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Scoop
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Regarding Popes, Dopes And Hopes
Did you see the AI-generated photo Trump posted of himself as pope on his Lying Social Network? In response, the bishops of New York State solemnly said, 'There is nothing clever or funny about this image.' Perhaps, but a body can't help but laugh. The global media is reporting, with a mock serious tone, that 'the men responsible for picking a new pontiff are enjoying rock-star status in Rome as they prepare for conclave: the secret, centuries-old ritual of electing a leader of the Catholic church that is due to begin on 7 May.' 'Until they are sequestered, it is in the bars and restaurants in the area surrounding the Vatican where the real talking happens, with some mischievous cardinals exploiting the press while they can to leak tidbits or to discredit the main candidates.' Though the Oscar-nominated movie 'Conclave' has a properly progressive ending, and though its message is irredeemably conflicted as it tries to give relevance to a medieval ritual, it gets one thing right: The conclave is as political as any smoke-filled room. As was also reported today, 'Luis Antonio Tagle, a reformer from the Philippines and a strong favorite, had a rough ride from conservative cardinals after a video of him singing John Lennon's Imagine emerged on the internet.' So it's likely that the soon to be beatified Pope Francis, who dubiously represented one small step for the Church (even though he was unable or unwilling to root out the rot of sexual abuse by priests, not to mention condemn the Church's complicity in the Argentinean atrocities during the 1970's), will be replaced by a man who will represent one giant leap backward for humankind. The lawn signs popping up for Trump for Pope compel the question: Is there any more true holiness in the Catholic Church than there is this putz of a POTUS? As a boy when the Mass was still in Latin and the priest faced away from the congregation, the mysterious rituals of the Church had their desired effect, producing in my imagination as a child a sense of wonder and grandeur, just as they have in the childlike minds of unaware people over hundreds of years. And though it was still before Vatican II when I became an altar boy and the rituals remained remote, I saw firsthand that it was all a big show. Now that's all that remains, which is why the headline, 'Rock- Star Cardinals' is so fitting. The Roman Catholic Church is shot through with darkness and corruption, from its secular power during the Holy Roman Empire, to its vast wealth accumulated over the centuries, to the minimally addressed pedophilia of its priests and abuse by its nuns. Without doubt, if there was a Second Coming, the first thing Jesus would do would be to disavow any connection with Catholicism and Christianity. Though the worldwide obsession with one man (the dope or the pope) is understandable given the pathocracy that the USA has become, one cannot lose sight of the fact that America's complete conduit of collective darkness is a product of American socio-political culture. The darkness in human consciousness is playing for all the marbles. Never in human history has a non-theologized, non-psychologized philosophy of evil been more urgently needed. People on the right project the darkness within them onto people on the left, whereas people on the left psychologize evil to the point of writing 'evil' with quotes, as if it doesn't exist except in each person's interpretation. The underlying question is: Can the inward, spiritual dimension can inform and be harmoniously combined with the outward political dimension of human life? Of course, not even the Dalai Lama could sustain that balance, and formally relinquished his political position in 2011 over the Tibetan government in exile. Taking the word catholic literally, Pope Francis attempted to universalize all religions under the banner of inclusiveness. But he was jesuitical by ignoring the inherent contradiction of simultaneously trying to evangelize Catholicism. Thus his inclusiveness was a whitewash of exclusive Catholic doctrine, ash heap ideas of sin, and the gilded trappings of institutional power that he left intact for the next pope. The world desperately needs a true moral conscience, one that is both authentically spiritual in that it eschews power in perpetuity, and effectively political in the sense that declares the sovereignty of humanity, upholds the wholeness and health of the Earth, and prioritizes the needs of the poor and marginalized. Institutions of the past, whether supposedly spiritual or blatantly political, represent mindsets that are utterly irrelevant to the immense challenges of the present. Reform, whether of the Catholic Church or the United Nations, is completely secondary to a psychological revolution and the creation of a living global body of dialogue and deliberation. Martin LeFevre - Meditations Scoop Contributor Martin LeFevre is a contemplative and philosopher. His sui generis 'Meditations' explore spiritual, philosophical and political questions relating to the polycrisis facing humanity. lefevremartin77@gmail
Metro
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Andrew Garfield breaks down in tears at grave for his murdered ancestors
Andrew Garfield's journey into his ancestry was more heartwrenching than he anticipated, as it took him to the graves of his murdered family members. He followed his family history through to Poland in the return of the BBC 1 series Who Do You Think You Are? which aired tonight. The Spider-Man icon broke down in tears as he arrived at the memorial grave site for those lost at the Nazi death camp Treblinka, Poland. Andrew, 41, had uncovered the story of his Jewish great-grandfather Ludwig Garfinkel, who had successfully escaped the Holocaust. However, he was then confronted with the solemn realisation that Ludwig's three sisters, who did not escape, likely met a horrific end at the hands of the Nazis. As he reached Treblinka, which is now marked with engraved stones representing towns the victims had lived in, the Social Network star was overcome with emotion. 'This is the memorial stone for the Jews from Kielce that met their ultimate fate here in Treblinka,' he explained through his tears. Kielce was where Ludwig's sisters, along with many other persecuted civilians, fled to and lived in ghettos. 'Which, um, my -' Andrew began to explain before his voice cracked and he wiped away more tears. He continued: 'Which, my great-grandfather's three sisters, we imagine, had to have been murdered. Szajndla, Dwojra, and Basia. 'That their lives were deemed so valueless and the Nazis attempted to erase even the memory of them. Even their names, even any record of them. 'And they succeeded in a certain way.' While the records of the death camps were erased, most of the Jewish population living in Poland's ghettos were brought there, with over 1,000,000 unmarked deaths. As he placed remembrance stones on top of the Kielce standing stone, he added that these women were just 'normal girls' who had lives and dreams. Andrew added: 'This journey that we've been on has recovered my memory of them and my family's memory of them. I'm very grateful for that. 'I wish I had known you better. I wish you peace.' The We Live In Time actor followed the visit with a return to Los Angeles, where he was born and spends half his time. More Trending In a deeper connection to the city, it was revealed that his father's great-uncle, Harry Kupcyks, had emigrated there from London and set up a ladies' tailoring store. He changed his last name to Cooper and was said to have worked with Marilyn Monroe, Ava Gardner and Elizabeth Taylor. 'It's just really lovely to see a success story,' Andrew shared of his ancestor's Hollywood roots. View More » Who Do You Think You Are continues Tuesday at 9pm on BBC 1. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: The Celebrity Traitors 'leaked' line-up is a game-changing moment in television MORE: Doctor Who's greatest episode in years proves it's broken beyond repair MORE: 'One of the best police dramas ever made' finally lands on Amazon Prime
The Independent
06-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Jesse Eisenberg ‘honoured' after being granted Polish citizenship
Jesse Eisenberg has officially become a citizen of Poland after his film set in the country, A Real Pain, won an Oscar on Sunday. The drama-comedy follows two mismatched cousins, played by Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin, who travel to Poland following the death of their beloved grandmother, who was a Holocaust survivor. Culkin, 42, won numerous gongs during awards season for his performance and topped it off at the Oscars where he was awarded Best Supporting Actor. During his acceptance speech, the Succession star shocked his wife by asking if they could have more children. Eisenberg, who wrote and directed the film, may not have had his own Oscar to celebrate but just a few days later was awarded Polish citizenship by the country's president Andrzej Duda. Speaking at a ceremony in New York on Tuesday (4 March), the 41-year-old actor said: 'I'm so unbelievably honoured. This is an honour of a lifetime and something I have been very interested in for two decades.' A Real Pain was inspired by the passing of Eisenberg's great aunt in 2019, who had fled to the United States from Poland in 1938. 'While we were filming this movie in Poland and I was walking the streets and starting to get a little more comfortable in the country, something so obvious occurred to me, which is that my family had lived in this place far longer than we've lived in New York,' Eisenberg added. 'And of course, the history ended so tragically, but in addition to that tragedy of history was also the tragedy that my family didn't feel any connection any more to Poland. And that saddened me and confirmed for me that I really wanted to try to reconnect as much as possible.' When making the film, Eisenberg was inspired to apply for Polish citizenship, which is available to anyone with direct ancestors who were born in or lived in the country after 1920. In conclusion, Eisenberg said: 'I really hope that tonight and this ceremony and this amazing honour is the first step in me, on behalf of my family, reconnecting to this beautiful country.' The Social Network star first announced that he had applied for Polish citizenship in May 2024. In an interview with Polish publication Głos Wielkopolski, he explained that both his and his wife's families were from Poland. He added that shooting A Real Pain in Poland reminded him of stories he'd heard from family growing up, and made him want to 'create better relationships between Jews and Polish people'. 'I applied for Polish citizenship about nine months ago. Apparently, all the paperwork has already been submitted and I'm waiting for the final signature,' said Eisenberg. 'My family is from the southeast, from Krasnystaw, my wife's [Anna Strout] family is from Łódź. We wanted to have a greater connection to Poland. I would like to work here more. 'Growing up, I've heard stories of the Polish relationship with my Jewish family and all the stories were great: we were best friends with the Poles.'
Khaleej Times
24-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Khaleej Times
Jesse Eisenberg calls Emma Stone his 'fairy godmother' after Film Independent Spirit Awards 2025 win
Jesse Eisenberg called actress Emma Stone his "fairy godmother" during his acceptance speech for best screenplay at the 2025 Film Independent Spirit Awards, said The Hollywood Reporter. The Social Network actor won the best screenplay award for his film The Real Pain, which starred him and Kieran Kulkin in the lead roles. Emma Stone jointly produced it. At Santa Monica in California on Saturday, the actor said: "I met Emma when we were in Zombieland together in 2009 and since then — I write little magazine articles and little things on McSweeney's, and she's the only person, I'm including my mom here, who would take little screenshots of it over the last 15 years and send me things like, 'This is such a funny line!'" "She was, definitely still [is], the most famous person I know, and yet also the most dedicated to encouraging me as a writer. I think about her not as my producer, but like a fairy godmother, that I am riding the coattails of her goodwill. And I think it's so important that somebody like her, who is so unbelievably successful in all these mainstream movies, people like me and Julio [Torres], and Jane [Schoenbrun], to try to produce art movies with all the goodwill that she's amassed so brightly and observably over the last couple of years. Thanks, Emma." Stone produced the film alongside Eisenberg, Jennifer Semler, Ali Herting, Dave McCary, and Ewa Puszczynska. Eisenberg mentioned Torres and Schoenbrun because Stone produced their projects Fantasma and Problemista, and ' I Saw The TV Glow', respectively, which were also nominated at the Spirit Awards. A Real Pain was also nominated in the best supporting actor category for Kieran Culkin, who plays Eisenberg's cousin in the film. The film was nominated in the best screenplay category alongside Heretic, My Old Ass, A Different Man, and I Saw the TV Glow. Eisenberg is also nominated for best original screenplay at the upcoming 97th Academy Awards.
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Spirit Awards: ‘A Real Pain' Winner Jesse Eisenberg On 'Spontaneous' Kieran Culkin; Whether He'll Reteam With ‘Zombieland' Star Emma Stone
Jesse Eisenberg, in heading to Oscar night where his A Real Pain is up for Best Original Screenplay, spoke today at the Spirits backstage about his on-set bromance with Kieran Culkin; the Searchlight Sundance acquisition actually about the complex relationship of two cousins traveling to Auschwitz. Culkin is up for Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars and won the category today at the Spirits as well as the Golden Globes prior. He's also up tomorrow afternoon at the SAG Awards. Eisenberg won earlier today for Best Screenplay at the Spirits. More from Deadline Spirit Awards: Two Wins Each For 'A Real Pain', 'Didi' & 'Baby Reindeer'; 'Shōgun' Best New Scripted Series - Updating Live Aidy Bryant Jabs At Kieran Culkin Kissing 'SNL' Sketch That Was Cut, 'The Brutalist' Budget & More In Second Go-Round As Indie Spirits Host Oscar Presenters: Selena Gomez, Oprah Winfrey, Ben Stiller, More Among Stars Added To Line-Up; Nick Offerman Named Announcer Said the A Real Pain star and filmmaker, 'Kieran is a very spontaneous person but he doesn't improvise dialogue. That's not the way we work. Kieran's main love is theater as an actor and you don't improv in theater. We both came from a similar school but he's so spontaneous. You never know what he's going to go or what he's going to do. Occasionally he'll throw in a word. It was a dream to work with him because he's so great. it was a little unnerving the first few days. You want someone who's alive like him.' Culkin was a no show today at the Spirits, the ceremony's host joking about a kissing sketch she did with him that was cut from SNL back in 2021. Eisenberg was asked backstage about working again with his Zombieland co-star, but in a scenario where he's directing her. Does he have a scrip in the hopper for Stone? She did produce his past two directorials, When You Finish Saving the World and A Real Pain. Said the Social Network thespian, 'Every single person in the world who opens a Final Draft folder wants to write something for Emma Stone. She's the greatest in every genre. I tend not to think of writing from the perspective of what actor can do it, more so just characters that interest me. I at some point will probably have the presumption to write something for her and it will be a very awkward conversation where she tells me she's busy. ' Best of Deadline 'The White Lotus' Season 3 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Arrive On Max? 'The White Lotus' Season 3: Everything We Know About The Cast, Premiere Date & More 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery
