Wood Thrush: This is the familiar thrush of DC’s wooded parks. (And it is DC’s “state” bird.)

Pentagram partner Daniel Weil has created a new design for the chess set, which is making its debut at the World Chess Candidates Tournament in London.

Weil was asked to design the new pieces following Pentagram’s earlier work with organisation World Chess, which saw John Rushworth create a new identity for the organisation, Naresh Ramchandani work on campaigns, and Weil design the playing environments.

According to the (Old) Catholic Encyclopedia, in his bullum Cogit nos(21 March 1591), Pope Gregory XIV forbade under pain of excommunication all bets concerning the election of a pope, the duration of a pontificate, or the creation of new cardinals.

Some folks are asking, is this still the law? Answer: No.

Gregory’s norm was a penal provision of an older system of canon law known as the Ius Decretalium. As such, according to Canon 6, 5º of thePio-Benedictine Code of Canon Law, Cogit would have been abrogated on May 19, 1918. There is presently no canon law on conclave wagers.

Catholics should, of course, be mindful of the balanced view of gambling shown by the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 2413) and avoid conduct contrary to it.

Added: I’ll make a bet right now: I’ll bet this post gets more hits than any other conclave post I put up.

Updated: First place in hits, approx. 30 hours after it went up.

Betting on the conclave? | In the Light of the Law.

via Mens Puzzle Rings 7BCS.