Former Reports of Jesus’ Marital Status Strongly Questioned by Vatican Newspaper

Reports that a 4^th century papyrus suggested that Jesus was married have been rendered false.

The Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, expressed its disbelief in the cryptic message today in an article titled “At any rate, a fake.” Authors, Alberto Camplani, Coptic scholar, and Editor Giovanni Maria Vian, who are both experts in early Christianity, question the fragment’s authenticity and the lack of archaeological attribution upon purchase, according to the AP.

The article continued to criticize Harvard for contacting the media about its incredulous findings, considering the outcome to be “clamorous.”

Karen King, a professor of early Christianity at Harvard Divinity School, announced the finding last week at an international congress on Coptic studies in Rome. The text, written in Coptic and probably translated from a 2nd century Greek text, contains a dialogue in which Jesus refers to “my wife,” whom he identifies as Mary.

However, in a paper on her discovery, King clearly states that this “does not provide evidence that the historical Jesus was married.”  Instead, it provided “direct evidence that claims about Jesus’ marital status first arose over a century after the death of Jesus in the context of intra-Christian controversies over sexuality, marriage, and discipleship.”

Source : abcnews[dot]go[dot]com

Pope Benedict XVI goes green with electric Popemobile

An electric Renault Kangoo Maxi ZE will transport Pope Benedict XVI around his summer residence.

The Vatican is one of the smallest sovereign states on Earth, but it’s still concerned about carbon emissions. Pope Benedict XVI recently added a new vehicle (Popemobile to us heathens) to his official fleet, and it is powered by electricity.

The new Popemobile is based on the Renault Kangoo Maxi ZE, an electric version of the compact van Renault sells in Europe. In place of an internal combustion engine, the Kangoo has a 60 hp electric motor and a lithium ion battery pack.

This Popemobile clearly isn’t built for speed, but at least people will have plenty of time to see the Pope as he passes by. The battery pack yields a 105-mile range, which should be more than adequate for this application. Renault says Benedict XVI will use the Kangoo for transportation at his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, which is only five square miles.

Modifications for Papal service include a redesigned interior from French coachbuilder Gruau, with two bucket seats replacing the stock taxi-like bench. A traditional all-white paint scheme with the Papal coat of arms lets everyone know who is riding in this Renault.

However, unlike other Popemobiles, the Kangoo does not have an elevated glass box for putting the leader of the Catholic faith on display. Since it will be transporting the Pope in private, there really is no need. Still, the Kangoo’s big windows and sunroof should allow it to pinch-hit as parade transportation if necessary.

The Pope’s usual transportation consists of a fleet of modified Mercedes-Benz M-Class SUVs; the Vatican has also used the Mercedes G-Class for past Popemobiles.

The Kangoo Maxi ZE Popemobile was presented to the Pope by Renault Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn. Through an ever-expanding line of Nissan (Leaf, eNV200, Infiniti LE) and Renault (ZE models) EVs, Ghosn has made electric propulsion a priority at the French and Japanese juggernauts. Building an EV for the Pope shows that there is always a new niche, even at the Vatican.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com