Catholics reflect on Benedict's legacy

Following Pope Benedict XVI's resignation on Feb. 11, research suggests that although Benedict's papacy was viewed favorably by many, some Catholics in America are hoping his replacement changes the way the papacy is conducted.

According to a report released by the Pew Research Center early today, 46 percent of American Catholics believe the next pope should "move the church in new directions," and 63 percent said they were unsatisfied with the way Benedict handled the church's sexual abuse scandal.

AP Photo: Cardinal Angelo Scola, Archbishop of Milan, guides the pope in Milan, Italy last week

The issue of sex abuse in the church, particularly among high ranking Catholic officials, has resulted in an estimated $2 billion in settlements, according to the New York Times. 

Paula M. Kane, the John and Lucine O'Brien Marous Chair of Contemporary Catholic Studies at the University of Pittsburgh, said she wants Benedict's replacement to handle the issue more effectively.

"The pope has to deal with the sexual abuse issue and scandals," Kane said. "He needs to consider ways in which Vatican dogma has not kept up with the times."

The Pew report also revealed that for those who attend Mass at least once a week, 63 percent believe the next pope should enforce similar traditional policies to those of Benedict. 

Don Briel, director of the Center for Catholic Studies at the University of Saint Thomas, said Benedict's style cannot be definitively classified.

"He is not easily caricatured as conservative or liberal," Briel said. "He is self-evidently a man of deep prayer and humility, one who has brought to the most visible platforms of modern secular culture a careful set of distinctions...that should cause us in the West to rethink our reductionist accounts of private faith."

During his papacy, Benedict was praised by members of the Catholic community for his theological work. Nick Cafardi, dean emeritus and professor of law in Duquesne's School of Law, said Benedict was "a phenomenal theologian." 

"His books on the life of Christ are wonderful examples of theology with a really common touch to them," Cafardi said.

After Benedict's resignation officially takes effect on Feb. 28 at 8 P.M, the 117 Cardinals currently under the age of 80 will elect the new pope. 

'I Fought Joey Porter's Entourage': Meeting the Pittsburgh Penguins

One time, I chased after Derek Jeter's limo for 15 blocks in the middle of Pittsburgh, only to have my legs and heart give out simultaneously. Failure.

Another time, I stood in one spot in front of a door for three hours at All Star Fan Fest for Alex Rodriguez, only to have an attendant tell me he went out of a different door. Failure.

Tonight, I toughed it out in the deceivingly-cold weather for two hours, pennant and Sharpie in hand, waiting for the Pittsburgh Penguins after a 5-2 win over the Capitals. Success. 

Yes, I would call myself an 'autograph hound,' if those are the correct words. There's something about getting an autograph that is significantly different than any other experience. Outsiders will say "it's just the guy's scribbled name," but it's so much more than that. But that's for another post, some other day. 

Mike picked me up at 9, gave me a pair of gloves (could have used about 50 more) and drove us into the city. After a half hour of, well, finding out where it would be socially acceptable to wait for players, we found a group of 60 fans clothed head-to-toe in Pens' gear grouped behind a set of bicycle racks.

This was the spot. 

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The spot where we would stand, freezing, as we watched for an hour as beautiful car after beautiful car passed by. "Please stop," we wished, but it didn't come true. As with every autograph experience, there was that ongoing battle in our heads: do we stay and risk disappointment, or do we leave and miss something extraordinary? 

So we kept standing. Thankfully. 

Because before my hands turned to ice (10:30 PM approximately), a black Range Rover pulled up slowly and came to a halt at the end of the line. Everyone gathered. It was Tomas Vokoun. 

First rule of autograph hounding: be polite. I was polite. Vokoun signed. 

And then, 15 minutes later, another expensive car slowed down in front of us. This time, Deryk Engelland poked his head out of the window. 

Second rule of autograph hounding: don't hand over the Sharpie with the tip facing the signer. I committed no such foul. Engelland signed next to Vokoun.

A handful of people left, and a half hour later, the remaining crowd yelled "Fleury" at a pair of headlights approaching quickly. Marc Andre Fleury, my favorite NHL goalie since Johan Hedberg. 

Third rule of autograph hounding: don't be too creepy (avoid the phrase "I love you" at all costs.) I kept my mouth shut. Fleury signed next to Engelland.

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At that point, everyone left. Even the security guards.

But that wasn't fooling our new friend, the guy who fought Joey Porter's entourage in a nightclub over a lost earring. This guy, one of the coolest people in da 'Burgh, assured us that Dan Bylsma hadn't left the building yet. 

"Alright, let's stay for a few more minutes."

It didn't even take a few minutes for a pair of bright headlights to shine out at us from the Consol gate. The lights, coming closer and closer, were those of the coach. 

Dan Bylsma, wearing a stylish fedora, rolled his window down and spoke words to us. I don't remember what those words were, probably because I was in shock. I broke rule #3, without saying "I love you." 

He signed the top of my pennant, exchanged a few words with us and went on his way. In a matter of two minutes, myself, Mike and the man who fought Joey Porter's entourage were the only three in the city of Pittsburgh talking to the coach of the beloved Pittsburgh Penguins.

Ah. Success.

Bernier shares details on upcoming book

When professor Craig Bernier is not teaching eager groups of freshmen how to write, he is busy mastering the craft on his own.

The newest of his works is set to release by Black Lawrence Press in April 2014, following a decade of writing and searching for publishers. Your Life Idyllic, a collection of his own short stories, looks into the life of what Bernier calls “a character I know really well.”

The collection, given the St. Lawrence Award by Black Lawrence, is centered around people who go to work, a character often forgotten in literature, according to Bernier.

“There's something happening in every day work that is often overlooked,” Bernier said. “Not the work in and of itself, but the folks who do the work. There's a natural struggle that I certainly remember when working."

Though he acknowledged that writers are sometimes “the worst people to talk to about our own styles,” Bernier said that what makes his collection different than others is its concentration on language, an aspect in his work that may have taken its roots in his time as a poet.

“I tried to separate my stories, to some degree, with an attention to language and how it comes together in a lovely fashion, or a stark fashion, or an evocative fashion, or a connotative fashion,” Bernier said.

From now until its release next year, the book will go through the publishing stages of editing, cover design and marketing. Black Lawrence Press, an imprint of Dzanc Books, allowed Bernier to design the cover with Rob Bupp, senior art director at Chemistry Communications.

“What's nice about the small press is you can do a lot more than with some of the larger houses,” Bernier said. “This has been a project of mine for some time, so I'm really attached to it. I don't necessarily want to turn over the cover design or the editing process.”

The professor decided on the the title, Your Life Idyllic, towards the beginning of his writing process. Noticing “a lot of bleak characters trying to eke it out,” he chose what he thought to be the overarching theme connecting the stories. The bleak characters in his works, Bernier said, has led to his writing being deemed “depressing.”

“I don't necessarily know that my stories are bleak,” Bernier said. “I tend to focus on a moment where everything could change. It doesn't necessarily change, but the character becomes aware there are other options.”

Bernier is currently working on a novel called Gamer, examining the changing culture of a comic book and gaming emporium, and Doom and Spectacle, a collection of motorcycle stories.

My Favorite Song of All Time

Ask any of my friends- I'm not particularly good at making decisions.

And for some reason, everyone (and I mean everyone) continues to rely on me for, say, what to do that night. Or where to eat. Or when to leave. I just can't do it.

With that being said, I was asked again recently what my "favorite song of all time" is. All time. That's hard. Harder than hard, considering my 11 Spotify playlists (with nearly 50 songs on each) and nearly a decade of listening to music for a dozen hours each day.

Even harder than harder than hard, considering the stacks of CDs laying around my house, the $300 worth of songs purchased on ITunes and all those music reviews for the ol' high school newspaper.

I'm 18 years old. Let's say my interest in music began midway through my life. Nine years = 3,285 days. 1/8 of those days, approximately, were spent with headphones on. That's 591,300 minutes. Divide that by the rough four-minute average per song and you get...

147,825 songs.

Pick one of those and call it your "favorite of all time"? Nearly impossible.

Until I thought. And thought. And thought. And finally...This...



My favorite song of all time. That's it. To be honest, it wasn't as hard of a decision as I had imagined.

For three minutes, this song speaks volumes to me. I first heard it in middle school, on a field trip bus to god-knows-where, and I was motionless for the entire ride. Song on repeat. Volume all the way up. Ears in pain, but begging for more.

Since then, I get the same feeling when I listen to it, something I can say about few other other pieces of music. It reminds me of simpler times, free of obligations and worries. No need to personally relate to every single piece of music (a pet peeve of mine.)

I was 12 years old. Let's be honest- I had no idea what the song meant. Music doesn't need to be so complicated. I just loved it for what it sounded like. I loved it for its raw emotion. I loved how Martha's voice complemented Gary's so beautifully.

I loved how it made me feel, and I still do.