The Vatican Vow: No Same-Sex Marriage Ever

As gay marriage becomes more accepted in the U.S. and Europe, the Vatican states its consistent disapproval, and an accidental sneak peek at Mitt Romney’s presidential transition website shows his ambitions to restore America’s world leadership and repeal Obamacare.These discoveries and more below.

On a regular basis, Truthdig brings you the news items and odds and ends that have found their way to Larry Gross, director of the USC Annenberg School for Communication. A specialist in media and culture, art and communication, visual communication and media portrayals of minorities, Gross helped found the field of gay and lesbian studies.

Vatican digs in after gay marriage advances in US, Europe; asks sarcastically why not polygamy
The Vatican is digging in after gay marriage initiatives scored big wins this week in the U.S. and Europe, vowing to never stop insisting that marriage can only be between a man and a woman.

State of denial
The real blow to Republicans may be not that they failed to take the White House, but that they did not lose more heavily.

How Race Slipped Away From Romney
Mitt Romney is one of the wealthiest men ever to run for president.

How the Faithful Voted: 2012 Preliminary Analysis
In his re-election victory, Democrat Barack Obama narrowly defeated Republican Mitt Romney in the national popular vote (50% to 48%).

Beautiful Chaos at Kolkata’s Durga Puja
There are two things about Kolkatans, my friend Santanu tells me. “We’re work-shirkers and we’re anarchists.”

Mitt Romney’s presidential transition website
Someone goofed up and briefly displayed the official website of President-elect Mitt Romney. What does this peek tell us about a presidency that will never be?