Now that the European Parliamentary elections have concluded from June 6-9, 2024, newly elected Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) face a busy agenda of unfinished legislative business. While the previous Parliament made progress on many fronts, several major initiatives await the incoming lawmakers. Here are some of the key laws the new Parliament will need to take up:
With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine underscoring Europe‘s defence vulnerabilities, regulating the defence industry is a priority. The new Parliament must debate the proposed €1.5 billion European Defence Industry Programme to ramp up munitions and military equipment manufacturing from 2025-2027.
Artificial Intelligence Liability
As AI systems become ubiquitous in sectors like healthcare and transportation, clear rules are needed to determine responsibility when they cause harm. Finalizing the AI Liability Directive will ensure those injured by flawed AI applications have legal recourse.
Pet Welfare Standards
There are currently no harmonized EU rules on the breeding, sale and sheltering of cats and dogs. Newly elected MEPs will take up a law proposed in late 2023 to establish common standards and registration requirements to combat illegal animal trading.
Retail Investor Protections
To make investing safer and more accessible for everyday Europeans, the new Parliament will negotiate rules requiring clearer disclosures and a coherent regulatory framework for retail investment products.
Right to Disconnect
With flexible work and personal tech blurring boundaries, MEPs may legislate employees’ ability to unplug from work duties and communications outside office hours.
Textile and Food Waste
The new Parliament aims to crack down on fast fashion and food waste with bold new targets for the textile and grocery industries to collect, sort and recycle discarded items.
2040 Climate Goals
Having set emission reduction benchmarks for 2030 and 2050, establishing an interim target for 2040 aligned with EU climate neutrality goals is a key challenge.
The newly elected MEPs will also take on preventing migrant smuggling, establishing an EU-wide anti-corruption framework for public officials, and myriad other initiatives impacting Europeans’ lives over the coming years. With so much unfinished business on its plate, the 2024 European Parliament elections have ushered in a pivotal new era for EU policymaking.
In a stirring address to the Members of the European Parliament, President Metsola laid out a comprehensive vision for the future of the European Union, emphasizing the need for solidarity, cooperation, and a steadfast commitment to shared values. Her speech touched on a range of critical issues, from climate change and economic recovery to the rule of law and migration, painting a picture of a Europe that is both resilient and forward-looking.
Solidarity and Cooperation: The Bedrock of the Union
“Dear Members of the European Parliament, it is an honor to stand before you today as we discuss the future of our Union,” President Metsola began, setting the tone for a speech that would underscore the importance of unity. “Our Union is built on the principles of solidarity and cooperation. We must continue to uphold these values as we navigate the complexities of the modern world.”
The President highlighted the European Union’s collective response to the COVID-19 pandemic as a testament to its strength and resilience. “The COVID-19 pandemic has tested our resilience, but it has also shown the strength of our collective response. We have proven that when we stand united, we can overcome even the most daunting obstacles.”
Tackling Climate Change: A Green Economy for a Sustainable Future
One of the most pressing issues addressed by President Metsola was climate change. She called for accelerated efforts to transition to a green economy, emphasizing the importance of the European Green Deal. “Climate change remains one of the most pressing issues of our time. We must accelerate our efforts to transition to a green economy and reduce our carbon footprint. The European Green Deal is a crucial step in this direction, and we must ensure its successful implementation.”
She stressed that the commitment to sustainability would not only protect the planet but also create new opportunities for growth and innovation. “Our commitment to sustainability will not only protect our planet but also create new opportunities for growth and innovation.”
Economic Recovery: Building a Resilient and Inclusive Economy
Economic recovery in the wake of the pandemic was another key focus of the speech. President Metsola underscored the importance of supporting businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, through initiatives like the NextGenerationEU recovery plan. “Economic recovery is another priority. We must support our businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, as they rebuild and adapt to new realities. The NextGenerationEU recovery plan is a testament to our commitment to a resilient and inclusive economy.”
By investing in digital transformation and green technologies, she argued, Europe could become more competitive and sustainable. “By investing in digital transformation and green technologies, we can create a more competitive and sustainable Europe.”
Upholding the Rule of Law: The Cornerstone of the Union
President Metsola also addressed the importance of safeguarding democratic institutions and ensuring that all member states adhere to shared values. “The rule of law is the cornerstone of our Union. We must safeguard our democratic institutions and ensure that all member states adhere to our shared values. Any threats to the rule of law must be addressed swiftly and decisively.”
She emphasized that citizens deserve a Union that upholds justice, equality, and human rights. “Our citizens deserve a Union that upholds justice, equality, and human rights.”
A Humane Approach to Migration
On the complex issue of migration, President Metsola called for a comprehensive and humane approach. “Migration is a complex issue that requires a comprehensive and humane approach. We must work together to develop a fair and effective asylum system, while also addressing the root causes of migration.”
She stressed that solidarity and responsibility must guide the Union’s actions. “Solidarity and responsibility must guide our actions as we seek to protect those in need and manage our borders effectively.”
Celebrating Diversity and Strengthening Global Partnerships
President Metsola celebrated the Union’s diversity and called for the protection of cultural heritage while fostering a sense of European identity. “Our Union’s strength lies in its diversity. We must celebrate and protect our cultural heritage while fostering a sense of European identity.”
She also highlighted the importance of education and exchange programs like Erasmus+ in building bridges between citizens and promoting mutual understanding. “Education and exchange programs, such as Erasmus+, play a vital role in building bridges between our citizens and promoting mutual understanding.”
Looking to the future, President Metsola emphasized the need to strengthen global partnerships. “As we look to the future, we must also strengthen our global partnerships. Europe has a crucial role to play on the world stage, and we must be a force for good in promoting peace, stability, and human rights.”
A Call to Action
In her concluding remarks, President Metsola called on the Members of the European Parliament to work together to build a better future for all citizens. “In conclusion, the future of our Union depends on our ability to work together and uphold our shared values. Let us continue to strive for a Europe that is united, resilient, and forward-looking. Together, we can build a better future for all our citizens.”
President Metsola’s speech was a powerful reminder of the values that underpin the European Union and a call to action for its members to rise to the challenges of the modern world with unity and resolve.
There are many tests that determine personality type. But they all usually require answers to many questions.
And how to find out about the capabilities, talents, attitude to life, work, family, strengths and weaknesses of the interlocutor without bothering him with questions? Impossible? As much as possible and even without a magic crystal! After all, the shape of a person’s hands can say a lot.
Human hand shape
The ring finger is longer than the index finger:
Such people willingly come into contact with others and easily find a common language with them due to their natural delicacy.
Sociability helps them to behave calmly in any situation. Therefore, both in a close company and in a large team, they often become undisputed leaders.
The ring finger is shorter than the index finger:
Those with short ring fingers are often introverted. They really don’t like crowds of people, they prefer solitude and silence. Individualists, these people still know how to have fun and enjoy socializing. But only in a comfortable environment.
It is said that women with an index finger longer than the ring finger are more prone to cheating than others and are more popular with men. And these are not empty stories.
Biologists from Oxford published a study, according to which this is due to the increased production of the hormone estrogen.
Ring finger and index finger are the same length:
People with a similar structure of the fingers are distinguished by a rare peacefulness. They are characterized by discipline, organization and a desire for order. By their nature, these true pacifists are very kind, but it is better not to anger them. In fact, as you know, devils are found in a still pool.
Palm shape:
Those with a square palm love precision in everything and usually prefer to do things where there are clear instructions. They have a strong will and are difficult to manipulate from the outside.
A narrow and elongated palm indicates that a person has a fragile mental organization and easily falls into depression.
An elongated palm with short fingers indicates people with a huge supply of energy, unstoppable passions and a strong ego. They are also often distinguished by their extreme directness and lack of tact.
Illustrative Photo by wal_ 172619: https://www.pexels.com/photo/lines-on-hand-palm-20680339/
Currently, more than 67,000 women serve in the armed forces of Ukraine, most of them military personnel, Ukrinform reported, citing Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Natalia Kalmykova.
“We currently have more than 67,000 women in the armed forces, of which 19,000 are workers, and the rest are servicemen,” Kalmikova said this week.
According to her, the number of women in the army began to increase from 2014, and after February 24, 2022, this dynamic accelerated despite the fact that the mobilization of women in Ukraine was not carried out.
Kalmikova also noted that today women are increasingly choosing professions in the army that are not considered feminine by default. They show a desire to shoot, operate artillery systems, unmanned aerial vehicles, etc.
“In 2018, the legislation was changed and women were given the right to hold positions in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. At the same time, unfortunately, we still have a problem with encouraging and encouraging women. We are currently looking for ways to solve this problem in order to women who want to build a career in the Armed Forces can have that opportunity,” she added.
After Russia launched its full-scale invasion, the number of women in Ukraine‘s armed forces increased by 40%. As of the beginning of 2024, the total number of women working and serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine is over 62,000, including 45,587 servicemen.
Illustrative Photo by Yaroslava Malkova: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-holding-ukraine-flag-on-anti-war-demonstration-11645587/
Norway will further limit the access of Russian tourists because of the ongoing war in Ukraine, the Norwegian Ministry of Justice announced end of May, as quoted by Reuters.
Norway, which is a member of NATO, shares a border with Russia in the Arctic of almost 200 km. Oslo for the first time tightened the regime for granting tourist visas to Russians in 2022.
“The decision to tighten entry rules is in line with Norway’s approach to support allies and partners in response to Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine,” Norwegian Justice Minister Emily Enger Mell said in a statement.
Russian citizens whose purpose is tourism and other non-essential travel will not be allowed to enter through the external border. Exceptions can be made in cases such as visits to close relatives residing in Norway, the ministry explained.
Illustrative Photo by Tobias Bjørkli: https://www.pexels.com/photo/landmark-city-1559825/
Bulgarian citizen, along with two other men, placed coffins labeled “French soldiers from Ukraine” at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. The three were brought before a French court in order to establish “possible foreign interference”, reported AFP. The tracks lead to Moscow.
The prosecutor’s office requested that the three suspects be charged with premeditated crime. They are a 38-year-old Bulgarian man who drove the car carrying the coffins, a 25-year-old man born in Germany, and a 17-year-old man born in Ukraine, the prosecutor’s office said.
The three left on 2nd of June “five life-size coffins covered with the French flag, with the inscription ‘French soldiers from Ukraine,'” a source informed of the case told AFP. There was plaster in the coffins.
According to the same source, the van driver was then “interrogated in the vicinity” of the Eiffel Tower. The check of his phone showed a connection with a man, also of Bulgarian citizenship, who was “identified” by the investigators in connection with another case – with the painted “red hands” on the Holocaust memorial in Paris in mid-May.
According to an informed source close to the case, two other people were arrested in the afternoon at the bus station in Bercy, who were preparing to “take a bus to Berlin”.
When questioned, the driver told the police that he did not know the two youths who had unloaded the coffins. He said he met them “the day before with the coffins and asked them to open them to make sure there were no bodies,” a police source told AFP.
The two young men said they “met once in Berlin but came to France separately,” this source added. All three said they were “unemployed and in need of money,” the police source added. The driver “received 120 euros for the work, and the youth – 400 euros.”
The incident resembles two recent cases where the same suspicions of “possible foreign interference” exist. On the night of May 13-14, “red hands” were painted on the Holocaust memorial in Paris, and police suspect three people who fled abroad.
In October, after the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, stars of David were spray painted on the facades of several buildings in the Paris region. The French authorities blame the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) for the events for which a Moldovan couple was arrested.
In both cases, they are “mercenaries who are paid to destabilize and take advantage of the division in French society,” as French Europe and Foreign Affairs Minister Stéphane Sejournet said in mid-May.
Illustrative Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/eiffel-tower-during-daytime-161853/
Jews, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Bahais gathered in the heights of Rome, for a week of intense dialogue in the spirit of the spirituality of the Focolare movement, from May 30 to June 4. In a “time of divisions, dialogue counts”, this has been the maxim of these days
The common thread of this meeting was peace between us and with creation. How to design a peace policy? How to engage in an economy of peace? And, how to live peace with creation. The group of 450 people from 40 countries and all continents also had an audience with Pope Francis and went to Assisi to listen to the wisdom of another Francis, the “ Poverello ” of Assisi.
Finding new paths through dialogue
“Dialogue means deep listening, sharing, mutual trust, to bring hope and build bridges ,” explains Rita Moussalem , head of the Focolare Center for Interreligious Dialogue. For Antonio Salimbeni , co-responsible, “these days were a laboratory of fraternity”.
During this conference, I discovered the fruitfulness of the spirituality of the Focolare, also experienced, to varying degrees, by people from very diverse backgrounds. The new – and surprising – thing is that people of other religions have started to join it.
Margaret Karram, the current president of Focolare, expresses her gratitude to Chiara Lubich, the founder of this movement: “She taught us how to dialogue and enter into relationships with others with the greatest respect, with passion and determination. At each encounter, she came back strengthened in her own faith and edified by that of others .”
A Christian Arab, citizen of Israel, M. Karram herself lived this experience intensely. She is convinced that it is possible to find new paths through dialogue. It is even an urgent duty to which God calls us. “We are here together to live a unique human family, in its great diversity. May this congress give us the opportunity to share our experiences and deepen our friendship !
Meeting with Pope Francis
The purpose of the visit to Pope Francis on June 3, in the Clementine Room, was to present to him the experience we had just had. He expressed gratitude for the journey started by C. Lubich with people of other religions who share the spirituality of unity, “a revolutionary journey that did much good for the Church “, and ” an experience animated by the Holy Spirit, rooted, we can say, in the heart of Christ, in his thirst for love, communion and fraternity”.
He recognizes that it is the Spirit which opens “paths of dialogue and encounter, sometimes surprising”, as in Algeria, where an entirely Muslim community adhering to the Movement was born.
The Pope sees the basis of this experience in “the love of God which is expressed through reciprocal love, listening, trust, hospitality and mutual knowledge, with respect for the identity of each person.“
With non-Christians who share and live certain traits of Focolare spirituality, “we go beyond dialogue, we feel brothers and sisters, sharing the dream of a more united world, in the harmony of diversity ,” he said. This testimony is a source of joy and consolation, especially in these times of conflict, where religion is often misused to fuel division. (See the full speech here: https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/speeches/2024/june/documents/20240603-interreligioso-focolari.html )
After his speech, the Pope generously gave his time to personally greet each participant. I was able to tell him that I’m pastor in the Reformed Church and a volunteer in the Focolare movement, active in ecumenical and interreligious dialogues. When I also told him that I’m collaborating on the JC2033 initiative, he gave me a big smile and said “ Avanti!” “.
“The Gate of the Spoliation”
The Focolare movement wants to combine dialogue announce of the Gospel. After the audience, a visit to significant places in Rome made it possible to discover the Christian witness of the city, in particular Saint Peter’s Basilica and the Colosseum, site of the martyrdom of the first Christians.
This same process was experienced the next day in Assisi. After a round table in the morning on the theme of peace and creation, the afternoon began with a visit to the “Gate of the Spoliation” with Mgr. Domenico Sorrentino, bishop of Assisi. This is the place where Saint-Francis stripped himself of his clothes in front of his father and the notables of the city and where he he has been stripped of his inheritance by his father.
The bishop explains to us that renunciation is an important concept for Christians. It makes us understand what love is, which does not put itself first. “To welcome the other, I must renounce myself; it is also the condition for a real dialogue,” he says.
He then suggests a little silent pilgrimage where everyone asks themselves what renunciation God is calling them to make so that they can be even more in the service of God and their brothers and sisters. I experienced this moment intensely, and this prayer continued to haunt me throughout the rest of that day.
In the “Garden of François”.
After visiting the Basilica of Saint Francis, the group goes to the “Garden of Francis”, at the foot of an “interreligious” bell tower, with the symbols of the various religions: the cross, the star of David, the crescent, the wheel of Dharma.
The “Canticle of Creatures” by Francis of Assisi – “Praise be to you, Lord ” – is then read in three stages: Praise for inanimate beings, for animate beings and for human beings. After this prayer, a “pact of fraternity” is proposed, and we are invited to turn to the person next to us. To a Jewish friend, I then said the words of Psalm 133: “ Hine mah tov or mah nahim ” …and he answers me ” shevet achim gam yachad ” (“ Behold, it is good and pleasant… for brothers to dwell together ”)!
During these days, seeds were sown! May they grow within us and between us and may the brotherhood that we have experienced extend to many others!
19:25. At Jesus’ cross stood His mother and His mother’s sister, Maria Cleopova, and Mary Magdalene.
For Maria Magdalena and Maria Kleopova, see the interpretation to Matt. 20:20; Luke 8:2, 24:18. Here the evangelist paints us another picture, which is in sharp contrast to the first: Christ entrusts His Mother to the care of His beloved disciple.
19:26. And Jesus, seeing His mother and the disciple standing there, whom He loved, said to His mother: woman, here is your son!
19:27. Then he says to the student: here is your mother! And from that hour the student took her with him.
How many women stood on the cross? Some commentators say that there are three, others that there are four. The second opinion seems more likely, because it would be unnatural to suppose that the evangelist would precisely name the sister of the Blessed Virgin Mary, when he does not name the Mother of Christ herself. At the same time, it is very natural to assume that the evangelist mentions four women standing in pairs, of whom he does not name the first two (this explains the double use of the particle “and”).
“His mother’s sister.” But who was this sister of the Blessed Virgin Mary?
There is nothing implausible in the supposition that John here means his own mother, whom, like himself, he does not mention by name out of modesty. With such an assumption, it is quite natural for John and James to claim a special role in Christ’s kingdom (Matt. 20:20ff.), as well as the entrusting of the Blessed Virgin to John, who was thus a close relative of Christ. Although the Blessed Virgin could have found shelter with the sons of Joseph, they were not close in spirit to Her Son (John 7:5), and therefore to Her.
“woman, behold thy son.” Why does Christ call His Mother simply a woman? On the one hand, He shows that from now on He belongs to all people, that the natural ties that connected Him with the Blessed Mother are already severed (cf. John 20:17), and on the other hand, He expresses His compassion for Her as to precisely as to an orphaned woman.
John then took the Blessed Virgin with him to take her to his father’s house in Capernaum—which was, of course, his intention at the time. But this intention was not fulfilled, and John, together with the Blessed Virgin, remained in Jerusalem until her death, after having spent three weeks in Galilee after the Resurrection of Christ, where he went by order of Christ (cf. Matt. 26:32).
19:28. After that, Jesus, knowing that everything has already been done to fulfill the Scripture, says: I am thirsty.
“Then”. Here the evangelist paints before us the third picture – the picture of the death of the Crucified Christ. After that, that is, after Christ had fulfilled His filial duty to His mother.
“Knowing that all things were already finished,” that is, knowing that all that was to be finished in His earthly life had been brought to an end.
19:29. There was a vessel full of vinegar. The soldiers soaked a sponge in vinegar, put it on a hyssop stick, and brought it to His mouth.
19:30. And when Jesus tasted of the vinegar, he said: it is finished! And bowing his head, he gave up.
“That the Scripture may be fulfilled, he says: ‘I am thirsty.'” Some interpreters (for example, Bishop Michael Luzin) refer the expression “so that the Scripture may be fulfilled” to the verb: “says” and draw the conclusion that the evangelist sees in the exclamation of Christ: “I’m thirsty!” an exact fulfillment of the prophecy contained in Psalm 68 (Ps. 68:22): “and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” But in our opinion, this is not convincing, firstly, because in the given passage from the psalm there is no expression “I am thirsty”, and secondly, because the expression from the Greek text, translated into Russian as: “in order to be fulfilled”, is more -correctly to be replaced by the expression: “to be brought to an end” (since the verb τελειοῦν is used, not πληροῦν).
Therefore, Tsang’s opinion seems plausible to us, that here the evangelist wants to say that although everything was “finished”, the most important thing in which all the Old Testament scriptures find their fulfillment was not yet reached (“to be fulfilled the Scriptures”)—namely, the death of Christ. But the death of Christ in His own consciousness and the consciousness of the apostles appeared as a free and conscious surrender of Christ’s life into the hands of God the Father, as a voluntary work of Christ’s love for humanity (John 10:11; 17:18; 14:31 ). Therefore, tormented by a terrible thirst, which in those hanged on the cross darkened the consciousness, Christ asks to drink, in order to get relief, if only for a few moments, and in full consciousness to let out His last breath. And only John reports that Christ, having supported himself with vinegar, said: “it is finished”, i.e. he no longer had any debt to bind him to life.
“hyssop trust”. See the interpretation to Ex. 12:22 p.m. It is not literally hyssop, for it does not grow in Syria and Arabia, but a similar kind of plant.
19:31. And because then it was Friday, the Jews, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a great day), asked Pilate to beat their crucifixes and take them off.
Here the evangelist paints a fourth and final picture. The representatives of the Sanhedrin asked the procurator to collect the bodies of the crucified by the coming Sabbath, because the law of Moses required that the body of a criminal who was hanged on a tree should not be left there overnight, but should be buried on the day of execution (Deut. 21: 22 – 23). The Jews were all the more eager to fulfill this law because the Passover was approaching with the Sabbath. For this purpose, it was necessary to kill the criminals who were hanged on the cross (to break their clavicles).
19:32. Then the soldiers came and beat the legs of the first, as well as of the other who was crucified with Him.
19:33. And when they came to Jesus and saw Him already dead, they did not beat His legs;
Pilate agreed to this, and the soldiers who came to the place of execution soon finished off the two criminals, hanging on either side of Christ, and Jesus, noticing that he was dead, remained untouched.
19:34. but one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out.
One of the soldiers, probably wishing to remove any possibility of a mock-dead burial, stabbed Christ in the ribs with a spear. This blow, which pierced the heart of Christ, should have extinguished the last spark of life, if such was still smoldering in the heart of Christ. By mentioning this event, the evangelist wanted to prove the reality of Christ’s death in opposition to the heretics who (mainly Kerinth) claimed that Christ did not die on the cross because His body was only illusory.
“blood and water flowed out” (ἐξῆλθεν αἷμα καὶ ὕδωρ). At the same time, the evangelist points out a surprising circumstance that happened when Christ was pierced. From the wound caused by the impact of the spear, “blood and water flowed” (it is more correct to say “came out”). The evangelist mentions this, firstly, as an unusual phenomenon, because blood and water do not flow from the body of the deceased when pierced, and secondly, he wanted to show that through the death of Christ believers received blood, which cleanses them from original sin, and water, which in the Old Testament Scriptures is a symbol of the grace of the Holy Spirit (cf. Is. 44:3). John repeats this last thought in his first epistle, saying that Christ, as the true Messiah-Redeemer, came or appeared “by water and blood” (1 John 5:6).
19:35. And he who saw testifies, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he speaks the truth, so that you may believe.
“And he who saw testifies…” According to the explanation of the Fathers of the Church (St. John Chrysostom, Cyril of Alexandria), the evangelist here speaks of himself, in humility, as in other places, without naming his name directly. He insists that his testimony is entirely true in view of the fact that in his day accounts of miraculous events in the life of Christ were sometimes viewed with great distrust (see Luke 24:11, 22; 2 Pet 1:16).
Because of his accounts of the miracles that took place at the time of Christ’s death, about which only he speaks, the evangelist could be suspected of wanting to raise his authority over the other authors of the Gospels, and he is therefore a precursor but he declares that he had no other object than to establish in his readers the faith in Christ.
19:36. Because this happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled: “a bone of His will not be broken”.
19:37. And yet another Scripture says: “they will look on Him whom they pierced.”
The evangelist has just said that he was prompted to testify to the extraordinary flow of blood and water from Christ’s ribs by a desire to strengthen his readers’ faith in Jesus Christ. Now, to further strengthen their faith, he points out that in this event, as well as in the fact that the shins of Christ were not broken (the Greek text says: ἐγένετο ταῦτα, that is, “these events took place,” and not “it came to pass”) two Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled: first, the original decree about the Passover lamb (Ex. 12:46) and second, the prophetic glory of Zechariah (Zech. 12:10).
As the bones of the paschal lamb were forbidden to be broken, so the bones of Christ remained perfectly intact, though they might have been expected to be certainly broken, as in the case of the robbers crucified with Christ. In this way – the evangelist wants to say – it is shown that Christ is the true paschal lamb, through whom people are saved from eternal death, just as once the Jewish firstborn were saved from temporary death by the blood of an ordinary paschal lamb.
As for the prophecy of Zechariah, who speaks of how the chosen people of God will in time with repentance look to Yahweh, Whom he pierced, the evangelist, without going into detailed explanations, only notes that this prophecy, incomprehensible to the reader the book of Zechariah, has become intelligible to one who has seen Christ pierced with a spear.
19:38. Then Joseph, of Arimathea (disciple of Jesus, but secret, for fear of the Jews), asked Pilate to remove the body of Jesus, and Pilate allowed. He came and took the body of Jesus.
19:39. Nicodemus also came (who had gone to Jesus the night before) and brought about a hundred liters of a mixture of myrrh and aloes.
In reporting here the taking down from the cross and the burial of Christ, John makes some additions to the narrative of the synoptics (Matt. 27:57 – 60; Mark 15:42 – 46; Luke 23:50 – 53). For example, he is the only one who mentions the participation of Nicodemus in the burial of Christ (for Nicodemus, see John chapter 3). This secret follower of Christ brought a large quantity of aromatic substances, namely a mixture of myrrh and aloes (cf. Mark 16:1), to anoint both the body and the burial shrouds of Christ abundantly, with which Nicodemus evidently wished to expressed his great reverence for Christ. It is probable, however, that John wished to show by this mention of the two eminent representatives of Judaism, that in their person all Judaism paid its last homage to its King.
19:40. Then they took the body of Jesus and wrapped it in swaddling clothes with incense, as is the custom of the Jews to bury.
19:41. In the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had yet been laid.
“there was a garden.” Also John alone notes that Christ’s tomb was in a garden. Does he not imply that this garden will be the new Eden, where the new Adam – Christ – will rise from the grave in his glorified human nature, just as the old Adam entered life in a garden?
19:42. There they laid Jesus, because of the Jewish Friday, because the tomb was nearby.
“because of the Jewish Friday.” Finally, John alone notes that Christ was buried in the garden, near the place of the crucifixion, because it was the Jewish Friday. By this he means that Joseph and Nicodemus hastened the burial of Christ, in order to complete it before the coming of the Sabbath: if they had carried the body of Christ anywhere further than Calvary, they would have had to do it in part from the Sabbath and so disturb the peace of the Sabbath day.
Source in Russian: Explanatory Bible, or Commentaries on all the books of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments: In 7 volumes / Ed. prof. A. P. Lopukhin. – Ed. 4th. – Moscow: Dar, 2009, 1232 pp.
Speaking on behalf of Secretary-General António Guterres, UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner said the UN and partners were continuing to deliver “critical humanitarian assistance”, focusing on communities on the frontlines, but there is “growing concern about the decrease in humanitarian funding amidst the significant scale of need.”
Infrastructure, including homes, hospitals, energy and water systems, continue to be hit as Russia continues its offensive and “support is needed now more than ever”, Mr. Steiner added.
There are 24 different UN entities and around 3,000 personnel working alongside State and local authorities to meet immediate needs but also “pave the way to recovery, reconstruction and development”.
So far, the UN has put in place $1.1 billion in recovery and development spending through the end of 2023 and expects to invest a further $1 billion by the end of this year.
These focus on four key areas being managed by the UN Resident Coordinator: support for businesses and entrepreneurs, investing in human development, prioritizing a “comprehensive model of recovery planning”, and continuing to respond to Government requests for technical assistance.
The UNDP chief stressed that the only sustainable solution to the war remains a just, lasting and comprehensive peace, anchored in the principles of the UN Charter and international law.
Bolstering education crucial
The Regional Director for the UN children’s agency UNICEF, Regina De Dominicis, said in a statement to the conference that the country’s recovery was dependent on educating children free from the scourge of war.
“The war in Ukraine is destroying the country’s greatest resource – its people. Without an increase in investment and sustained funding, children and young people will not be able to access school and training opportunities – critical for the recovery of children, families and their communities,” she said.
COVID-19 had already disrupted schooling prior to Russia’s invasion of February 2022. Around four million Ukrainian children continue to have their education disrupted, with approximately 600,000 unable to access in-person school at all.
“Latest available data from 2022 show that children in Ukraine are around two years behind in reading, a year behind in maths, and half a year behind in science. With the persistence of hostilities since, that gap has only widened,” the UNICEF official reported.
Action towards ‘green recovery’
The UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), economic cooperation and development body OECD and UN Environment Programme (UNEP), announced on Wednesday the creation of a Platform for Action on the Green Recovery of Ukraine, to assist the country’s transition towards a low-carbon economy in line with international norms overseen by the UN.
The development comes ahead of another high-level conference on Ukraine, this time in Switzerland over the coming weekend.
Some 90 countries and organizations are due to attend the Burgenstock conference; Russia is expected to take part in sustainable peace discussions at a later date, according to the Swiss authorities.
Meanwhile on the frontline, the UN and partners continue helping authorities evacuate thousands of people from frontline villages in the country’s northeast this week.
In an update on Tuesday, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said that most of the evacuees are “already highly vulnerable” and could not have fled on their own earlier.
They included mainly older people and those with low mobility or disabilities “who left their homes with only a few belongings”, the UN agency said.
Kharkiv in the crosshairs
In the nearby city of Kharkiv, more than one in 10 people have now lost their homes, amid renewed Russian shelling.
In an update on the massive reconstruction needs of the city in Ukraine’s northeast, the UNECE cited reports that 150,000 of the 1.3 million people there are without housing.
The commission noted data from the local authorities showing that since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022, approximately 9,000 houses have been destroyed, along with 110 nurseries and half the city’s schools.
In addition, all transformer substations on the power grid have been put out of action in Kharkiv, along with 88 medical centres and 185 other public buildings, UNECE said.
Although many States have intensified their efforts towards eradication, the practice continues across the world in part due to “the clandestine nature of cross-border and transnational FGM,” it said.
“Female genital mutilation is part of a continuum of gender-based violence and has no place in a human rights-respecting universe,” said the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk.
“It must be eliminated in all of its forms, and the gender stereotypes and patriarchal norms that anchor and perpetuate it uprooted.”
An estimated 4.3 million girls were at risk of being subjected to FGM in 2023, according to the report, which was based on in-depth desk research and submissions from States and civil society organizations around the world.
More than 600,000 women in the European Union are thought to be living with the consequences of FGM, which the World Health Organization (WHO) defines as “all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons”.
It is mainly carried out on young girls between infancy and age 15.
“The practice has no health benefits for girls and women and cause severe bleeding and problems urinating, and later cysts, infections, as well as complications in childbirth and increased risk of newborn deaths,” WHO added.
‘Vacation cutting’ during school holidays
The report said so-called “vacation cutting” is when families, particularly in Europe and North America, take their daughters to their countries and communities of origin to undergo FGM during school holidays.
In certain cases, girls are reportedly taken to countries that serve as “transnational FGM hubs”. In some cases, it is the “cutters” who move across borders to carry out the harmful procedure.
The report identified cross-border and transnational movements for the purposes of FGM, around the world. It said that girls and young women living in border communities are particularly vulnerable given border areas often host communities with cultural and ethnic ties that transcend national borders.
Address root causes
“States around the globe have made human rights commitments to eradicate FGM and to advance gender equality,” said Mr. Türk.
“They should ensure a joined-up global approach that addresses the root causes and the consequences of FGM, by among others harmonising their legal and policy frameworks and ensuring their implementation, if they are to truly meet their commitments to end this harmful practice everywhere.”
The report called for greater regional and international cooperation towards eradication.
Measures suggested include allocating adequate resources towards the establishment and implementation of regional policy frameworks and cooperation agreements to address the cross-border scourge, and to support survivors.
