Expert in middle age imagery and history?

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You must be to fully enjoy the world popish crusade!

A leader of the Italian Conference of Bishops states...
...that Frederick Redbeard and his german troops are in the siege of Italian city of Gubbio (as in 1155): while you all sleep in your bed of roses, these enemies surround our cities and threaten their natural order, introducing nihilism and relativism within the walls.

A lesson in middle age history?
Not today. Not some weeks ago, when almost the same fruitful imagination brought back the devils’ shadows and sulphurs to put everyone on guard against the same enemies. I hadn't enjoyed such images since my lessons on Shakespeare and Marlowe.
Ooops, but I forgot to mention what enemy this Redbeard embodies with his soldiers.

Paedophilias? Noooo.
Corruption? Noooo.
War crimes? Noooo.

The terrible crimes menacing the natural order of the world and the custom are:
Abortion rights, euthanasy, gays and gay rights, unmarried partners asking for public recognition.

Enemies, according to CEI (Italian conference of bishops directly linked to the Pope), that seriously put in question the “natural order” of reality: male+female as normal, religious marriage as normal, outlawed abortion right as normal.

Well, each and everyday we got a pearl of wisdom from CEI. It’s their job, you’d say.

Some questions.
They say:
No catholic politician in Italy should vote for the DICO laws, sort of PACS with which civil unions (gay also) are lawfully recognized and protected: is this religion or politics?
Abortion is a crime in the name of relativism, just as to be gay is a sort of “personality disturb” that needs be cured: is this religion or politics?
Euthanasy is a crime against humanity: life is life until the last gasp and no one – not even the dying one – has a right for choice. No matter how bad or how long he suffers. Life is God's gift, it's nothing yours: is this religion or politics?

Easy answers. It is religion if it doesn't affect the laws in a free nation. But the CEI means to do.
And it is clear: the popish campaign strikes worldwide. In the USA, in Italy, in South America, in Ireland.

Strange strategy: here's the the boomerang!
- A group of progressive catholics led by Don Enzo Mazzi define themselves "scandalized" and invite people to offer their 8x1000 of incomes to the Waldesian Church to react against the Catholic Church chiefs who promote such a political strategy aimed to gain “power coming from money”, “political influence”, “conscience” control to condition the nations’ politics, “the Italian one in particular”. Have a look here, if you don't believe me, page in Italian. http://micromega.repubblica.it/micromega/2007/03/8_per_mille_all_1.html
It reminded me of Savonarola and Luther!

- Gaylib, a right-wing association for the rights of the gays, fears that some in the Church want them to live as under the Taliban theocracy.

- The Church of Milan and Carlo Maria Martini in particular must intervene, once in a while, with milder words inviting to prudence and comprehension, to a more Christian approach and mutual understanding. He wrote wonderful lines on how family changes in modern societies and to state what should be so commonsense: if you love somebody and want to live with him/her there’s no possible sin and hell close at hand!
(And I add this to highlight the difference between the Churches of Milan and Rome and the abyss that divides the Pope, CEI and other political clerical organizations from other catholic groups and authorities. The media tends to give a uniform image of the Catholic Church which does not even come close to reality)

- Former President of the Italian Republic Scalfaro (catholic) gets involved inviting the Church chiefs to a step back from politics.

- French President Sarkozy said that the position of the roman Church on gays is "shocking".

And, anyway, you chose a bad example, CEI!
Frederick Redbeard, as reported by wikipedia, undertook six expeditions into Italy and in the first one was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in Rome by…
ooops, by a Pope?! Yes, it was Adrian IV.

In a spin of history – are we destined to see gays, unmarried couples and free women crowned emperors by the Pope, once the siege of Gubbio comes to a victorious end?!