Fwd: Pope announces priests to become taxonomists

[Eugene Hall]

Today is April 1st, isn't it?

Adios,
Gene


>This one is an eye-opener. Is there hope for us yet?
>
>>Date: Tue, 1 Apr 2003 09:32:04 -0800
>>To: dyanega at pop.ucr.edu
>>Subject: Fwd: Pope announces priests to become taxonomists
>>
>>>----------
>> From Rueters:
>>>
>>>April 1, 2003
>>>
>>>      In a stunning announcement, Pope John Paul today proclaimed
>>>that he intends to make taxonomy, the science of naming and
>>>classifying organisms, one of the Church's highest priorities, and
>>>called upon his priests to turn to the practice of taxonomy as "a
>>>way of realizing their Divine calling." Citing the Book of Genesis,
>>>the pontiff explained that the first and only task that God gave
>>>Adam to perform was the naming of all the earth's creatures, and
>>>further noted that he has been advised that "most scientists
>>>believe that less than 10 percent of the world's species have
>>>actually been given names as of today." The Pope went on to suggest
>>>that the scientists will never complete this "Divine mission", and
>>>that only if the Church turns its vast resources and manpower to
>>>this problem "can God's first directive to mankind ever be
>>>realized." He asked that his priests make it a goal of their lives
>>>to undertake the naming of as many new species as possible, and to
>>>coordinate their efforts "by forming a Commission whose aim is to
>>>identify gaps in present classification, and delegate
>>>responsibility for filling those gaps." The Pope further invoked
>>>the names of St. Francis of Assisi and the monk Gregor Mendel as
>>>examples of holy men who felt an affinity for God's handiwork as
>>>expressed in the natural world, referring to the practice of naming
>>>creatures as "the world's oldest profession," a remark which his
>>>advisers later apologized for as an unintended phrasing based upon
>>>their translation from Polish to English.
>>>----------
>--
>
>Doug Yanega        Dept. of Entomology         Entomology Research Museum
>Univ. of California - Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521
>phone: (909) 787-4315 (standard disclaimer: opinions are mine, not UCR's)
>   "There are some enterprises in which a careful disorderliness
>         is the true method" - Herman Melville, Moby Dick, Chap. 82

Gene Hall
Collections Manager
Invertebrate Zoology & Paleontology
CU Museum of Natural History
UCB 265
University of Colorado
Boulder, CO 80309-0265
Phone: 303.735.5262
CU Museum:Zoology: http://cumuseum.colorado.edu/Research/Zoology/
Research Interests:
http://cumuseum.colorado.edu/Research/Zoology/zoology_research.html