VATICAN CITY

Beatification ‘fees’ a sham, Vatican says

The Vatican complained on Friday that some travel agents are asking the faithful to shell out a “service fee” for procuring places for the beatification of Pope John Paul II when no tickets or invitations are needed for the May 1 ceremony in St. Peter’s Square.

The Vatican said there have been “unauthorized offers by some tour operators, especially on Internet, of assistance in procuring tickets, with a service charge.”

“For the beatification Mass of Pope John Paul II, as made clear from the outset, no tickets are required,” it said in a statement.

BARTOW, Fla.

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Atheists upset that hoops went to churches

The Atheists of Florida want to know how Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd decided who would receive eight basketball goals he ordered removed from county jails.

Late last year the atheist group questioned the sheriff’s decision to donate the goals to area churches. The goals were removed from jails just before Christmas.

Now the group wants more records, including documents detailing which employees were assigned to the project, how many hours they worked on it and which agency vehicles were used to move the basketball goals.

The sheriff ordered the basketball goals removed, saying “going to jail isn’t fun and games.” The atheist group says it was unconstitutional to give the goals to churches.

 


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