NEWS & VIEWS
from a CATHOLIC perspective

      VATICAN (CWNews.com) -- Preparations for a papal trip on September 18- 20 to the north of Italy have been disrupted by the appearance of posters calling for "Death to the Pope" in the center of Chiavari, one of the towns which the Holy Father is scheduled to visit.

      The posters, which accuse the Pope of "tyranny," carried the signature of local anarchist groups. Police in Chiavari have opened an investigation, hoping to discovery the exact identity of the authors. Similar tracts were distributed several years ago prior to a papal visit to the city of Trent.

      Despite the excitement generated by the appearance of the posters, the Chiavari pastor said he was confident that there was "no real danger" to the Pope. He also pointed out that security would be tightened for the visit.

      Preparations for the papal trip continue unabated. Pope John Paul II is scheduled to preside at a solemn Mass in Chiavari on September 19, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the diocese. The occasion will also allow the Pope to make a friendly visit with Bishop Alberto Maria Careggio, who helped organize the Pope's vacation in the nearby Dolomites this summer.

      In Brescia, the Pope will salute Pope Paul VI, a native of the region, as Brescia celebrates the 100th anniversary of that pontiff's birth. Also in Brescia, he will preside at the beatification of Giuseppe Tovoni, a layman and banker who founded the Banco Ambrosiano-- an institution which would be plunged into scandal in the 1980s.