AP: Atheist Gifts Pontifical School in Will

[truthpusher]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-italy-atheist-pope,1,2333294.story

Atheist Gifts Pontifical School in Will

By FRANCES D'EMILIO, Associated Press Writer
9:23 AM PDT, October 21, 2006

ROME -- An Italian journalist and self-described atheist who died last month has left most of her books and notes to a pontifical university in Rome because of her admiration for Pope Benedict XVI, a school official said Saturday.

Oriana Fallaci had described the pontiff as an ally in her campaign to rally Christians in Europe against what she saw as a Muslim crusade against the West. As she battled breast cancer last year, she had a private audience with Benedict, who was elected only a few months earlier, at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo.

Benedict was surprised by the gift of the books, which dated back as far as the 17th century and included volumes about the formation of modern-day Italy, American history, philosophy and theology, said Monsignor Rino Fisichella, rector of the Pontifical Lateranense University in Rome.

"The veneration that she had for you, Holy Father, persuaded her to make this donation, which will be known as the Oriana Fallaci Archives," Fisichella said during a ceremony at the university Saturday to announce the gift of the books, the Italian news agency ANSA reported.

(snip)

Fisichella said "the pope has said we must live in the world as if God existed and she (Fallaci) took up the challenge."

After decades of conducting major interviews and covering wars as a correspondent for two of Italy's largest dailies, Fallaci concentrated her famous passion and energy in her last years on vehement attacks against a Muslim world she judged to be the enemy of Western civilization.

(snip)

link: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-italy-atheist-pope,1,2333294.story

[BrklynLiberal]

1. A gift that had it roots in hate. How admirable.

:sarcasm:

"Oriana Fallaci had described the pontiff as an ally in her campaign to rally Christians in Europe against what she saw as a Muslim crusade against the West."

[Demeter]

2. More Books Locked Away or Burned!

If the vaults of the Vatican were ever opened to the world.....

[BrklynLiberal]

3. Her hate overcame her intelligence. How disgustingly pathetic.

[shrike]

4. Odd

That's all I have to say about this. Another one for the "People do the weirdest things" list.

[MisterP]

5. there's a new trend, candy-coating war lust and Islamophobia

in liberal or anti-fundamentalist rhetoric, much like the Lord Protector, Tumbledown Tony, and Thatcher-Pinochet economics

[mcscajun]

6. truthpusher

Please be aware that DU copyright rules require that excerpts of copyrighted material be limited to four paragraphs. Thanks.

[papau]

7. So are all atheists closet Christians? - guess we never really know until

death is near -eh?

But I suspect she died true to her faith - atheism.

[pinerow]

8. Do all "Leftists" become weird after they make a buck or two...?

Fallaci...Hitchens...Horrorwits( yea...I know it's Horowitz, just could not resist it)...Wolfe, etc.