Vatican honey ... cool!
Posted on 09/23/2011 12:57:07 PM PDT by NYer
VATICAN CITY, SEPT. 21, 2011 (Zenit.org).- What is the proper gift for a Pope on the Day for the Protection of Creation? According to the Italian agricultural group Coldiretti, it's about a half million bees.
Italy's largest farming association gave Benedict XVI eight beehives containing more than 500,000 bees last Sunday.
The beehives will be kept at the pontifical farm of Castel Gandolfo, where they will be used in pollination and the production of honey (some 617 pounds a year).
Coldiretti explained that bees "play a vital role in the planet's ecosystem and their disappearance would have disastrous consequences for health and the environment; a third of human food production depends on crops pollinated by insects, 80% percent of which are bees."
The "Campagna Amica" Association will provide technical assistance to the pontifical farms to oversee the protection of the bees and the production of honey.
Castel Gandolfo is considered to be a model farm because it unites traditional production methods with modern technology. It has 25 dairy cows, 300 hens and 60 cockerels, as well as an ancient olive grove producing three thousand liters of oil a year, an orchard of apricot and peach trees and a greenhouse of ornamental flowers.
In comments to L'Osservatore Romano, Sergio Marini, president of Coldiretti, said the gift was a sign of gratitude to Benedict XVI "for his constant encouragement of the daily work of those who cultivate the earth."
Vatican honey ... cool!
is the Pope an environmental whacko?
Or is it one million “Half Bees”? And are they all named Eric?
bees are necessary to pollination of our fruit trees
and most likely are in Italy as well.
nothing wacko about keeping bees (unless they are the
‘killer’ variety).
A, c d b’s?
Is that your term for someone who understand the "stewardship of Creation?"
this is going to create quite a buzz.
Will they be used for Bee-at-tification purposes?
What about bees makes one an "environmental whacko"?
There are varieties of bees that have been bred for generations in Italy, and Italian bees are very popular amongst beekeepers in the U.S. as well. They are known for being gentle, although they do not produce as much honey as other varieties.
What in this article would suggest that you pose such a question?
Appropriate username.
Bees are essential for pollination and this has nothing to do with being a “whacko.” There have been a number of major bee die-offs in recent years, mostly because of a parasite or perhaps a fungus that attacks them, and this has affected fruit production in some areas.
That said, bees are also very symbolic in the Church. Bees were the symbol of chastity (it was thought that they reproduced through parthenogenesis) and were also the symbol of St Ambrose (for his honeyed speech) and of the Barberini popes and bishops.
Bärenfang shots at the Vatican, everybody!
What in this article would suggest that you pose such a question?
World Stewardship of Creation Day just sounds lefty to me.
Chronic Collapse Disorder has also been attributed to cell phone frequencies and neonictinoid pesticides. 60,000 bees per hive is about average in mid-season. There are many other products you can get from hive other than honey too.
pollen, propolis, wax, queen jelly.
eating local honey can develop resistances to local pollen for hay fever sufferers. Honey has been used in field dressings in Iraq and Afghanistan to treat open wounds and burns.
Propolis is called Russian penicillin because it cures a host of ailments when a doctor can be a 100 miles away. Its numbing characteristics are much stronger than novacaine. Propolis has also been found in the varnish used to preserve Stradavaruis violins.
Bee stings are used in apitherapy to help people with arthritis, MS and rheumatism. The list goes on and on.
Honey is also the ONLY natural food that NEVER goes bad. It was used in the mummification of Egyptian children and found in ancient tombs, still perfectly edible.
Archbishop Chaput gave an excellent explanation of the importance of beeswax during his Easter vigil homily.
It comes from scripture! Stewardship means, more or less, being responsible for something that isn't yours. Joseph, in Genesis, was a steward in this sense. "Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything that he owned." (Genesis 39:4b, NIV) As will be explained below, God owns the earth, but we have responsibility for it. read more
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