Swiss seek Pope's blessing to stop glacier melting
After centuries of praying for a local glacier to stop growing, Swiss villagers are now seeking an audience with Pope Benedict to get his blessing for prayers against the global warming that is causing it to recede.
In 1678, the inhabitants of the Alpine villages of Fieschertal and Fiesch made a formal vow to live virtuously and to pray against the growth of the Aletsch glacier, Europe's longest, which had caused a lake to flood into their homes.
To reinforce their prayers, they started holding an annual procession in 1862, when the glacier reached its longest during the mini-Ice Age Europe suffered in the mid-19th century.
But the villages now want to seek permission from Pope Benedict to change their vow as the glacier is melting fast due to climate change and have requested an audience with him.
"The residents of Fiesch and Fischertal hope that this will happen in September or October and are optimistic that the Holy Father will decide in their favour as he has repeatedly spoken out about climate change," they said in a statement.
Switzerland's glaciers shrank by 12 percent over the past decade, melting at their fastest rate due to rising temperatures and lighter snowfalls, a recent study showed.
Glaciers are a key source of water for hydro-electric plants in Switzerland as well as an important tourist attraction.
Researchers are predicting that the temperatures in the Swiss Alps will rise by 1.8 degrees Celsius in winter and by 2.7 degrees Celsius in the summer by 2050.
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Kevin Cassar
Aug 7th 2009, 00:30
@ James De Giorgio..... Well sorry if I hurt your feelings, but that's my opinion (which I am entitled to). As for your comment that it's dumb to abuse others just for thinking differently sounds hypocritical at best. After all my "abuse" was only a thought and did no physical damage while religions have tortured, killed, abused and persecuted anyone who did not hold their belief for ages (and they still do it today - see the Gozo carnival case and the more recent Montecristo festival issue as examples). I would have no problem if everyone kept their beliefs to themselves but it's really nowhere close to being that.
Richard A. Muscat
Aug 6th 2009, 19:42
I wonder whether they'll walk to their audience with the Pope in the Vatican or whether they'll... fly! Lol. Funniest article ever.
James De Giorgio
Aug 6th 2009, 18:30
You know, I find Kevin Cassar's comment offensive at best, and calling anyone who prays and believes in God dumb is one step too far, thank you very much, the times please note. It's dumb for a person to abuse others just because he thinks differently.
Kevin Cassar
Aug 6th 2009, 17:35
Dear God, please hear our prayers and stop the glaciers from melting. It's ok if you ignored the thousands of wars, religious wars, the holocaust etc. It's also fine with us if you keep allowing innocent children to die of starvation, to be abused, beaten and killed. All we ask is one small thing for our benefit. Amen. Stupidity knows no limits. It's useless to try to teach a stupid person that there is no immaginary friend who can wave a magic wand and create everything in 6 days and take a day's leave on the seventh. In the famous words of South Park in the Mormon episode - DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB
Gavin Attard
Aug 6th 2009, 17:18
Brillliantly funny! Life of Brian couldn't have come up with a better one!
Andrea Portelli
Aug 6th 2009, 16:46
lofl hilarious article
And I thought the Maltese were the worst!
G. Fenech
Aug 6th 2009, 16:14
I hate to be the one to point this out, but trying to "solve" the global warming issue by praying, is like trying to solve algebra using a shovel.
David Vella
Aug 6th 2009, 16:06
A pair of hands working does more than a thousand hands locked in prayer. Honestly... wishing global warming away?? Why did no-one think of that one before?
If murmuring words into thin air ever accomplished anything by themselves, the world would be a very different place.