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Catholics celebrated the 39th World Communications day with the theme “The Communications Media: at the Service of Understanding between People” last May 8 at St. Peter’s Basilica.

Pope Benedict XVI stressed the influence of the media in launching ecumenical dialogue or provoking violence between different faiths.

The media, the Pope said, is an effective instrument for the “promotion of solidarity” among different nationalities and cultures. However, this can also cause “prejudice and contempt among individuals” if abused.

DID YOU know?

St. Malachy, a medieval Irish priest, foretold the identities of 112 Roman Catholic popes from the reign of Celestine II until the present.

His manuscript was found in the Vatican Archives in 1590. The predictions, although indirect and figurative, characterize a certain pope either by trait, country of origin, choice of papal name, coat of arms or insignia, birthplace, or some symbols.

ALTHOUGH known to be religious, Catholic Filipinos are struggling to live up to their reputation. One reason is the busy lifestyle that seem to hinder spiritual growth. But while some view the Sunday Mass a burden, there are Catholics still willing to take their faith way beyond the usual communion and praying the rosary.

UNKNOWN to many, German shepherd Pope Benedict XVI is a lover of cats. Agnes Heindl, the Ratzingers’ housekeeper for 10 years, had known the Pope well to describe him as much like St. Francis of Assisi, the saint who loved animals.

“When we were on vacation, a little kitten would come by, and he’d be giddy, almost giggling with joy,” she said. “Cats love him; they always go to him straight away. And he loves them back.”

IT WAS just an ordinary day for Ciara marie Abalos, daughter of Mandaluyong City Rep. Benhur Abalos, when she was suddenly stricken by illness. Her family thought it was just mild sickness until three days later, when she was rushed to the hospital for continued vomiting, diarrhea, and high fever. The following night, after suffering from an internal hemorrhage and swollen organs, she finally died; and it was only after that when doctors discovered that the culprit was Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacterial infection.

a day in the laboratory for two of the country’s top biologists is never complete without “playing” with their samples. Juggling teaching with research work, these Asian Wall Street Journal Young Inventors award laureates uplift quality health by using unconventional technology and simply by having fun in what they are doing.

Dust in the wind

Allergies beware—your days are numbered.

IN FULFILLMENT of an agreement between the Center for Educational Research and Development (CERD) and a regional educational technology center on the training of researchers as resource persons, CERD director Allan de Guzman will train with the organization starting next month.

The agreement requires a UST researcher to serve Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Innovation Technology (Seameo Innotech) on an on-call basis. CERD signed the memorandum of understanding with Seameo director Dr. Erlinda Pefianco last Oct. 1.

THE UNIVERSITY will not be affected by the Commission on Higher Education’s (Ched) Memorandum Order no.14 that put a cap on tuition increase, Vice-Rector for Finance Fr. Melchor Saria, O.P. said.

“UST will not be affected by the order since the University raised its tuition by only four per cent,” Fr. Saria said.

Ched memorandum, issued last May 16, placed a cap on tuition increases by schools nationwide. In the order, Ched placed the maximum allowable increase equivalent to the inflation rate as set by the National Economic and Development Authority.

BECAUSE of the lure of the Nursing profession, the number of medical students applicants in the country has “significantly” dropped since 2000, statistics from the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) showed.

According to Loupel Gueta, a Ched Management and Information Statistics division staff, economic reasons affected the drop.

UST Faculty of Medicine and Surgery (Medicine) Dean Dr. Rolando Lopez agrees.

DOCTORS, be humane.

Faculty of Medicine and Surgery Dean Dr. Rolando Lopez emphasized the need for “humane doctors” during the 12th Congress of the International Association of Catholic Medical Schools in South Korea from May 11 to 13.

“(Doctors) should not only know how to treat patients but to humanely care for them,” Lopez told the Varsitarian after returning to the country last May 17. “We want them to treat not the disease, but the entire person.”