Weekend

Chapel of the Afr. Miss. centre 

The weekend is upon us. Our exhibition on Leonardo da Vinci will end this evening. It's been a very rare occasion for us to bring out our ancient books on science and technology for display. I'm sure many of the visitors appreciated this educative exhibition.

Classes continue at the African Missionaries' centre ... I'm teaching 23 priests and sisters. I'm not used to 50 minute lessons and find it very exhaustive since it's 3 lessons in sequence every morning. I hope they follow my lessons as I speak rather quickly and those whose mother tongue is not english might have difficulties. 2 more weeks to go.

Children's choir

In the afternoons it's archaeological and history class with the students of the U. of S. Africa. It's long walks around the City visiting archeological sites and explaining its history and significance. Some new areas have been opened such as the Forum of Aelia Capitoline below Damascus Gate. It's very interesting as the pavement is still intact. While on the way to visit it, there was a choir of muslim children singing songs at the cavea of Damascus Gate and a recording team was filming them.

Today is the feast of Duns Scotus ... our illustrious franciscan theologian who proposed the dogma of the Immaculate Conception more than 400 years ago. He was silenced and condemned by the dominicans as heretic and the teaching was not studied till the apparition in Lourdes. There the Madonna called herself the Immaculate Conception. A few decades later the pope proclaimed it as a dogma and the franciscans won the day.

In the local news, much is reported about the schism in Israel's largest ultra-orthodox community. The incumbent leadership, known for it's absolutism, was challenged by some and a split occurred on Simhat Torah feast. Now the incumbent group is using threats, extortion and excommunication to stop the schismatics. Big news.  https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5612060,00.html

News coming in that Turkey has attacked christian areas in Syria. It's terrible. But what's worse is no christian country is talking about it. Christians are doomed to death because all over the world they are persecuted ... and nobody cares. Especially fellow christians.