Commentaries by Cynthia

If there's one thing I would like to accomplish with my life, it would be to offer hope to those who are feeling hopeless. But this is a large job, and I cannot do it on my own. The sad fact is that most people simply do not care about other people, especially if depression or some other form of mental illness is present. Even family and friends become frustrated over the depressed person's moods and behaviors to the point where they withhold support and compassion.

Please, if someone you know is suffering from depression, learn how to show them gentleness and concern - even if this is not a natural part of your personality. The depressed person is lost in a long, dark tunnel and may be panicked, feeling their very life slipping away from them. Many with depression describe this as an overwhelming sensation of dying from the inside out, and their body reacts as though they were drowning or suffocating.

Vatican 'forgives' John Lennon
By David Willey
BBC News, Rome

A Vatican newspaper has forgiven the late English singer John Lennon for saying four decades ago that The Beatles were more popular than Jesus.

In an article praising The Beatles, L'Osservatore Romano said Lennon had just been showing off.

Lennon told a British newspaper in 1966 - at the height of Beatlemania - that he did not know which would die out first, Christianity or rock and roll.

At the time, the comparison sparked controversy in the US.

The semi-official Vatican newspaper marked the 40th anniversary of The Beatles' "White Album" with an article praising Lennon and the Fab Four from Liverpool.