Meanwhile: Pray and display

A church in Avezzano, central Italy, has put a “Pray and Display” sign in its car park. Fr Vincenzo de Mario of the Madonna del Passo church said: “I want to encourage church-goers to pray.” According to Private Eye, the car parking “fee” is on a sliding scale starting at 10 Hail Marys for an hour of parking. Asked how he could ensure the fee was paid, Fr de Mario said: “The Lord and the Madonna will be in charge of that part of the operation.”

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Mystery surrounds the Wikipedia entry of Catholic writer Taylor Marshall, which was edited last week to describe him as a “self-appointed theologian”. Marshall, a forceful polemicist, certainly has a few enemies. What’s striking about the anonymous editor is that, according to Wikipedia’s records, they live… in Vatican City.

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A runner in a 10-mile race in Minneapolis last month had “Jesus Saves” on his bib instead of his name – and it turned out to be prophetic. When Tyler Moon, 25, reached the eighth mile his heartbeat became irregular and he collapsed. Another runner, a registered nurse anaesthetist, stopped to help him, administering CPR until medics arrived. His name was Jesus “Jesse” Bueno.