Talk of Cyberspace Patron Revived

THE WASHINGTON POST, Feb. 6 — The Vatican has revived talk of making St. Isidore of Seville the patron saint of Internet users and computer programmers, the Washington daily reported.

Saint Isidore was nominated two years ago but the Holy See did not make a final decision on the matter. St. Isidore lived in the seventh century. He is believed to have written the world's first encyclopedia, the Etymologies, which included entries on medicine, mathematics, history and theology. The book is frequently cited by St. Thomas Aquinas in his Summa Theologiae.

Dutch Bishops Lose Euthanasia Battle

L'OSSERVATORE ROMANO, Dec. 31 — The Dutch govern-ment's recent decision to lift penalties on doctors who perform euthanasia came after a campaign against the move by Dutch bishops.

In honor of the bishops' efforts, the Vatican weekly printed a translation of their 1999 letter to the Dutch people, warning them of the dangers of legalized euthanasia. According to the bishops, legal euthanasia will have the following consequences: l “More elements in our society will come to accept euthanasia as normal.” l “Respect for human life will deteriorate further.” l “Confidence in the doctor and in the medical profession will wane.”

Mad Cow Scare Reaches Vatican

ASSOCIATED PRESS, Jan. 31 — Europe's mad cow crisis, which is making beef an increasingly rare item on menus across the continent, has reached Pope John Paul II's dinner table, the Pope's butcher told the news service.

The Pope has a household staff of Polish nuns who do the shopping, make up the menu and cook for the Pope, who is known as a light eater with a preference for meat.

“Last week red meat was on the list, this week it wasn't,”s Giulio Lucarelli told the news service.

Lucarelli has a butcher shop in Rome and holds the meat concession at the Vatican supermarket, supplying Vatican officials as well as the Pope. The supermarket is open to Vatican employees.

In general, Lucarelli said, the purchase of red meat has gone down at the Vatican as a result of the mad cow scare but “not as sharply as elsewhere in Italy.”

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