Religion
Today is Pentecost, or Whitsunday, commemorating the Descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles fifty days after the Resurrection of Christ. The event is held to be the commencement of the temporal Church, as the Apostles were thereby commissioned to their pastoral duties.
The ancient Jewish Pentecost - the Feast of Weeks, or Shavuot - took place 50 days after Passover and was considered second in importance among Jewish feasts. Passover celebrated the redemption of a nation in slavery, whereas Pentecost focused upon God's revelation of purpose (as through the delivery of the law to Moses).
Here in Italy, it's customary to scatter rose leaves from the ceiling of the churches to recall the miracle of the fiery tongues which appeared over the Apostles as they received the gift of the Holy Spirit. Pope Benedict XVI's Pentecost Sunday homily is here and his address surrounding the midday Regina Caeli in St. Peter's Square is here.
It's amazing what subjects go unmentioned here from someone who seems so preoccupied with the Catholic Church...
Well, if I catch your drift, what is so amazing is your seeming obsession to talk about that rather than the saving of souls and the greatness that the Catholic Church has contributed to the building of Western civilization. Bravo, Justin, keep the posts coming about our Mother Church and its shepherd. I find it a welcome break from what I consider the pedestrian temporal politics for that which really matters ultimately.
In other Church news, the EU has just passed a "Gender Equality Bill." Do read the short blog:
https://www.nationalreview.com/david-pryce-jones/55987/eu-takes-father-bride
An excerpt:
"One provision of this preposterous and impudent measure is that fathers are no longer allowed to give away their daughters in the traditional church ceremony. Apparently that is to treat daughters as chattels."
Observant Jews (of all branches) still keep the Shavuot festival, and still observe it 50 days after Passover. We're still here, as you may have heard.