image of Purple Teletubby," Reuters, May 29, 2007; Emil Steiner, "Poland to Examine Teletubby Homosexuality," Washington Post, May 29, 2007.

Index: Life, Death and Longevity (footnotes, continued from back page,)

(1) Jesse F. Derris, "Life Support? Stem-Cell Backing Holds at Six in 10," ABC News, August 1, 2001.

(2) Ibid.

(3) Pew Research Center, "Strong Public Support for Right to Die," January 5, 2006.

(4) Ibid.

(5) ABE News Poll, "Terri Schiavo," March 2005.

(6) Elizabeth Arias, "United States Life Tables, 2003," National Vital Statistics Report, 54:14, Revised March 28, 2007.

(7) National Center for Health Statistics, "Deaths: Preliminary Data for 2004."

(8) World Bank, 2004.

(9) Joseph Carroll, "Who Supports the Death Penalty?" Gallup, November 16, 2004.

(10) Ibid.

(11) Jeffrey M. Jones, "Among Religious Groups, Jewish Americans Most Strongly Oppose the War," Gallup News Service, February 23, 2007.

(12) Ibid.

Index: Life, Death and Longevity

Percentage of Americans that support embryonic
  stem-cell research                                           63% (1)
Percentage of Catholics that support embryonic
  stem-cell research                                           65% (2)
Percentage of Americans that approves laws letting
  terminally ill patients make decisions about
  whether to be kept alive through medical treatment           84% (3)
Percentage of American Catholics that approves laws
  letting terminally ill patients make decisions
  about whether to be kept alive through medical
  treatment                                                    84% (4)
Percentage of American Catholics that supported the
  decision to remove Terri Schiavo's feeding tube              63% (5)
Life expectancy at birth in the United States in 1900     47 years (6)
Life expectancy in the United States today              77.9 years (7)
World average for life expectancy                         67 years (8)
Percentage of Americans that support the death
  penalty                                                      66% (9)
Percentage of American Catholics that support the
  death penalty                                               66% (10)
Percentage of Americans that believe sending troops
  to Iraq was a mistake                                       46% (11)
Percentage of American Catholics that believe sending
  troops to Iraq was a mistake                                46% (12)