The Catholic Weekly 24 May 2020

catholicweekly.com.au 20 24, May, 2020 ENTERTAINMENT ACROSS 7. Outsize victim for sea-bird (6) 8. Threw a floral tribute (6) 10. A smashing wave? (7) 11. Jar in fireplace (5) 12. Part of cheap section of church (4) 13. Vegetable from Scandinavia (5) 17. Heartless lucre (5) 18. Thus father returns cleansing agent (4) 22. A pose for a fable-writer (5) 23. Tell to add up the votes again (7) 24. Wheedled so the company was cut off (6) 25. Rogues reform - then grumble (6) Quick Crossword answers also fit the large grid CROSSWORD DOWN 1. Be patient because of wild animal (7) 2. Pacify primate about vegetables (7) 3. Sickly-looking youth leader at the summit (5) 4. Old people in attempt to produce sad play (7) 5. Diana the water-nymph (5) 6. Principal cook takes one in (5) 9. Cause to cry by sketching rents? (4,5) 14. Support the wrong seer (7) 15. The founder of Rome made our slum (7) 16. Picked out as blotchy (7) 19. Marriage calls for a strike! (5) 20. Mali’s religion (5) 21. Make twenty runs, for example? (5) CRYPTIC CLUES QUICK CLUES SOLUTION FOR LAST WEEK ACROSS 7. Musical dramas (6) 8. A mineral (6) 10. Washing (7) 11. Become liable (5) 12. Timber (4) 13. Rot (5) 17. Fruit of oak tree (5) 18. Additional (4) 22. Snap (5) 23. Nightfall (7) 24. Solitary (6) 25. Feminine (6) DOWN 1. Goes after (7) 2. Attack (3,4) 3. Parties (5) 4. Tuneful (7) 5. Strengthen (5) 6. Blue (5) 9. Gradually (2,7) 14. Educates (7) 15. Funny (7) 16. Associations (7) 19. Be relevant (5) 20. Position (5) 21. Gem (5) 15,751 QUICK Across 1 Being; 4 Disable; 8 Abstain; 9 Local; 10 Eden; 11 Stealing; 13 Tart; 14 Clog; 16 Standard; 17 Plan; 20 Elude; 21 Sheathe; 22 Sweeten; 23 Fleet. Down 1 Blamelessness; 2 Issue; 3 Grab; 4 Denote; 5 Syllable; 6 Backing; 7 Enlightenment; 12 Gradient; 13 Traduce; 15 Prison; 18 Lithe; 19 Deaf. CRYPTIC Across 1 Clasp; 4 Fitting; 8 Pension; 9 Elope; 10 Time; 11 Demo- tion; 13 Ones; 14 Take; 16 Electric; 17 Flat; 20 Thorn; 21 Pointer; 22 Respect; 23 Hands. Down 1 Capital letter; 2 Annam; 3 Pail; 4 Fences; 5 Teetotal; 6 Idolise; 7 Green pastures; 12 Sentence; 13 Onerous; 15 Tin- pot; 18 Let in; 19 Fish. SAINTS OF THEWEEK From an aristo Heaven minus the love isn’t worth the time “THE BEST days of your life could be after it’s over” is the sales pitch in Upload , a new comedy-drama that offers a revisionist view of heaven. The 10-episode series is cur- rently streaming on Amazon Prime. Series creator, co-direc- tor and co-writer Greg Dan- iels, who honed his comedic skills on The Simpsons and The Office , has fun, of a sort, envisioning the afterlife as a hedonistic resort where every amenity is offered, from un- limited food and drink to spa treatments and recreational activities – including sex. The five-star hotel theme resembles scenarios in the 1991 film Defending Your Life and the recent television se- ries The Good Place . Those approaches were tame, however, compared with the sexual activity, nu- dity, bawdy humour and of- fensive language on offer in Upload . The resulting off-col- our silliness, though it has a morally acceptable undertone at times, is strictly for mature viewers with a high tolerance for racy material. Admission to the virtual heaven in Upload comes at a cost, and it has nothing to do with forgiveness for your sins. This afterlife is a conscious choice – and is stratified ac- cording to the ability to pay. The wealthiest on earth gain unlimited access to bound- less joy, while the poorest are relegated to dingy basement rooms where the cafeteria is run by Lean Cuisine’s test kitchen. An unexpected admis- sion to this world is Nathan (Robbie Amell). It’s the year 2033, and the popular party boy is enjoying life. He has a good-looking, rich girlfriend named Ingrid (Allegra Ed- wards) and a promising career as a computer coder. This happy-go-lucky narcis- sist seemingly has it all – until his self-driving car crashes. Rushed to the hospital, a dy- ing Nathan is given a choice: the operating room or the Up- load room. Ingrid insists he choose the latter, and she will foot the bill. Nathan resists, reluctant to die so soon and unwilling tomake an eternal commitment to In- grid and her filthy lucre. The clingy dame wins the Andy Allo plays Nora, an employee for a tech firm that’s built a virtual heaven. PHOTO: CNS/AMAZON STUDIOS UPLOAD Find the career you deserve catholicjobsonline.com.au SEE OUR LATEST JOBS Born in Tuscany, Hildebrand be- came a monk in Rome. He worked closely with five popes - as secretary, treasurer and special emissary - before being elected pope by popular acclaim in 1073. His enormous influence over the medieval papacy was rooted in ongoing church reforms and attempts to abolish lay investiture, or secular control over the appointment of bishops and abbots. He excommunicated German Emperor Henry IV for ap- pointing bishops, and died in exile in Salerno after Henry seized Rome in 1084. Born to a cooper and winemaker in Burgun- dy, France, Madeleine was educated by her older brother, Louis, who was studying for the priesthood. Her extensive formation, unusual for the time, paid off, as Madeleine was prepared for the rebirth of French Ca- tholicism after its persecution during the French Revolution. In 1800, she and three com- panions began the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and over 63 years she established more than 100 houses. Her order was approved by Rome in 1826, and she was canon- ised in 1925. S treaming Pope Gregory VII 1021-1085 Feast: 25 May Madeleine Sophie Barat 1779 - 1865 Feast: 25 May day; Nathan’s consciousness is “uploaded” and his lifeless body put on ice. A lookalike avatar materialises in ‘Lak- eview’, a virtual resort offering “timeless Americana.” Thanks to Ingrid, Nathan is at the very top of the food chain, and his every wish is granted. To guide his transition, Na- than is assigned an ‘angel’, an employee of the tech firm that manages the resort program in the real world. Her name is Nora (Andy Allo), and she can virtually pop in and out of Lak- eview whenever Nathan calls. “This is the first day of the rest of your afterlife,” Nora says. Nathan, depressed that his real life has ended, is over- whelmed at first. Nora offers a secular mantra to repeat over and over: French philosopher Rene Descartes’ famous for- mula, “I think, therefore I am.” Secular humanists would, presumably, approve. Not so people of faith, such as Nora’s beloved father, Dave (Chris Williams). A widow- er and ailing, Dave believes in the traditional concept of heaven and the human soul, something lacking in avatars. “You don’t believe in that old stuff?” Nora asks. “How can heaven not have your mother in it?” Dave replies. Intriguingly, Nathan also has doubts. On his admis- sion to Lakeview, he selects “non-denominational charis- matic Christian” as his creed. (There are multi-use chapels in the resort to attend if de- sired.) Terrified of spending eter- nity in a fake existence, Na- than contemplates suicide by jumping into a data stream, which would destroy his con- sciousness. Nora rides to the rescue. “Life is the most magical gift there is,” she explains. “And if there’s a God he’s amazing because he gave us life and the gratitude and creativity to keep it going as long as we possibly can.” Nathan takes the bait, unaware of Nora’s ulterior motive: She’s fallen hard for her charge, even though hu- man-avatar relationships are forbidden. Upload charts a predictable path for Nathan’s redemption as he recalls his foolish past and gains a new perspective on “life” – with the help of Nora and a therapist who hap- pens to be a talking dog. - CNS ¾ ¾ John Mulderig STREAMING ON AMAZON