Congress

Congress of commissaries

The International Congress of Franciscan Commissariates started yesterday. Representatives from all over the world are here with the Cardinal Prefect of Oriental Churches to discuss the role of the commissaries and the importance of supporting the churches in the Holy Land. Their main job is to collect the Good Friday Collection, the organizing and promoting of pilgrim groupsI had hoped to join in the conferences and talks but yesterday I was occupied with work. And this morning I had to cancel my participation as well because it was again meetings with lawyers and the bank ... just to pay a 15 euro subscription for the library. 2 hours were lost. It's a nightmare here.

The weather continues to be cool and cloudy though no drizzle has fallen. Last night it went down to 9 degrees. Everyone is wearing thick clothes even though at times it gets quite hot during the day.

There has been a series of horrid murders these past 24 hrs. 2 teenage girls, one a christian in the village of Jish where St. Paul's parents came from, and another in Tel Aviv, were found dead. Violence against women is taking prominence and women in Israel have been marching for the past month for the govt. to act. Being a patriarchal society, women in this region have little protection and their rights are seldom upheld in favor of tradition.   https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5414698,00.html

And in Jerusalem there's a measles outbreak with over 2000 cases reported. The youngest is a 3 month old baby who ctracted the disease from the mother. Apparently it's most widespread in the ultra-orthodox community who reject vaccination.  https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5414385,00.html

And the bill proposed by the rightwing Culture minister to stop funding to artistes not loyal to the State has been shot down. The Culture minister who said it's not a right to get govt. funding is right, and I agree. It's a privilege. No one has a right to public money if the public does not say so. However to coerce artistes to perform and create works only to support the State smells a little off. To be fair, it must be said that the works of art and performances themselves are not banned ... just that they get no public funding. Well the truth of this world is whoever pays the piper calls the tune ... so artistes have to wise up and accept the facts of life.   https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Regev-demands-culture-loyalty-bill-go-to-a-vote-attacks-Liberman-Kahlon-572841