[Cronos]

I am talking specifically about the false link of a "shiva priestess". specifically. That is incorrect as:

1. there is no such thing as a shiva priestess -- the shaivate purohits/pandits are still exclusively male Brahmins, even in the progressive states like Kerala
2. the woman in question was a Christian, an Indian Christian
3. She was wearing an Indian dress -- a sari
4. She was putting a tikka on the pope's head, no religious significance but a cultural one

[CynicalBear]

Yeah right, and Catholics want us to believe that the Aarti is nothing more then like a handshake or other greeting. NONSENSE, it’s a pagan ritual.

Aarti, also spelled arathi, aarthi (from the Sanskrit term Aaraatrik) is a Hindu religious ritual of worship, a form of puja, in which light from wicks soaked in ghee (purified butter) or camphor is offered to one or more deities. Aartis also refer to the songs sung in praise of the deity, when offering of lamps is being offered.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aarti

The word “aarti” has been derived from the Rig Veda, one of the earliest Hindu scriptures,

http://festivals.iloveindia.com/aartis/

The Pope was accepting a Hindu pagan mark and you can’t dance around and change that fact.