When it was 7:27 the Sun rose in Rome.
It was 18:21 when it changed its mind on the other side of the sky.
The Ave Maria Bell… still not ringing but now in its 18:30 cycle.
In the new calendar it is the Feast of St. Gaspar del Bufalo, a favorite. I have a 1st class relic.
Please remember me when shopping online and use my affiliate links. US HERE – UK HERE WHY? This helps to pay for health insurance (massively hiked for this new year of surprises), utilities, groceries, etc.. At no extra cost, you provide help for which I am grateful.
I am making preparations, slowly, to come back around Christmas. It has been a long time since I’ve been here for Christmas and when I was I was so unspeakably downtrodden that was a minor miracle that I made it through. Memories to purify.
IVY REPORT! Shot at the same place as last time. Yes, I know it is a kind of creeper, but I don’t care. Last time HERE
A nice basket of funghi porcini.
Things are being tidied up at the Campo de’ Fiori.
Supper was really simple. Tomato, garlic, salt, pepper, chopped basil, olive oil, pepperoncino for heat. Pasta: mezze maniche. At the last moment, more basil and a squeeze or two of a juicy Sicilian lemon.
Yes.
Enough to ruin your appetite.
Catholic teaching on migration balances the dignity of the human person with the right of states to regulate their borders. The Church emphasizes that migrants, as human beings made in God’s image, deserve respect, compassion, and protection, particularly those fleeing… https://t.co/jD3B3n1LhU
— Father V (@father_rmv) October 21, 2025
On the ascendance… in Rome? I wonder if this heralds the acceptance of his resignation. Just speculating, which is a time-honored clerical prerogative.
Today he had a piece at Vatican.va – News in which he tried to used Dilexi te as a way to justify further destruction of the Roman Rite. How so? “The poor”, something. It’s something about the “poor”. And, the Council, something something. I have a fully fisked version ready to go, but I want to sleep on it. And I’ve had enough of him today.
There are still figs in the market here… there’s still time for me to get figs for prosciutto.
Speaking of figs did you know that the word sycophant means, in Greek “fig shower/revealer”? The Greek word sykophant?s is a combination of s?kon (“fig”) and phainein (“to reveal”). This was the type of person who tattled on people growing figs which in the ancient world were taxed. He showed the figs and got a cut of the fine.
Also, I stopped by at the P.za der Fico but I was early, and none of the regular chess players were there under the large fig tree (fico).
Speaking of chess. The chess world is still rocked by the sudden death of Danya Naroditsky (29).
It’s an off day in St. Louis for the US Championship. I can get more rest tonight.
NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.
Priestly chess players, drop me a line. HERE
White to move and mate in 3.
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