John Paul the Honest

In the world of men and women, there are many famous names. Consider these: The great Commoner, William Pitt, the elder. The grand old man, William Ewart Gladstone. The wisest fool in Christendom, King James I of England. The bard of Avon, William Shakespeare. The black Napoleon, Jean Jacques Dessalines of Haiti. The Dickens of France, Honore de Balzac. Others are the first gentleman in Europe, King George IV of England. The lady of the lamp, Florence Nightingale. The laughing philosopher, Democritus. The faultless painter, Andrea del Sarto. The learned Blacksmith, Elihu Burrit, an American linguist. The young pretender, Charles Edward Stuart. The Semiramis of the North, Catherine II, Empress of Russia. The inspired idiot, Oliver Goldsmith.

Enter another world. There are many infamous popes in the annals of the papacy. Sample this list: The “monster” and “terrorizing criminal,” Pope Sergius III. The grand adulterer, Pope John XII. The “antichrist,” Pope Boniface VII. The simonists Popes John XV, John XIX, and Benedict VIII. The robber of “pilgrims on the graves of the martyrs,” Pope Benedict IX. Others are the exterminator, Pope Innocent III. The professed atheist who called Christ a “hypocrite,” Pope Boniface VIII. The violator of “three hundred nuns” and “two hundred girls” called the “Devil incarnate,” Pope John XXIII. The fathers of illegitimate children and keepers of concubines, Popes Pius II and Paul II. The amusement seeker, Pope Leo X. The most corrupt Renaissance pope who had sex with his sisters and daughter and conducted a sex orgy in the Vatican, Pope Alexander VI.

But fame of infamy is not the exclusive preserve of men and popes. Because some countries have joined the list. Examine Poland. That nation is better known for wars and pogroms, communism and concentration camps—not for the simile, as honest as a Pole. Or rather as honest as John Paul. I did not affix pope to that name because honesty seems to be a strange quality in the history of popedom. Holiness is an anathema to the vicars of Christ!

But Pope John Paul II did separate himself from the infamous list before he died. Not when he goofed and said that the Bible book of Genesis is compatible with the theory of evolution. For evolution and creation are two opposite things. The pope proved that he was in another class when he apologized for the sins of the Roman Catholic Church. It takes a lot of courage to do so and many dyed in the wool Catholics were opposed to the “mea culpa.” But John Paul could not be deterred. He was a honest pope.

His Holiness was not however specific about those iniquities. Perhaps the confession did not include “small” sins. Like Pope Stephen VI who dug up Pope Formosus after he was dead for eight years, tried him, found him guilty, yanked off his fingers, dragged him on the streets of Rome and finally threw him into the River Tiber. Like Pope Vigilius who after condemning certain books, removed his condemnation, then condemned them again and afterward retracted his condemnation, and later condemned them again! Like Pope Benedict IV who declared Joan of Arc to be a “saint” after she was condemned by Pope Eugene IV for witchcraft.

Yet there are other “little” sins that the Pope might not have had in mind during the confession. Like the three or four popes who every morning were cursing and calling one another antichrist, demons, adulterers, sodomists, and enemies of God and man, during the Council of Constance. Like the papal court being served at supper by twelve naked girls. Like the female pope (call her a popes) who having been impregnated by one of her trusted attendants, gave birth to a child during a procession from St. Peter’s to the Lateran.

The pope might have had the “big” sins in mind. Such as the Catholic support for Nazism and Fascism. Or the introduction of slave trade by the Church through the Spanish monk Las Casas—the apostle of the Indians. Or the thousands that were crushed, burnt, choked to death or hanged on trees during the notorious Inquisition. (No thanks to the papal Bull “Ad exstirpanda.”) Then the innumerable people that were slaughtered in the crusades or the five hundred helpless women that were burnt alive in a barn in Merindol, or of the pitilessly murdered children. Or the 10,000 Protestants massacred in Paris on St. Bartholomew’s Day in 1572 and of Pope Gregory XIII attending a thanksgiving service in the Church of St. Louis and minting a coin with the words “Ugonotorum Stranges 1572” (The slaughter of the Huguenots 1572), to commemorate the “great” event. Of course, there was the Church’s active support for the two world wars where millions of “Christian” soldiers were blessed to fight and die for fatherland.

On the other hand, the pope might have had both the “small” and the “big” sins in mind when he made the “mea culpa.” As to whom he made the confession, is another matter. Suffice it to say that the pope said sorry.

So, even if the new pope after Pope John Paul, were to attempt some reformation in the irreformable Roman Catholic Church; or if he were to exhume Pope Formosus again and give him a papal burial, he has already been undone. For he did not say “forgive us our trespasses.”

In the world of religion, there are some famous titles. Check these: The beloved disciple, Apostle John. The light of Asia, Siddhartha Gautama Budda. The seraphic doctor, St. Bonaventura. Defender of The Holy Sepulcher, Godfrey of Bouillon. The apostle of Northumbria, St. Aidan. And Madonna, the “Virgin” Mary. To this list, we would add the honest pope. His name? John Paul.

Now, to the honest pope: goodbye!

Arthur Zulu is an editor, book reviewer, and author of Chasing Shadows!, How to Write a Best-seller, A Letter to Noah, and many others. For his works and free help for writersFree Reprint Articles, goto:

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Arthur Zulu is an editor, book reviewer, and published writer.

Menopause and Estrogen

As we age, is the loss of estrogens what causes the onset of peri-menopause and finally, menopause? For women, menopause is a direct result of the loss of estrogens in the female anatomy. The ¨E¨, as it is called in medical circles, is a group of female hormones produced in the ovaries. These female hormones are responsible for regulating the function of reproduction in the female body. Estrogens determine a woman’s body shape by distributing fat to different areas of the body, aid in the development of the uterus, and construct tissues in the brain and bones. Safe levels of estrogens in the body help maintain proper blood flow, control cholesterol levels, and act as an antioxidant filtering harmful chemicals from the body.

Menopause is known as the final phase of menstruation. As a result of aging, fewer eggs are produced. When menopause arrives, the ovaries stop producing estrogen altogether. Instead they produce minute amounts of testosterone (a male hormone) which is stored in body fat. A loss of estrogen contributes to stopping the female anatomy’s daily routine of maintaining homeostasis (holistic balance in the body) and has effects on the brain as well. Studies have shown that estrogen helps improve blood flow to the brain and prevents Alzheimer disease by blocking the production of chemicals contributing to it. It also increases the level of serotonin – a chemical in the brain known to improve mood. As you can see, losing estrogen can have a profound effect to a woman’s mental and, as a result, emotional balance.

Estrogen is not the name of one hormone, but the name of three special female hormones that unite to form one. They are known as E1, E2 and E3. E1, the first set of estrogen hormones in the series, is also known as estrone and is the primary source of estrogen in the body. E2 (or estradiol) is the most important estrogen developed by the ovaries and E3 (estriol) are special estrogens that are produced during pregnancy when high levels are present. During menopause, E1, E2, and E3 are all affected, and after its aftermath, low levels of estrone is the only source of estrogen remaining in the female body. It is important to note that this female hormone serves a helping function as well, transporting vital enzymes throughout the system, maintaining positive levels of cholesterol, and sparking calcium activity.

Post menopause brings even lower levels of estrogen in the body. This officially marks the end of monthly periods, the malfunctioning of ovaries, and the ability to reproduce. Since the ovaries stop producing estrogen and progesterone at the same levels it used to, having a child is nearly impossible. During this full transition, periods can also be affected. This loss of estrogen can cause irregular periods for some women, often with a lighter flow. It can also causes emotional problems like depression and aggression toward people for no ‘apparent’ reason. As stated before, a lack of this hormone means you lose ¨balance¨.

In retrospect, estrogen loss is directly responsible for the on-set of menopause. When the woman has her last menstrual cycle, it is a marker for a new chapter in her life. She learns to accept that child bearing is no longer an option, although possible in extreme cases as some women continue to ovulate during this transition In timePsychology Articles, we come to understand how this change is a necessary part of life and how we can renew ourselves and begin our new phase

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cathy Taylor is a marketing consultant with over 25 years experience. She specializes in internet marketing, strategy and plan development, as well as management of communications and public relations programs for small business sectors. She can be reached at Creative Communications: creative--com@cox.net or by visiting www.menopauseinfo.org or www.internet-marketing-small-business.com

Cunnlingus: The Formal Name for Female Oral Sex

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Can Stress Cause Hair Loss? What Is Dht and Does It Cause Hair Loss?

Hair loss, thinning hair, male hair loss, female hair loss, trichology, trichologist, hair loss clinic, hair loss centre, hair loss treatments, hair loss treatments for men and women, scalp disorders, hair and scalp problems.www.thewestminsterpractice.com

Stress does not cause hair loss—it simply makes a bad situation worse. Telogen effluvium, for example, occurs after an insult to the system. The most common cause is pregnancy. This can result in extensive and worrisome hair loss in women in the first few months after the birth of a baby. It is, however, temporary and returns completely.

What is DHT and how does It cause hair loss?

DHT stands for dihydrotestosterone. This is the active form of the male hormone testosterone. It has been suggested that high DHT levels in genetically predisposed hair follicles initiate baldness. It is this chemical conversion from testosterone to dihydrotestosterone that is blocked by saw palmettoFeature Articles, which is the active ingredient in Biostim. Biostim blocks the formation of active testosterone and allows those hairs predisposed to inactivity to become active again and make new hairs.

There is an answer in most cases with early treatment.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gary has had over twenty years’experience in dealing with every type of hair or scalp problem. For example, he helps people suffering with scalp disorders such as psoriasis, seborrhoeic dermatitis, folliculitis or from hair loss and thinning caused by genetic baldness, alopecia or through chemical or physical damage.www.thewestminsterpractice.com