The Vatican must “face the facts” about religious freedom in China, the Foreign Ministry said today, rebuffing the pope’s Christmas Day message, which decried the persecution of Catholics in China.
“We hope the Vatican can face the facts of China’s religious freedom and the development of Catholicism in China, and take concrete actions to promote positive conditions for China-Vatican relations,” ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told a regular news briefing. She did not elaborate.
Pope Benedict on Saturday — Christmas Day — denounced limits on freedom of worship in China and encouraged Catholics there to persevere.
Showing posts with label rome. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rome. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Suspect package disarmed in Rome
Last week, an Italian anarchist group claimed responsibility for parcel bombs that wounded two people at the Swiss and Chilean embassies in Rome
Bomb disposal experts disarmed a device sent to the Greek embassy in Rome today, days after parcel bombs claimed by an Italian anarchist group wounded two people at the Swiss and Chilean missions.
An official of the carabinieri, Italy’s paramilitary police, said the device found at the Greek embassy bore similarities to one discovered in the Rome metro last week.
The metro device was found in a box with cables, batteries and antennas but had no detonator.
Suspect packages found at the Venezuelan, Danish and Monaco embassies turned out to be false alarms. There were other false alarms last week at the Irish and Ukrainian embassies in Rome as authorities stepped up checks on mail deliveries.
Bomb disposal experts disarmed a device sent to the Greek embassy in Rome today, days after parcel bombs claimed by an Italian anarchist group wounded two people at the Swiss and Chilean missions.
An official of the carabinieri, Italy’s paramilitary police, said the device found at the Greek embassy bore similarities to one discovered in the Rome metro last week.
The metro device was found in a box with cables, batteries and antennas but had no detonator.
Suspect packages found at the Venezuelan, Danish and Monaco embassies turned out to be false alarms. There were other false alarms last week at the Irish and Ukrainian embassies in Rome as authorities stepped up checks on mail deliveries.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Rome ‘bomb’ could not explode
Two Carabinieri stand in front of a Rome underground train station where an explosive device was found, December 21, 2010
A suspected bomb was found in an empty underground train carriage in Rome today, but police said it lacked a detonator and could not have exploded.
The device, described by one police source as rudimentary, was found by a driver preparing a train for service in a marshalling yard near the Rebibbia metro station at about 0900 GMT (1700 Malaysian time), transport authority ATAC said.
It was in a box with cables, batteries and antennas, an ATAC spokesman said.
“It didn’t have a detonator, it couldn’t explode,” a spokesman for the Carabinieri, Italy’s paramilitary police force, told Reuters by telephone.
He said it contained a small quantity of explosive powder.
The device was discovered at a time of increased tension in Italy following anti-government protests last week that descended into some of the worst violence in Rome for years.
A senior Iraqi official said last week that al Qaeda was planning attacks in the US, Britain and Europe around Christmas.
A suspected suicide bomber was killed in a botched attack in Stockholm on December 11. Police believe he was planning to attack a train station or department store at the height of the Christmas shopping season.
A suspected bomb was found in an empty underground train carriage in Rome today, but police said it lacked a detonator and could not have exploded.
The device, described by one police source as rudimentary, was found by a driver preparing a train for service in a marshalling yard near the Rebibbia metro station at about 0900 GMT (1700 Malaysian time), transport authority ATAC said.
It was in a box with cables, batteries and antennas, an ATAC spokesman said.
“It didn’t have a detonator, it couldn’t explode,” a spokesman for the Carabinieri, Italy’s paramilitary police force, told Reuters by telephone.
He said it contained a small quantity of explosive powder.
The device was discovered at a time of increased tension in Italy following anti-government protests last week that descended into some of the worst violence in Rome for years.
A senior Iraqi official said last week that al Qaeda was planning attacks in the US, Britain and Europe around Christmas.
A suspected suicide bomber was killed in a botched attack in Stockholm on December 11. Police believe he was planning to attack a train station or department store at the height of the Christmas shopping season.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Pope equates Easter with pardon
Pope Benedict XVI has said Easter brings a message of pardon, goodness and truth to a suffering world but he has made no mention of the clergy abuse cover-up scandals that are buffeting him and his church.
The Urbi et Orbi Easter message is one of two major speeches the pope gives every year to the general public.
Applause rang out in St. Peter's Square as Benedict concluded a Mass during which a senior cardinal praised him as a courageous leader and dismissed the allegations as petty gossip.
Benedict decried the suffering of Christians in Pakistan and elsewhere because of religious persecution. He also recalled the hardships of earthquake victims in Haiti and Chile and denounced violence emanatingfrom drug trafficking in Latin America.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Buffeted by sex abuse scandals, the Vatican kept up its stiff defense of Pope Benedict XVI Sunday, hailing him at the start of Easter Mass as an unfailing and courageous leader of a flock that takes no heed of "petty gossip."
The tribute by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College of Cardinals, was an unusual departure from Easter ceremony traditions in St. Peter's Square. It underscored the Vatican's determination to defend Benedict from accusations that he was part of a culture of secrecy toward handling sex accusations involving clergy during the time before he became pope.
Benedict looked weary as he listened to Sodano's speech. A canopy on the central steps of St. Peter's Basilica shielded him from light rain.
Sodano said that, despite the rain, the atmosphere should be considered sunny.
"With this spirit today we rally close around you, successor to (St.) Peter, bishop of Rome, the unfailing rock of the Holy church of Christ, to sing with you the Alleluia of Christian faith and hope," Sodano told the pope.
"Holy Father, on your side are the people of God, who do not let themselves be influenced by the petty gossip of the moment, by the trials which sometimes buffet the community of believers."
Tens of thousands of pilgrims, tourists and Romans turned out despite the weather.
Sunday's edition of the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano denounced the accusations against the pope as a "vile defamation operation."
The Vatican has accused the media of fanning the scandal by reporting on cases of priests who raped children and bishops who either didn't report it to police or were obstructed from pursuing church trials by the Vatican.
Benedict hasn't made any explicit reference to the scandal since he released a letter to the Irish faithful concerning the abuse crisis in that country on March 20.
In rushing to Benedict's defense, the Vatican has angered abuse victims and their advocates, as well as Jewish leaders, who fumed after the papal preacher in a Good Friday sermon told the pope that the accusations against him were akin to the campaign of anti-Semitic violence that culminated in the Holocaust.
The preacher, the Rev. Raniero Cantalamessa, told Corriere della Sera daily in an interview Sunday that he had no intention "of hurting the sensibilities of the Jews and of the victims of pedophilia."
"I have sincerely regretted and I ask forgiveness, reaffirming my solidarity with both" lobbies, he was quoted as saying.

Pope Benedict XVI, right, is greeted by Cardinal Angelo Sodano during an Easter Mass in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican


Pope Benedict XVI looks on during an Easter Mass in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, April 4, 2010.

Pope Benedict XVI, right, is hugged by Cardinal Angelo Sodano during an Easter Mass in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican,

A member of the chorus holds a music score during the Easter Mass celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI, Sunday, April 4, 2010.

atican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, right, and Cardinal Angelo Sodano attend the Easter Mass celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI in St. Peter's square, at the Vatican,

Pope Benedict XVI is helped as he arrives to the altar to celebrate the Easter Mass in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Sunday,

Pope Benedict XVI bows in front of an icon of Jesus during an Easter Mass in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Sunday, April 4, 2010

Pope Benedict XVI looks on as he celebrates the Easter Mass in St. Peter's square, at the Vatican, Sunday, April 4, 2010.

Members of the Italian Armed Forces stand in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican during the Easter Mass celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI, Sunday, April 4, 2010

Pope Benedict XVI, left, flanked by master of ceremonies Bishop Guido Marini arrives in St. Peter's Square to celebrate the Easter Mass at the Vatican, Sunday,
Friday, April 2, 2010
Cardinals defend pope on church sex abuse scandal

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Pope Benedict XVI blows inside an amphora containing holy oil during a Chrism Mass, in St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 1, 2010. Benedict XVI urged priests to oppose violence as he led a ceremony dedicated to the priesthood Thursday, marking a Holy Week with his church buffeted by clergy sex abuse scandals. The Chrism Mass marks the st

Pope Benedict XVI washes the foot of an unidentified layman in the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome, Thursday, April 1, 2010. The feet-washing ceremony symbolizes humility and commemorates Jesus' last supper with his 12 apostles on the evening before his Good Friday crucifixion

Archbishop William J. Levada answers questions after being named by Pope Benedict XVI as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for the Catholic Church, the highest post held by an American prelate, during a news conference in San Francisco, in this Friday, May 13, 2005 file photo. Levada said in an article posted on the Vatican's Web site that a lengthy trial for the Rev. Lawrence Murphy would have been "useless" because the priest was dying by the time his diocese initiated a canonical trial. Levada was critical of The New York Times, which first published details of the decision last week

Pope Benedict XVI arrives to celebrate the feet-washing rite in the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome, Thursday April 1, 2010. The feet-washing ceremony symbolizes humility and commemorates Jesus' last supper with his 12 apostles on the evening before his Good Friday crucifixion.

Pope Benedict XVI holds up the Holy Gospel as he celebrates a Chrism Mass, in St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 1, 2010. Benedict XVI urged priests to oppose violence as he led a ceremony dedicated to the priesthood Thursday, marking a Holy Week with his church buffeted by clergy sex abuse scandals. The Chrism Mass marks the start of the Easter celebrations.

Pope Benedict XVI washes the foot of an unidentified layman in the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome, Thursday, April 1, 2010. The feet-washing ceremony symbolizes humility and commemorates Jesus' last supper with his 12 apostles on the evening before his Good Friday crucifixion.

Pope Benedict XVI washes the foot of an unidentified layman in the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome, Thursday, April 1, 2010. The feet-washing ceremony symbolizes humility and commemorates Jesus' last supper with his 12 apostles on the evening before his Good Friday crucifixion.

Pope Benedict XVI holds his pastoral staff as he arrives to celebrate a Chrism Mass, in St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 1, 2010. Benedict XVI urged priests to oppose violence as he led a ceremony dedicated to the priesthood Thursday, marking a Holy Week with his church buffeted by clergy sex abuse scandals. The Chrism Mass marks the start of the Easter celebrations.
Cardinals across Europe used their Holy Thursday sermons to defend Pope Benedict XVI from accusations he played a role in covering up sex abuse scandals, and an increasingly angry Vatican sought to deflect any criticism in the Western media.
The relationship between the church and the media has become increasingly bitter as the scandal buffeting the 1 billion-member church has touched the pontiff himself. On Wednesday, the church singled out The New York Times for criticism in an unusually harsh attack.
Western news organizations, including The Associated Press, have reported extensively on the burgeoning scandal, and new details have emerged on an almost daily basis.
On Holy Thursday, Benedict first celebrated a Mass in St. Peter's Basilica dedicated to the union between the pope and the world's priests. In the late afternoon, he washed the feet of 12 priests in a ceremony symbolizing humility and commemorating Christ's Last Supper with his 12 apostles on the evening before his Good Friday crucifixion.
Although there were expectations by some that the pope would address the crisis, Benedict made no reference to the scandal at either ceremony.
Venice's Cardinal Angelo Scola expressed solidarity with Benedict in his Holy Thursday homily in the lagoon city, describing him as a victim of "deceitful accusations." He praised the pope as seeking to remove all "dirt" from the priesthood.
Warsaw Archbishop Kazimierz Nycz said the church should take notice of individual tragedies and treat sex abuse cases very seriously, but at the same time, he criticized the media for "targeting the whole church, targeting the pope, and to that we must say `no' in the name of truth and in the name of justice."
And Vienna's Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, speaking of Benedict's long years as head of a Vatican office that investigates abuse, said the future pope "had a very clear line of not covering up but clearing up."
He had also reflected on the issue at a Wednesday evening service:
"I admit that I often feel a sense of injustice these days. Why is the church being excoriated? Isn't there also abuse elsewhere? ... And then I'm tempted to say: 'Yes, the media just don't like the church! Maybe there's even a conspiracy against the church?' But then I feel in my heart that no, that's not it."
The church on Wednesday presented its highest-level official response yet to one of the most explosive recent revelations regarding sex abuse — a story in the Times on the church's decision in the 1990s not to defrock a Wisconsin priest accused of molesting deaf boys.
It was the latest in a series of attacks on the press. Last week, L'Osservatore Romano, the Vatican's daily newspaperdenounced what it said was a "clear and despicable intention" by the media to strike at Benedict "at any cost."
On Thursday, the newspaper carried a story on its front page on German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcoming efforts to stem sex abuse, headlining "German chancellor praises the Catholic church."
In the article posted Wednesday on the Vatican's Web site, Cardinal William Levada, head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, wrote: "I am not proud of America's newspaper of record, The New York Times, as a paragon of fairness."
Levada, an American, said the newspaper wrongly used the case of the Rev. Lawrence Murphy to find fault in Benedict's handling of abuse cases.
A Times spokeswoman defended the articles and said no one has cast doubt on the reported facts.
"The allegations of abuse within the Catholic church are a serious subject, as the Vatican has acknowledged on many occasions," said Diane McNulty. "Any role the current pope may have played in responding to those allegations over the years is a significant aspect of this story."
The Vatican newspaper also carried a front-page commentary to mark the fifth anniversary of the death of Benedict's predecessor, the much beloved Pope John Paul II.
The article said John Paul wanted Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger to work by his side from the early years of his papacy. John Paul brought the archbishop of Munich to Rome to head the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the powerful office that among other things investigates clerical sex abuse.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
The Roman Army Knife: Or how the ingenuity of the Swiss was beaten by 1,800 years

Inspired: The Roman army pen knife, a precursor to today's popular Swiss Army accessory

The knife is on display at the Greek and Roman antiquities gallery at Cambridge's Fitzwilliam Museum
The world's first Swiss Army knife' has been revealed - made 1,800 years before its modern counterpart.
An intricately designed Roman implement, which dates back to 200AD, it is made from silver but has an iron blade.
It features a spoon, fork as well as a retractable spike, spatula and small tooth-pick.
Experts believe the spike may have been used by the Romans to extract meat from snails.It is thought the spatula would have offered a means of poking cooking sauce out of narrow-necked bottles.
The 3in x 6in (8cm x 15cm) knife was excavated from the Mediterranean area more than 20 years ago and was obtained by the museum in 1991.
The unique item is among dozens of artefacts exhibited in a newly refurbished Greek and Roman antiquities gallery at the Fitzwilliam Museum, in Cambridge.
Experts believe it may have been carried by a wealthy traveller, who will have had the item custom made.
A spokesman said: 'This was probably made between AD 200 and AD 300, when the Roman empire was a great imperial power.
The expansion of Rome - which, before 500 BC, had just been a small central Italian state - made some individuals, perhaps like our knife-owner, personally very wealthy.
'This could have been directly from the fruits of conquests, or indirectly, from the 'business opportunities' the empire offered.
'We know almost nothing about the person who owned this ingenious knife, but perhaps he was one of those who profited from the vast expansion of Rome - he would have been wealthy to have such a real luxury item.
'Perhaps he was a traveller, who required a practical compound utensil like this on his journeys.'
The spokesman added: 'While many less elaborate folding knives survive in bronze, this one's complexity and the fact that it is made of silver suggest it is a luxury item.
'Perhaps a useful gadget for a wealthy traveller.'
Modern Swiss Army knives originated in Ibach Schwyz, Switzerland, in 1897 and were created by Karl Elsener.
The knives which provide soldiers with a 'battlefield toolkit' have since become standard issue for many modern day fighting forces thanks to their toughness and quality.
Nationalist Elsener decided to design the knives after he realised the Swiss army were being issued with blades manufactured in neighbouring Germany.
Other popular artefacts include an intricately designed Greek make-up box which was custom made almost 3000 years ago for a women of 'wealth and status'.
The round clay make-up container from Athens dates back to 740BC and experts believe it may have been stored in a grave in the Ancient Greek city for the last 2,700 years.
The six inch high and 12 inch diameter box would have contained precious gems and make up from the era made from a variety of naturally occurring substances.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Pope knocked in attack over at Christmas mass -Pope attacked at Midnight Mass by SAME 'mentally unstable' woman who jumped barrier last year
Moments before celebrating Christmas Eve mass, Pope Benedict XVI was knocked to the floor after a woman lunged at him as he walked down the aisle of the main church in the Vatican.
As security men tried to tackle the woman, both the pope and Roger Etchegaray, a French cardinal, were knocked to the floor in the confusion, Federico Lombardi, a Vatican spokesman, said.
The 82-year-old head of the Roman Catholic church who appeared unhurt, was quickly helped to his feet and resumed the mass at St Peter's Basilica on Thursday, making no reference to the incident as the service started.
Etchegaray, 87, suffered a broken femur bone and was taken to hospital, Lombardi said.
The woman, whom Lombardi described as "unstable", was detained for questioning by Vatican security police.
She was the same person who tried to jump a barricade to get close to the pope at last year's Christmas Mass, the spokesman said.
In his message to more than 10,000 people during the Christmas Eve mass - held two hours earlier than the traditional midnight hour this year to ease the pope's busy holiday schedule - the pontiff urged the faithful to put aside the complexities and burdens of daily life and rediscover the simplicity of the Christmas message.
"We live our lives by philosophies, amid worldly affairs and occupations that totally absorb us and are a great distance from the manger," he said.
"In all kinds of ways, God has to prod us and reach out to us again and again, so that we can manage to escape from the muddle of our thoughts and activities and discover the way that leads to him," he said.
Pope Benedict was attacked by a disturbed woman who jumped over the barrier at the start of his Christmas Eve mass in St Peter's Basilica last night.
The 82-year-old Pontiff was not harmed and went on to finish the two-hour service, but an elderly French cardinal in the papal procession fell to the floor and was taken to hospital with a broken leg.
Television pictures showed the woman, dressed in a red top, jumping over the barricade and hurling herself at the pope, provoking screams from members of the congregation.
The woman was tackled by a security guard and she and the cardinal fell to the marble floor.
Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said the woman, who he described as 'unstable,' was the same person who tried to jump a barricade to get close to the pope at last year's Christmas Mass.
The Pope, dressed in gold and white vestments, continued the procession up the centre aisle to celebrate the Mass. He seemed calm and unfazed during the rest of the ceremony.

The woman jumps over the barricade towards Pope Benedict XVI as he walks down the main aisle

The woman is pulled back by a guard as she tries to grab Pope Benedict

This sequence of images taken from amateur video obtained by APTN shows an unidentified woman jumping over a barrier and grabbing Pope Benedict XVI

Scary: The woman gets over the barrier and grabs the 82-year-old pontiff

Injured: French Cardinal Roger Etchegaray on a wheelchair is taken to hospital at the Vatican City

Vatican security, at centre of the aisle in black, make their way towards Pope Benedict after he was knocked down during Christmas Mass

A 27-year-old German man (right) leaps over a barricade and tries to jump on to Pope Benedict XVI's open-topped Jeep last year

No Damage done: Pope Benedict celebrates the Christmas night mass at St. Peter's Basilica after the attack
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As security men tried to tackle the woman, both the pope and Roger Etchegaray, a French cardinal, were knocked to the floor in the confusion, Federico Lombardi, a Vatican spokesman, said.
The 82-year-old head of the Roman Catholic church who appeared unhurt, was quickly helped to his feet and resumed the mass at St Peter's Basilica on Thursday, making no reference to the incident as the service started.
Etchegaray, 87, suffered a broken femur bone and was taken to hospital, Lombardi said.
The woman, whom Lombardi described as "unstable", was detained for questioning by Vatican security police.
She was the same person who tried to jump a barricade to get close to the pope at last year's Christmas Mass, the spokesman said.
In his message to more than 10,000 people during the Christmas Eve mass - held two hours earlier than the traditional midnight hour this year to ease the pope's busy holiday schedule - the pontiff urged the faithful to put aside the complexities and burdens of daily life and rediscover the simplicity of the Christmas message.
"We live our lives by philosophies, amid worldly affairs and occupations that totally absorb us and are a great distance from the manger," he said.
"In all kinds of ways, God has to prod us and reach out to us again and again, so that we can manage to escape from the muddle of our thoughts and activities and discover the way that leads to him," he said.
Pope Benedict was attacked by a disturbed woman who jumped over the barrier at the start of his Christmas Eve mass in St Peter's Basilica last night.
The 82-year-old Pontiff was not harmed and went on to finish the two-hour service, but an elderly French cardinal in the papal procession fell to the floor and was taken to hospital with a broken leg.
Television pictures showed the woman, dressed in a red top, jumping over the barricade and hurling herself at the pope, provoking screams from members of the congregation.
The woman was tackled by a security guard and she and the cardinal fell to the marble floor.
Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said the woman, who he described as 'unstable,' was the same person who tried to jump a barricade to get close to the pope at last year's Christmas Mass.
The Pope, dressed in gold and white vestments, continued the procession up the centre aisle to celebrate the Mass. He seemed calm and unfazed during the rest of the ceremony.

The woman jumps over the barricade towards Pope Benedict XVI as he walks down the main aisle

The woman is pulled back by a guard as she tries to grab Pope Benedict

This sequence of images taken from amateur video obtained by APTN shows an unidentified woman jumping over a barrier and grabbing Pope Benedict XVI

Scary: The woman gets over the barrier and grabs the 82-year-old pontiff

Injured: French Cardinal Roger Etchegaray on a wheelchair is taken to hospital at the Vatican City

Vatican security, at centre of the aisle in black, make their way towards Pope Benedict after he was knocked down during Christmas Mass

A 27-year-old German man (right) leaps over a barricade and tries to jump on to Pope Benedict XVI's open-topped Jeep last year

No Damage done: Pope Benedict celebrates the Christmas night mass at St. Peter's Basilica after the attack
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Monday, November 30, 2009
Vatican and Muslims condemn Swiss minaret ban vote

France's FM Bernard Kouchner said he hoped the Swiss would reverse the decision

There are only four minarets in Switzerland
Religious leaders across the world have criticised Switzerland's referendum vote to ban the building of minarets.
The Vatican joined Muslim figureheads from Indonesia and Egypt, as well as Switzerland, in denouncing the vote as a blow to religious freedom.
France's FM Bernard Kouchner expressed shock at the ban which, he said, showed "intolerance" and should be reversed.
More than 57.5% of voters and 22 out of 26 cantons - or provinces - voted in favour of the ban on Sunday.
The proposal had been put forward by the Swiss People's Party, (SVP), the largest party in parliament, which said minarets were a sign of Islamisation.
'Expression of intolerance'
The Vatican on Monday endorsed a statement by the conference of Swiss Bishops criticising the vote for heightening "the problems of cohabitation between religions and cultures".
Egypt's Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa described the ban as an insult to the feelings of the Muslim community in Switzerland and elsewhere.
Sunday's surprise result also prompted dismay from secular leaders in Europe.
"I am a bit shocked by this decision," Mr Kouchner told France's RTL radio on Monday. "It is an expression of intolerance and I detest intolerance.
"I hope the Swiss will reverse this decision quickly."
The Swiss government had opposed the ban, saying it would harm Switzerland's image, particularly in the Muslim world.
The vote is very bad news for the Swiss government which fears unrest among the Muslim community, says the BBC's Imogen Foulkes in Bern.
Voters worried about rising immigration - and with it the rise of Islam - had ignored the government's advice, our correspondent adds.
The government said it accepted the decision, and that the construction of new minarets would no longer be permitted.
Justice Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf said: "Concerns [about Islamic fundamentalism] have to be taken seriously.
"However, a ban on the construction of new minarets is not a feasible means of countering extremist tendencies."
She sought to reassure Swiss Muslims, saying the decision was "not a rejection of the Muslim community, religion or culture".
Spain got 400 000 Muslims.
Switzerland is home to some 400,000 Muslims and has just four minarets.
After Christianity, Islam is the most widespread religion in Switzerland, but it remains relatively hidden.
There are unofficial Muslim prayer rooms, and planning applications for new minarets are almost always refused.
Supporters of a ban claimed that allowing minarets would represent the growth of an ideology and a legal system - Sharia law - which are incompatible with Swiss democracy.
But others say the referendum campaign incited hatred. On Thursday the Geneva mosque was vandalised for the third time during the campaign, according to local media.
Amnesty International said the vote violated freedom of religion and would probably be overturned by the Swiss supreme court or the European Court of Human Rights.
The president of Zurich's Association of Muslim Organisations, Tamir Hadjipolu, told the BBC: "This will cause major problems because during this campaign mosques were attacked, which we never experienced in 40 years in Switzerland.
"Islamaphobia has increased intensively."
Sunday's referendum was held after the SVP collected 100,000 signatures from voters within 18 months calling for a vote.
In recent years, countries across Europe have been debating how best to integrate Muslim populations.
France focused on the headscarf, while in Germany there was controversy over plans to build one of Europe's largest mosques.
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Monday, November 16, 2009
Colonel Gaddafi ordered 500 beautifully girls in Rome.Preach about superioty of Islam and hand them Quran book ,Col own Green book abt Democracy .

'Friends': Silvio Berlusconi reviews one of Gaddafi's female guards during a visit by the leader (left) in June

Arriving in style: Some of the women were ferried to the Libyan ambassador's official Rome residence in limo


Glamorous: The women were told not to wear mini skirts to the gala - but the dictator insisted 'heels are OK'

Bizarre: One of the models displays the Koran and Green Book given to her by Colonel Gaddafi, right. The Green Book is the leader's views on democracy and his political philosophy

Gaddafi girls: Women recruited to attend a reception held by the Libyan leader leave with copies of the Koran

Clutching their gifts, the women board a bus waiting for them after the event in Rome last night
When an elderly gent places an order for 500 leggy lovelies to attend a party in Rome, scenes of a saucy nature would seem to be guaranteed.
Not, however, when the customer happens to be Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.
Rather than invite the dark-eyed beauties to see his etchings Silvio Berlusconi-style, the 67-year-old Libyan dictator suggested they convert to Islam.
He also gave a talk on the Koran and handed them all a copy, along with a signed version of his Green Book on democracy and political philosophy.
Then they were politely sent on their way - without having been supplied with so much as a single cocktail or canapé.
'I want to stress that none of the girls spent the night there,' said Alessandro Londero, of the Rome-based agency Hostessweb.
I counted them all in and I counted them all out. There was nothing untoward, it was simply an interesting evening of discussion.'
Gaddafi was in the Italian capital for a forum on food poverty.
He has a habit of making bizarre requests when travelling abroad - usually for a Bedouin tent to be pitched outside the building where he is staying.
This time an aide contacted Hostessweb to ask for 500 'beautiful Italian girls' to be supplied for a gala evening.
They should be at least 5ft 7in, aged between 18 and 35, and should not wear mini skirts or plunging necklines, although 'high heels were OK'.
They were told to meet at a hotel in the centre of Rome before being taken to the Libyan Ambassador's residence.
Several were turned away after being told they were inappropriately dressed or they were too short.
Once inside - and after an hour's delay - Gaddafi arrived in a stretch white limousine to lecture them on the superiority of Islam. While opinions were mixed on the religious instruction, most girls agreed that the catering was rubbish.
One said: 'I thought we were going to a party - we didn't even get a glass of water or some salty snacks.'
Another, an engineering graduate, said: 'It was all very polite but I expected at least a little bite to eat.'
Mr Londero insisted he was not running an escort agency.
He was unwilling to discuss how much he had charged to supply 500 girls, or what they were paid, although he admitted he had received a bonus for arranging the event at only two hours' notice.
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When the leader sleeps, the soldier stays awake, and it's the women who do the fighting. Gaddafi trusts his security to ladies only. The head of the Libyan Jamahiriya has a total of 300-400 girls on his security detail. According to the official story, all of them are virgins. Selection is done by Gaddafi himself. This whim has an explanation for it: In ancient times, they believed that the best guards were either virgins or lesbians, the underlying belief being that they could sense threats, the so-called wind of death. The girls were even sterilized to make them more aggressive toward men. There can be different views on these stories, but it was the girls with Kalashnikovs who saved Gaddafis life several times. During the assassination, they shielded him from gunfire and grenades. One died, two others were wounded. The bodyguards are with Gaddafi day and night. Each of them can handle several strong men. According to some sources, most of the girls are Cuban.
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