Sylvia Poggioli

Parvum Opus: Followers Flock To Pope's Latin Twitter Feed

Sylvia Poggioli — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:18:00 +0000

Against all Vatican expectations, the pope's Twitter account in Latin has gained more than 100,000 followers in six months and continues to grow.

Followers are not exclusively Roman Catholics or Latin scholars, but represent a wide variety of professions and religions from all over the world. Some go so far as to claim that the language of the ancient Romans is perfectly suited to 21st-century social media.

Pope Benedict XVI launched the first papal Twitter account last December in eight languages, including Arabic.

Italian University Spreads The 'Gelato Gospel'

Sylvia Poggioli — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:27:00 +0000

Italy has secured its place in the global diet with the likes of espresso, cappuccino, pasta and pizza.

The latest addition to the culinary lexicon is ... gelato, the Italian version of ice cream.

And despite tough economic times, gelato-making is a booming business.

At Anzola dell'Emilia, a short drive from the Italian city of Bologna, people from all over the world are lining up for courses in gelato-making.

This is the headquarters of Carpigiani, the world's biggest gelato machine.

Pope's Reference To 'Gay Lobby' Broaches Taboo Topic

Sylvia Poggioli — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 21:28:00 +0000

The Roman Catholic Church teaches that homosexual acts are a grave sin. But the existence of active gay prelates in the Vatican bureaucracy known as the Roman Curia has been considered a poorly held secret for centuries.

Robert Mickens, Vatican correspondent for the British Catholic weekly The Tablet, says the normal definition of a lobby as an organized group of people pushing a specific agenda does not apply here.

He prefers to call it a gay subculture.

"Many of these people in the Vatican that are gay and even acting out are extremely conservative," Mickens says.

At 500, Machiavelli's 'Prince' Still Inspires Love And Fear

Sylvia Poggioli — Mon, 27 May 2013 20:29:00 +0000

The name Niccolo Machiavelli is synonymous with political deceit, cynicism and the ruthless use of power.

Young People Cast Out Of Italy's Welfare System

Sylvia Poggioli — Tue, 21 May 2013 09:52:00 +0000

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

We are also following a subtler story of economic devastation, even with all the news about unemployment in Europe, this next number is hard to absorb. In Italy, among younger people, the jobless rate us close to 40 percent. The government is focused on the middle-aged and the elderly leaving little room it seems for their kids

Here's NPR's Sylvia Poggioli.

(SOUNDBITE OF SCREAMING AND SHOOTING)

SYLVIA POGGIOLI, BYLINE: Shots rang out outside the prime minister's office the day Italy's new government was sworn in.

Pope Francis Puts The Poor Front And Center

Sylvia Poggioli — Mon, 20 May 2013 18:18:00 +0000

Over the past week, Pope Francis has launched a crescendo of attacks on the global financial system and what he calls a "cult of money" that does not help the poor.

The 2-month-old papacy of Francis — the Argentina-born Jorge Bergoglio — is shaping up as a papacy focused on the world's downtrodden.

No More Smuggling: Many Cured Italian Meats Coming To America

Sylvia Poggioli — Thu, 16 May 2013 21:17:00 +0000

American gourmets and lovers of Italian food products, your days as food smugglers are over.

No more stuffing your suitcases with delicacies bought in Italy, hoping the sniffer dogs at JFK or other American airports won't detect the banned-in-the-USA foodstuffs inside your luggage.

In the U.S., they're called cured meats, the French say charcuterie and in Italy, the word for cured-pork products is salumi.

Long Hidden, Vatican Painting Linked To Native Americans

Sylvia Poggioli — Sun, 05 May 2013 09:27:00 +0000
For close to 400 years, the painting was closed off to the world.

Suspended Coffee: Old Italian Custom Spreads Across Poorer EU

Sylvia Poggioli — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 16:04:00 +0000
Tough economic times and growing poverty in much of Europe are reviving a humble tradition that began some one-hundred years ago in the Italian city of Naples.

With New Pope, Catholic Women Hope To Regain Church Leadership Roles

Sylvia Poggioli — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 21:17:00 +0000
The newly elected pope's focus on the poor and the marginalized has instilled great faith among many Catholic women.

Pope Francis Delivers First Easter Sunday Mass

Sylvia Poggioli — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 11:33:00 +0000
Pope Francis celebrated his first Easter Sunday Mass praying for world peace and urging a diplomatic solution to the standoff on the Korean peninsula.
Only two weeks after his election, the first pope from the developing world continues to make his mark on the Catholic Church.
St.

Italian High Court Overturns Acquittal Of American Student Accused Of Murder

Sylvia Poggioli — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 20:56:00 +0000
Transcript
AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:
From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Audie Cornish. The case of Amanda Knox is not over. She's the American exchange student who was accused of murdering her British roommate in Italy. She was acquitted in 2011. But today, Italy's highest court overruled that acquittal. The court ordered Knox and her former boyfriend to be retried.

Amanda Knox May Face Retrial After Italian Court Ruling

Sylvia Poggioli — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 13:57:00 +0000
In a surprise ruling, Italy's highest court ordered a retrial of American student Amanda Knox and her former boyfriend for the murder of British student Meredith Kercher. The ruling overturned the 2011 acquittal of the two defendants after they had spent four years in jail.

Pope Francis Endears Himself To Catholics, Vatican Watchers

Sylvia Poggioli — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 08:43:00 +0000
Pope Francis is formally inaugurated in a mass in St. Peter's Square Tuesday. Leaders from all over the world are attending. In less than a week, the pope has made himself known to the Catholic world and beyond for his direct and simple words and gestures.

Pope Francis Displays 'Common Touch' On First Day

Sylvia Poggioli — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 21:27:00 +0000
Pope Francis' spent his first day as leader of the Roman Catholic Church on Thursday.

No Clear Frontrunner For Next Pope On The Eve Of Cardinals' Conclave

Sylvia Poggioli — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 21:36:00 +0000
Transcript
AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:
This is a big week at the Vatican. The cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church will enter the Sistine Chapel tomorrow for a conclave to elect the next pope. NPR's Sylvia Poggioli is in Rome and has been talking with the faithful.
SYLVIA POGGIOLI, BYLINE: Small groups of people wander through St. Peter's Square. There's a sense of excitement, but also trepidation. These pilgrims came all the way from Brazil.

Vatican Manages Pope Selection Process

Sylvia Poggioli — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 09:48:00 +0000
As Roman Catholic cardinals prepare to elect the next pope, old-style Vatican secrecy has prevailed over American-style transparency.
Under pressure from Vatican-based cardinals, their American counterparts canceled their daily briefings that drew hundreds of news-starved journalists.
The clampdown was part of what is shaping up as a major confrontation over the future of the church between Vatican insiders and cardinals from the rest of the world.
Just an hour before the scheduled American briefing, an email announced it had been canceled.
In a terse statement later, the spokeswoman f

Catholic Cardinals Meet To Prepare For Election Of New Pope

Sylvia Poggioli — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 22:34:00 +0000
Roman Catholic cardinals gathered Monday to plan how they will select the successor to Pope Benedict XVI.

Cardinals At Odds Over When To Begin Choosing Next Pope

Sylvia Poggioli — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 10:01:00 +0000
The College of Cardinals is holding its first official meetings at the Vatican on Monday. The top agenda item is choosing which day to start the closed-door conclave that will elect the new pope. With no clear front-runner, the conclave outcome is unpredictable.
The papal resignation has put the cardinals in an unprecedented situation in modern history.
"The real mood is of shock and disappointment — this resignation desacralized the figure of the pope," says Massimo Franco, author of several books about the Vatican.

As Pope Benedict XVI Exits, Catholic Church Faces An Identity Crisis

Sylvia Poggioli — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 21:32:00 +0000
Transcript
AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:
Pope Benedict XVI is now pope emeritus.
(SOUNDBITE OF CHURCH BELLS)
CORNISH: Bells tolled as Benedict left the Vatican by helicopter. Vatican TV followed the entire 15-minute flight to the papal summer residence.
(SOUNDBITE OF CHEERING)
CORNISH: Once there, the people spoke to the large crowd that had gathered to greet him.
POPE BENEDICT XVI: (Foreign language spoken)
(SOUNDBITE OF CHEERING)
CORNISH: He said thank you and good night.
NPR's Sylvia Poggioli has been covering Pope Benedict's last day on the job.

Pope Benedict Leaves A Church Mired In Crises

Sylvia Poggioli — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:06:00 +0000
Today is the last day of the papacy of Pope Benedict XVI. Just two weeks ago, the German-born pope stunned the world by announcing he would be the first pope to resign in 600 years. After eight years on the throne of St.

Pope Benedict XVI To Become 'Pope Emeritus' After Stepping Down

Sylvia Poggioli — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 22:19:00 +0000
On his last full day as Pope, Benedict XVI had his final general audience in St. Peter's Square before a crowd estimated at 150,000 people. He had a more personal message than usual, saying his resignation was dictated by his ailing health and declining speech. He spoke of the moments of joy in his papacy, but also of turbulent seas and rough winds when it seemed like the lord was sleeping.

Italian Election Results Cause Market Jitters

Sylvia Poggioli — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 10:21:00 +0000
Italian elections have hurled a tsunami against the system: An upstart anti-establishment party that rejects European Union-dictated austerity measures is now the single biggest party in Parliament. Newspaper headlines proclaim the country ungovernable, and world financial markets are spooked by the prospect of gridlock in the eurozone's third-largest economy.
Thanks to a byzantine election law, the center-left Democratic Party came in first by a slim majority.

'The Real Jiminy Cricket': Unlikely Candidate Upends Italian Elections

Sylvia Poggioli — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 08:28:00 +0000
Italy's election campaign has been dominated by an upstart comedian-turned-politician whose Five Star Movement is soaring in the polls. The movement is not expected to win in the weekend vote, but its strong presence in Parliament could be destabilizing and reignite the eurozone crisis.
Beppe Grillo is a standup comedian and the country's most popular blogger; 63 years old, with a mane of grey curly hair, he's hyperactive and foul-mouthed.

Italy's Berlusconi Returns From Political Graveyard

Sylvia Poggioli — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 10:51:00 +0000
Transcript
RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:
This is MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Renee Montagne.
LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:
And I'm Linda Wertheimer. In Italy, elections begin this coming Sunday and voters appear disoriented by a motley array of parties.

Greece's Economic Crisis Reveals Fault Lines In The Media

Sylvia Poggioli — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 19:58:00 +0000
Three years of spiraling economic crisis in Greece have devastated every sector of the economy. The Greek media are among the hardest hit. Many newspapers and TV outlets have closed or are on the verge, and some 4,000 journalists have lost their jobs.
Many people believe the country's news media have failed to cover the crisis — and lost credibility along the way.

Pope: Resignation Is 'For The Good Of The Church'

Sylvia Poggioli — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 22:44:00 +0000
Transcript
ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:
From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Robert Siegel.
AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:
And I'm Audie Cornish.
Pope Benedict XVI made his first public appearance today since announcing his resignation. He will be the first pope to step down in 600 years. Today, Benedict told thousands of faithful that he's confident his decision will not harm the church.
NPR's Sylvia Poggioli has our story.
SYLVIA POGGIOLI, BYLINE: Benedict spoke at his weekly general audience, appearing fatigued but with a strong voice.

Pope Benedict XVI: A Champion Of Catholic Tradition

Sylvia Poggioli — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:41:00 +0000
On April 19, 2005, when wisps of white smoke puffed from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel, the Roman Catholic Church had its first German pope since the 11th century.
Just one day before his election as Pope Benedict XVI, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger delivered a homily that, many analysts later said, became the platform of his papacy.
He denounced modern trends he said were undermining Catholicism and Western civilization.
"We are moving toward a dictatorship of relativism, which does not recognize anything for certain and which has as its highest goal one's own ego and one's own desire

Benedict XVI, Vatican's Traditionalist Enforcer, Steps Down

Sylvia Poggioli — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 15:14:00 +0000
The first German pope in a thousand years is a cold, distant intellectual who never served as a parish priest. Cardinal Ratzinger, the Vatican Enforcer, became Pope Benedict XVI. As successor to John Paul II, Benedict was never as beloved by the faithful but still attracted crowds matching those of his media-savvy predecessor.

Knights Of Malta Celebrates 900th Anniversary At Vatican

Sylvia Poggioli — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 15:53:00 +0000
Pilgrims and tourists visiting the Vatican received a special treat Saturday, when some 4,000 members of the Knights of Malta marched in procession to the tomb of St. Peter.
The last of the great chivalrous orders is celebrating the 900^th anniversary of its official recognition by Pope Paschal II. On Saturday, the Knights attended Mass in St. Peter's Basilica and received an audience with Pope Benedict XVI.
The Knights of Malta is also known as the Sovereign Military Order of St.