Beckham Chastised for ‘Rosary Chic’

LONDON DAILY EXPRESS, Oct. 26 — Athlete David Beckham, the most popular man in England, is among the glitterati condemned by the Catholic bishops of England and Wales for exploiting the rosary as a fashion ornament.

In response to a craze inspired by Beckham, who appeared bare-chested on the cover of Vanity Fair magazine sporting a $1,000 Dolce & Gabbana rosary, the bishops have issued a pamphlet explaining the purpose of the devotional aid.

Beckham, captain of the English national soccer team, was not mentioned by name, but Father Allen Morris, secretary for the Department of Christian Life Worship, said, “Apparently, the rosary has joined the crucifix as a desirable secular fashion accessory. People who wear a cross or a rosary and ignore the religious significance of the symbol trivialize something that is very important to Catholics.”

Beckham, who with his wife Victoria — the former Posh Spice — are devotees of kabbalah, the Jewish mystical sect, is often photographed in fashionable discos wearing colorful rosaries. Dolce & Gabbana, the Italian fashion label, has characterized sales of its “Beckham rosary” as “absolutely fantastic.”

Journalist Inspired by Mother Teresa

SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST, Oct. 26 — Ip Pui, a Hong Kong journalist, was so stirred by reading about Mother Teresa that she traded her sheltered existence for a life of caring for the wretched poor of Calcutta.

Pui, who wrote for the Oriental Weekly, has for five years spent six days a week toiling at the Nirmal Hriday (Pure Heart) hospice directed by the Missionaries of Charity order founded by Mother Teresa. There she attends to the sick and the dying, feeding and bathing them and bringing them comfort.

Sister Georgina, who runs the hospice, enthused, “Other volunteers come and go, but she's here forever.”

Ip, the only Chinese Missionaries of Charity volunteer, was once horrified by Calcutta's squalor, but now reflects, “I saw how nuns went about their work with joy and confidence. I became more spiritual and less preoccupied with the death and disease around me.”

Saint Bernards Bow Out

ASSOCIATED PRESS, Oct. 13 — The Saint Bernard, the working dog fabled as the image of Alpine rescue for 200 years, has been superceded by technology and is to be retired by the religious order that raises and trains the dogs.

The massive canines, which can weigh up to 220 pounds, are credited with saving 2,000 travelers lost in the treacherous pass that joins Switzerland and Italy. They have been only a tourist attraction since 1975, replaced in rescues by helicopters, heat sensors, and more agile dogs such as golden retrievers and German shepherds.

The remaining Bernards, 18 adults and 16 pups, are to be sold with the proviso they are allowed to return to the pass in summer.

Brother Frederick, of the Congregation of Canons of the Great Saint Bernard, commented, “Nothing will really change when the dogs are sold. It will take a load off of us and allow us to spend more time with those who need it.”