A secret baptism for king Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud?
When the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques met Pope Benedict in Rome, the two men might have discussed a text written by Aeneas Silvius Piccolomini(Pope Pius II) back in 1461 to sultan Mehmet II. The "Epistula ad Mahometan" was published in 1483, 10 years after the death of Pius II and it remains unclear whether it had been sent to Mehmet II.
The most important element of the letter, however, was the offer of the crown of the Holy Roman Empire to Mehmet in exchange for his baptism.
The letter is rich in argumentations concerning the relationship between religion and political power and is an example of the modernity of Piccolomini, a man who had turned to celibacy only late in his life - at age 44 - and had widely travelled Europe before becoming Pope (as one of his works, "De Europa", a geographical, political and cultural account of his obervations, testifies).
If the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques was aware of this particular historical record of policy-making of the Holy See is not known, but it would be most interesting to know what the two men actually discussed: special conditions for the Vatican in terms of Dollars per barrel Saudi Arabian crude oil or permissions for catholic nuns to drive cars in Saudi Arabia on the condition that they they wear their veil in a correct way?
One thing is clear: according to Vaticanic tradition it will take at least two generations before the contents of the meeting will be published, and the Saudi side has little interest in a mediatic discussion of the vent. It could once again stir bad feelings against the king in fundamentalist circles.

One thing is clear so far: religion is back on the political agenda, as THE ECONOMIST correctly stated last week. Agnostics will face difficult times in the near future. Outspoken atheism might become the last safe haven for those who are not willing to kiss the ring of the Pope or to travel to Mecca for the Hadj.

Iconographic Impressions from Switzerland - 90 years after the Russian Revolution














"Bolshevik" Boris Michailovich Kustodiev 1920
Museo dei Uffici Florence





















Right Wing Bolshevism in Swiss Weekly "Weltwoche"









B.M. Kustodiev Selfs Portrait of the Artist 1912






El Redemptor on Corcovado Brazil





Blocher on the Uetliberg, 2007




Anne Applebaum Author of "Propaganda und Realität" Copyright Neue Zürcher Zeitung 2007