What the papers said in the week ending 3 September 2022
Living with pain and loss of abilities:
Pope Francis has provided a powerful and helpful reflection for those who find it impossible to continue the service they have previously felt committed to: Pope Francis praises ‘humility’ of C13th pontiff who resigned office | Pope Francis | The Guardian
Quoting from the Guardian report feels right, this is so apposite:
In his homily during a mass for thousands of people in the town square at L’Aquila, Pope Francis noted that in the Divine Comedy Dante had ridiculed Celestine for cowardice in abdicating his papal role, referring to the decision as “the Great Refusal”.
Francis said that by relinquishing power, Celestine had shown the strength of humility.
“In the eyes of men, the humble are seen as weak and losers, but in reality, they are the real winners because they are the only ones who trust completely in the Lord and know His will,” the 85-year-old pope said.
“Humility does not consist in devaluing oneself, but rather in that healthy realism that makes us recognise our potential and also our misery,” Francis said. He hailed Celestine’s courage because “no logic of power was able to imprison or manage him”.
It is known that Pope Francis is finding his health problems difficult, but he will continue in office.
- The Queen is facing similar challenges: Queen will not attend Highland Games due to mobility problems | The Queen | The Guardian
- There are wise, helpful and inspirational reflections on living with difficulties, from letters and articles: Even the greatest pain can be faced with calm | Bereavement | The Guardian
- A moment that changed me: a maths puzzle taught me to use my brain – and helped me cope with losing my daughter | Mathematics | The Guardian
Health:
There is advice on preserving memory and dealing with the fear of Alzheimer’s disease: Stop drinking, keep reading, look after your hearing: a neurologist’s tips for fighting memory loss and Alzheimer’s | Memory | The Guardian
The basis of good cognition in later life is improved by music training from childhood: Playing music in childhood linked to a sharper mind in old age, study suggests | Music | The Guardian
Good quality fresh food is better for us: New research gives more reasons to eat less-processed food | Food | The Guardian
Breaks of even a few seconds are protective of the damage done by grinding on and on: Short breaks can help boost energy at work, study suggests | Science | The Guardian
Having the aptitude to talk with others has great benefits:
A meta-analysis finds that tea drinkers live longer: Drinking tea may be linked to lower risk of death, study suggests | Tea | The Guardian
Another meta-analysis finds that pains are rarely caused by statins. The mean follow up in the cases studied is a little over four years. Some people have been taking statins for more than 20 years. Taking statins does not commonly cause muscle pain, researchers say | Statins | The Guardian
Inequality in the speed and priority given to people of different races presenting with symptoms of possible cancer have been identified. This is not acceptable: Revealed: ‘disturbing’ race divide on cancer patients’ wait times in England | Cancer | The Guardian
Recovery is not always followed by rapid discharge from hospital. Those few patients who stay the longest attract the greatest attention, but usually present exceptional circumstances. Medically fit patients waiting months to be discharged from England’s hospitals | NHS | The Guardian
Climate and environment:
Floods are devastating Pakistan: Pakistan declares floods a ‘climate catastrophe’ as death toll tops 1,000 | Pakistan | The Guardian
The prolonged heat and lack of rain have produced early signs of something like autumn, but it is a sickly version: The Guardian view on this false autumn: an uncanny beauty | Editorial | The Guardian
- Golden days and the autumn of life | Letters | The Guardian
- All of south-west of England in drought, says Environment Agency | Drought | The Guardian
Expensive but courageous schemes will attempt to bring areas back to a more natural economy: ‘Once in a generation’ scheme to restore nature in 22 areas across England | Wildlife | The Guardian
There is concern that averting the gaze is allowing pollution of rivers to go unmonitored and unchecked: River pollution goes unchecked as testing in England falls to 10-year low | Rivers | The Guardian
Economics of daily life:
The rise in prices of almost everything, but especially fuel and food, threatens almost everyone:
- Food banks warn surge in demand will prevent feeding hungriest this winter | UK cost of living crisis | The Guardian
- UK food price inflation hits highest level since global financial crash | UK cost of living crisis | The Guardian
- UK credit card borrowing rises at fastest rate in 17 years | Borrowing & debt | The Guardian
- UK households’ spending power to drop by £3,000, warns thinktank | UK cost of living crisis | The Guardian
- Cold homes will cost children’s lives and cause long-term damage, warn experts | Children | The Guardian
- Soaring costs could strip ‘basic dignity’ from millions in UK | UK cost of living crisis | The Guardian
- Public idea of dignified living is miles from what some can afford this winter | UK cost of living crisis | The Guardian
There have to be ways to cope: Tariff shields and turning off lights: how Europe is tackling the energy crisis | Europe | The Guardian
Old people:
Stephen Gibbons is 65 and has lived in converted metal containers for 30 years. He faces eviction as planners have caught up with him: ‘I’ve lived here for 30 years’: Welsh shipping container resident faces eviction | Wales | The Guardian
Edward Turpin is 90 and stabbed his wife in frustration at not being able to cope: Carer, 90, tried to stab seriously ill wife to death, court hears | UK news | The Guardian
We have lost Mikhail Gorbachev, one of the greatest men of our life-times Mikhail Gorbachev obituary | Russia | The Guardian
David Jolley Chair of Christians on Ageing, in a personal capacity. September 2022
