The Magnificat School is a low level, pretentious place with only about 100 students. It exists mainly to glorify the administrators, to get attention and fame, but most of all, money for the Custody to improve their property. Their unashamed self-promotion rests on making peace in the Holy Land for which it does exactly the opposite.
Read about the TRUTH here: http://cabbagejuice.wordpress.com/2007/12/01/bridge-of-dreams-to-musical-utopia/
and here: http://gaspatcho.blogspot.com/2008/06/armando-pierucci-monaco-della-pace-o.html
It is a disgrace how these so-called monks quote Scripture and call upon il Signore to justify their conceits.

cabbagejuice, I think your comment is very poor. You are doing demagogy and maybe you don’t know the great work of that monks for the holy land.
regards
Philip

Let’s start a discussion based on facts and see who is spreading around demagogy.
Is it right for the Church to raise money for an inflated number of music students (only ca. 39 in 2003!) who in the main have late model cars and go abroad for vacation? Is it right for a monk to go around Italy racking up peace prizes for having a handful of Jews and Moslems who ever passed through the school in 15 years who incidentally exist in much greater proportion demographically, in any other school, university, business, hospital, etc., in Israel? Is it right not to publish a strict account of incoming and outgoing funds?
Is it right to use scholarships and trips abroad as means to control students and disrespect their own teachers? Is it right to say that kids are living in a flooded basement in August when first of all they are anjoying their summer vacation in various resorts and the “flood” allegedly came from a broken waterpipe due to extensive renovation of Vatican property?

Why do common, hardworking people have to pay to improve the Custody Compound? This in effect is the thrust of their drive to raise money for a school that already has a good place at their disposal for their 100 or so students, plus a posh hall with a new grand piano for concerts. What is the nonsense of asking for funds for 200 Euro metronomes? Aren’t there REALLY needy children in the world who don’t have what to eat?

I happen to be Catholic but so many times, I have been disgusted by money-grubbing clergy. The students and families connected with the school would be astonished at any initiatives for peacemaking except for an opportunity to raid duty-free when they go abroad to promote the school. On the whole the behavior of the Church here, Catholic and Protestant, broadcasts anything but holiness. Given all that, suchlike don’t have ANY right to quote Scripture or invoke the name of the Lord.

“What is the nonsense of asking for funds for 200 Euro metronomes? Aren’t there REALLY needy children in the world who don’t have what to eat?”

Maybe you don’t like music.
Demagogy and ignorance in your minds. Try to do better than them. Since many centuries Franciscan Custody works for peace, culture, and christian presence in that land, and I’m very grateful for each its project.

regards
Philip

While we’re at it, why not 4000 Euro a piece for timpani?
http://www.custodia.org/magnificat/Progetti.html

I used to believe the Church also sight unseen like you but was knocked down so many times. It’s better to be realistic about human frailty. Without checks and balances, even clergy are vulnerable to the temptations of self-promotion and greed. Unfortunately, the accountibility of the free market (unprofitable products are weeded out) and civil law are better protections than the self-protectionism of large, wealthy institutions.

“Put your trust in God, not man” is a good policy even around members of the Church.