Deacon George Cacchione at 11 Mount Carmel Place, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 US -

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SANTA CLARA, Cuba, (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI's secretary of state blessed and unveiled the first public monument in Cuba dedicated to Pope John Paul II.

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone presided over the unveiling in Santa Clara on Saturday. The cardinal is in Cuba to mark the 10th anniversary of John Paul II's apostolic trip to the island nation. He returns to Rome this evening.

"The monument erected today in memory of the Pontiff is also a sign that his pilgrimage continues enlightening today the Church and the Cubans who yearn for the highest spiritual values for themselves and for their beloved homeland," the secretary of state affirmed.

Rome, (CWNews.com) - An essay in the official Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano argues that this year's Oscar awards went to films that portray America as a society "without hope."

The signed column by Gaetano Vallini was critical of Oscar-winning films such as No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood. These movies and others nominated for Academy Awards are "sinister, filled with violence, and above all, without hope," the writer said.

Vallini found fault especially with No Country for Old Men, saying that the film by Joel and Ethan Coen-- which garner 4 Oscars including the coveted "Best Picture" award-- was marred by "absurd and mindless acts of violence." While praising the craftsmanship of the Coen brothers, he said that their picture showed a "lack of moral conscience." The message of the movie, he said, seemed to "obliterate the American dream."