Word: americans
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...Better Grades At least, at his Alma Mater in Jakarta, the Menteng school, the American President can be assured of an unreserved welcome. Two weeks before Obama was due to arrive in the Indonesian capital, batik-clad students practiced a traditional Indonesian gamelan-orchestra performance they hope to play for him. School principal Hasimah is proud of the school's connection to Obama, showing off a class photo of a young Barry standing among a crowd of Indonesian students. "His story provides a huge motivation to our students," she says. "It means that no matter what your background...
...lessons of the school resonate in other ways. Annisa Luthpia, a 10-year-old pupil, giggles in confusion when asked what religion Obama is. She doesn't know - and doesn't care. Says the Muslim girl of the Christian American President: "He seems like a very nice man." Obama's challenge is to persuade Asians that he is more than just that...
Secrecy is a luxury no longer available to Benedict. The recent revelations of sex-abuse scandals in Europe have smashed the perception that predatory priests are an American anomaly. Hundreds of accusations, from Ireland and now mainland Europe, have thrust the Vatican into the grip of its greatest crisis since the 2002 revelations of abuse in the U.S. The church's standing is falling to new lows among believers in its European heartland. Sensing the growing public alarm, some within the clergy are pushing for profound institutional and ecclesiastical changes, including an end to the priesthood's fundamental tenet...
...chance of the Pope himself being brought down - the last time a Pontiff bowed out in disgrace was in 1046 (Gregory VI, for financial impropriety) - it is entirely possible the scandals will permanently sully his papacy. "This is going to be a major part of his legacy," says an American priest in Rome who asked not to be named. (See pictures of Pope Benedict XVI visiting America...
...been unusually and laudably aggressive in dealing with abusers," says David Gibson, author of a Benedict biography. Benedict has on several occasions called for "absolute transparency" on sexual abuse. During a visit to Washington, D.C., in 2008, he met in private with some victims of abuse by American priests. But he has been remarkably unforthcoming about the latest scandals. If the Pope does reveal his feelings about the current upheaval, it may be in writing: he said he would shortly publish a pastoral letter - a papal guide on how the church in Ireland should respond to charges of pedophilia among...