Jesus Christ before Pilate

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Guest Author

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1 July 2024

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By prof. A. P. Lopukhin

John, chapter 18. 1 – 11. Taking away Jesus Christ by the soldiers. 12 – 27. Christ before Annas and Caiaphas. 28 – 40. Christ before Pilate.

18:1. Having said this, Jesus went out with His disciples beyond the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, into which He Himself and His disciples entered.

The Evangelist describes the story of the capture of Christ by the guard and the judgment upon Him a little more briefly than in the Synoptic Gospels, and in other cases in more detail, indicating some details of these events that were omitted by the first three Evangelists. Thus he reports that at the end of His farewell talk with the disciples, the Lord came out (from the upper room where the talk took place) “beyond the Kidron stream”, which the Synoptics do not mention. The Kedron was a small stream flowing through the valley between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives. His name means “black, cloudy” in Hebrew. The Evangelist calls it a winter stream (χείμαρρος), i.e. it only had water in it when it rained (in winter). The place where Christ went, the evangelist calls a garden, without giving the name of this garden (in the Synoptics it is “Gethsemane”).

18:2. And Judas, who was going to betray Him, also knew this place, because Jesus often gathered there with His disciples.

The evangelist notes that this garden, as the place where Christ usually stopped on his visits to Jerusalem, was well known to Judas. This shows that the Lord apparently did not want to take any measures to protect Himself from a possible attack against Him by His enemies, led by Judas: He knowingly and willingly allowed Himself to be captured.

18:3. Then Judas, taking a company of soldiers and servants from among the chief priests and Pharisees, came thither with lanterns and lamps and with weapons.

The members of the Sanhedrin evidently succeeded in persuading Pilate of the peculiar danger represented by the movement undertaken by Christ, and the procurator (cf. the interpretation of Matt. 22:2) gave them a body of soldiers (σπεῖρα, part of a cohort), to which joined by the servants of the Sanhedrin. Although it was bright from the full moon, the soldiers took lanterns to examine the whole garden, all its corners.

18:4. And Jesus, knowing all that would happen to Him, went out and said to them: Whom are you looking for?

18:5. They answered him: Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus says to them: I am. With them stood Judas, who betrayed Him.

Christ does not wait to be found, but Himself goes out to meet the soldiers from that somewhat secluded place where He performed His prayer (cf. Luke 22:41). The evangelist explains the calm that Christ showed by the fact that the Lord knew in advance everything that would happen to Him.

18:6. And when he said to them: It is I, they drew back and fell to the ground.

18:7. Again he asked them: who are you looking for? They said: Jesus of Nazareth.

18:8. Jesus answered: I told you that I am; and so, if you seek Me, let them go;

18:9. that the word spoken by Him might be fulfilled: “of those whom Thou hast given Me, I have lost none.”

When the soldiers and officials of the Sanhedrin, who were near Christ, heard from His own lips that Jesus of Nazareth was standing before them, they were afraid, retreated and fell to the ground. Probably the most frightened of all were the Jewish ministers, who, of course, remembered the stories of Christ’s miracles and perhaps were afraid that Christ would do to them the way the prophet Elijah once did to the soldiers who came to arrest him (4 Kings . 1:10). John notes that Christ asked the soldiers not to touch His disciples: thus His word was fulfilled in the high priestly prayer (John 17:12; 6:39). The reason why Christ did not want His disciples to be taken away with Him was, of course, that they had to carry on His work, and were not yet ready to suffer.

18:10. And Simon Peter, who had a knife, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.

Repeating here the story of the synoptics about cutting off the ear of the bishop’s servant with a knife, Evangelist John adds that it was the apostle Peter who did it and that the servant’s name was Malchus. This name is not Jewish, but Arabic, and probably this servant was a Gentile by birth.

18:11. But Jesus said to Peter: put your knife in its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given Me?

Christ’s remark to the apostle Peter in the first half is similar to what the evangelist Matthew wrote (Matt. 26:52), and the second half, although it contains a thought similar to that in Matt. 26:54, is addressed to a person who was familiar with the prayer of Christ in Gethsemane, that is, it was supposed to recall what Christ said then. (Luke 22:42).

18:12. Then the band and the centurion and the Jewish servants took Jesus and bound him,

18:13. and they led Him first to Annas; for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who in that year was high priest.

The evangelist Luke says that Christ was taken from Gethsemane “to the house of the high priest” (Luke 22:54), and the evangelist Mark (Mark 14:53) – to the high priest Caiaphas (Matt. 26:57). John reports more accurate information here. They did not take Christ directly to Caiaphas, not to the high priest, but to the father-in-law of the then high priest Caiaphas – Anna (according to the Hebrew pronunciation – Annan). Annas himself was high priest from AD 6 to AD 15. and he was respected by the members of the Sanhedrin and especially by Caiaphas, who granted him a special room in the house of the high priest.

18:14. And Caiaphas was the one who had given the Jews advice that it was better for one man to die for the people.

Before presenting Christ to the Sanhedrin, Caiaphas interrogates Him in the chamber of Annas. Further, when he speaks of the high priest who questioned Christ at Annas, the evangelist John has Caiaphas in mind, as is clear from his particularly insistent remark that it was Caiaphas who was the high priest at that time.

18:15. Simon Peter and the other disciple followed Jesus; and this disciple was known to the high priest, and entered with Jesus into the court of the high priest.

The story of the evangelist John continues with the apostle Peter and his denial. The synoptics depict all three denials of Peter as occurring without interruption (only the Evangelist Luke reports that about an hour passed between the second and third denials – Luke 22:59), but John says that the first occurred immediately after the apostle Peter entered in the court of the high priest, and the second and third – after the end of the interrogation at Annas, when Christ was taken to Caiaphas.

“the other student.” Another disciple entered with Peter, and according to the explanation of the fathers and teachers of the Church (John Chrysostom, Theodoret, Cyril of Alexandria, Ephraim) this was John himself, who usually avoids being named by name. According to Tsan, the apostle James, brother of John, is meant here, but the evidence he provides is not conclusive. According to him, the expression ἄλλος (the other) stands without an article (that is, “another disciple”) and therefore cannot refer to John himself, who uses it with an article for himself (John 20:2). But against this evidence we may point to many of the oldest manuscripts in which the word is placed with the article.

18:16. And Peter was standing outside by the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the gatekeeper and brought in Petra.

This disciple actually brought the apostle Peter into the court because he knew the high priest personally.

18:17. Then the servant-porter says to Petra: are you not also one of the disciples of this Man? He answers: I am not.

The doorkeeper knew that John was a disciple of Christ, and therefore she asked the apostle Peter: “Aren’t you also one of this man’s disciples?” Here she expresses her astonishment that there is yet another person who dares to put herself in obvious danger with her teacher. Apostle Peter thoughtlessly answered her question in the negative without giving it much importance. Then he goes to the fire to warm himself along with the slaves and servants.

18:18. And the slaves and servants had built a fire for themselves, because it was cold, and they stood there warming themselves. Peter stood with them and basked.

18:19. And the high priest asked Jesus about His disciples and about His teaching.

Caiaphas wanted to subject Christ to a preliminary questioning, but Christ refused to give him any explanation of His teaching: all His activity was open to all. He did not gather the people in secret meetings. From this it can be concluded that the high priest wanted to give the work of Christ a political tone.

18:20. Jesus answered him: I spoke openly to the world; I have always taught in the synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews gather on the other side, and I have not spoken anything in secret.

18:21. Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard what I have spoken to them; behold, they know what I have spoken.

18:22. When He said this, one of the servants who was standing nearby slapped Jesus and said: is this how you answer the high priest?

One of the servants accompanying Christ, wishing to please the high priest, struck Christ on the cheek. This was an extremely low act: even among the barbarians it was considered inadmissible to fight the defendant. But here the prophecy of the prophet Micah was fulfilled: “the judge of Israel will be beaten with a rod” (Mic. 5:1).

18:23. Jesus answered him: if I spoke evil, prove the evil; if so – well, why are you beating Me?

However, Christ did not leave unanswered the unworthy act of the servant. From this it can be concluded that Christ’s command not to resist evil (Matt. 5:39) cannot be understood literally, as some do: Christ requires that He be punished according to the law, and not according to arbitrariness. And if the evangelist brings here this request of Christ, uttered only on the occasion of his blow, he wants to emphasize precisely the arbitrariness shown to him by the Jewish authorities and by the unbelieving Jews in general.

18:24. Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

By reporting that Annas sent Christ to Caiaphas, the evangelist seems to imply that Caiaphas had not yet questioned Christ.

But the expression “at Caiaphas” means “in the dwelling of Caiaphas” (compare the expression “with you” in 1 Tim. 3:14, i.e. at Ephesus, or “through you” in 2 Cor. 1:16, i.e. f. via Corinth). And the addition “to the high priest” at the very end of the verse (according to the Greek text) shows that Christ had already been sent to Caiaphas for an official trial.

18:25. And Simon Peter stood and basked. And they said to him: Aren’t you also one of His disciples? He denied it and said: I am not.

Meanwhile, Peter continued to stand in the courtyard by the fire (John probably followed Christ first to Annas and then to Caiaphas). Here he is exposed to a new danger. The servants, seeing a man unknown to them, naturally assumed that he was one of Christ’s disciples, and asked him about it. Peter, having already answered this question once (to the portermaid) in the negative, and fearing that if he now gave an affirmative answer, he would contradict himself, denied Christ a second time.

18:26. One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the one whose ear Peter cut off, says: did I not see you in the garden with Him?

Finally, when one of the servants asked Peter if he had not seen him in the garden with Christ—he was a relative of Malchus—Peter again confirmed his denial. From the tone of the question, he could guess that the servant had not seen his face clearly in the torchlight.

18:27. Peter again denied; and then a rooster crowed.

John concludes his account of Peter’s denial by simply stating that immediately after Peter’s denial, a rooster crowed. He tells this to show how exactly Christ’s prophecy about Peter’s denial was fulfilled (John 13:38). The rest of the details of this event, as handed down by the forecasters, he omits as known to his readers.

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.

(to be continued)

Runway Rip-offs: Inflated Prices Plague EU Airports with 2 glasses of water at nearly 5 euros

By

Juan Sanchez Gil

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1 July 2024

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water airport — Abusive prices of water at Brussels Zaventem Airport

The exorbitant prices of water, coffee, and food at airports across the European Union have long been a source of frustration for travelers. Despite efforts to address this issue, airport vendors continue to charge consumers significantly more than the standard market rates for these basic necessities.

One of the primary drivers behind these inflated prices is the high rent that airport vendors must pay to operate within the confines of the airport. [1] Airports often charge premium rates for the limited retail space available, which vendors then pass on to consumers in the form of higher prices. Additionally, the costs associated with delivering goods to the airport, such as increased parking fees and storage expenses, further contribute to the elevated prices. [1]

Another factor contributing to the problem is the lack of competition within airport terminals. Once passengers have passed through security, they are effectively captive to the available food and beverage options, leaving them with little choice but to pay the asking price. [1] This lack of competition allows vendors to maintain their high prices without fear of losing customers to more affordable alternatives.

The issue of water pricing in particular has drawn significant attention, with the European Parliament addressing the matter in a written question. [2] The question highlighted the concerning trend of bottled water being priced higher than or equal to alcoholic beverages in European airports, which raises public health concerns as consumers may be incentivized to choose less healthy options. [2] The Airports Council International (ACI) Europe had previously recommended capping the price of bottled water at €1 per 50cl bottle, but this recommendation has not been consistently implemented across European airports. [2]

The impact of these high prices is not limited to individual consumers. A recent Reddit post from a traveler at Dublin Airport revealed the staggering cost of a simple breakfast, with a black coffee, two croissants, and three pots of granola with plain yogurt costing €30. [3] Such exorbitant pricing not only burdens travelers but also raises concerns about the accessibility and affordability of basic sustenance for those passing through European airports.

Attempts have been made to address this issue, such as the European Parliament’s written question calling on the European Commission to consider a requirement for all EU airports to provide drinking water fountains throughout their terminals. [5] However, progress on this front has been slow, and the problem of high food and beverage prices at airports remains a persistent challenge for European travelers.

In conclusion, the abusively high pricing of water, coffee, and food at airports in the European Union is a multifaceted issue that stems from a combination of factors, including high rent, delivery costs, and lack of competition. While efforts have been made to address the problem, more comprehensive and coordinated action is needed to ensure that travelers can access basic necessities at reasonable prices while passing through European airports. [1][2][3][4][5]

Citations:
[1] https://simpleflying.com/why-is-airport-food-so-expensive/
[2] https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/E-9-2023-002603_EN.html
[3] https://www.reddit.com/r/ireland/comments/ygh0vw/dublin_airport_prices_for_breakfast/
[4] https://viettaste.mylocalkfc.com/eu-airport-food-and-drink-prices-unmasking-the-extortionate-charges
[5] https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/E-8-2015-014480_EN.html

INTERVIEW: Sustainable energy offers ‘hope’ in fight against desertification and land loss

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United Nations News

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30 June 2024

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Sustainable sources of energy, including solar and wind power, can help communities across the world to reverse desertification and land loss, according to Ibrahim Thiaw, the Executive Secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.

Mr. Thiaw spoke to UN News ahead of the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, marked annually on 17 June

Ibrahim Thiaw: Desertification is happening at the local level as much as it is global. Unless we address this at the local level, we will never be able to actually control it at the global level. Global policies and global decisions are needed.

The impacts are huge in terms of food security and food sovereignty.

It also drives forced migration. If people can no longer produce food on their land then they will migrate. As we have seen for example in the Sahel or Haiti, there can be severe consequences for global security. When people fight over access to land and water, it leads to more conflicts. We are seeing more of this, and it has consequences on the homogeneity of communities and on national economies.

UNCCD – UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw visits the Aral Sea in Uzbekistan, which is suffering the effects of drought.

It is estimated that up to 50 per cent of the global GDP might lost by 2050 due to challenges with agriculture and food production unless we address the issue of land loss and desertification.

UN News: What is the trend right now in terms of land loss?

Ibrahim Thiaw: Land loss is happening all over the world and land degradation is affecting both arid and less arid lands.

But in terms of drylands and desertification, it is estimated that 45 per cent of the land surface is affected by desertification. Maybe it is more striking to say that 3.2 billion people or one third of the world population are affected by that.

Every year a hundred million hectares of land is being degraded, an area the size of Egypt. We need to halt land degradation, but we also need to restore 1.5 billion hectares of land.

UN News: How are you going to do that?

Ibrahim Thiaw: By improving the techniques of agriculture, reducing the impact we are having on land in terms of extraction of minerals and other extractive industries. It is also important that we reduce the pressure in terms of people activities in some parts of the world so as to diversify the economy and create more opportunities to create income.

© Global Commission on Adaptation (GCA) – Two men plant trees as part of a reforestation initiative in coastal areas of Bangladesh.

Restoring degraded land is not an expensive activity to undertake, but it is absolutely essential to provide more food security and to reduce conflicts. Every single dollar invested in land restoration can generate up to $30 in economic benefits, so investment in restoration activities is quite profitable from the economic point of view.

This is not just the responsibility of local communities but also of governments and crucially of the private sector because the largest driver of land use in the world is big agriculture.

UN News: Are we talking mainly about small developing countries?

Ibrahim Thiaw: No. It’s a global phenomenon that is affecting all countries including the United States, India, China, India or Pakistan.

But the impact is much more severe in small countries, and small economies that do not have reserves, nor the insurance systems to protect their people. And the level of vulnerability is much higher in communities whose revenues are only based on the income they can generate from land.

UN News Desertification doesn’t exist in isolation. How does it relate to climate change?

Ibrahim Thiaw: Desertification is an amplifier of climate change. Climate change is an amplifier of desertification because of course, with extreme events, you also have severe impact on land and on communities and local economies.

© IOM/Alexander Bee – Many migrants, like these ones in Djibouti, are leaving home because they can no longer live off their land.

So basically, they are mutually interacting and it is therefore important to have a more comprehensive global picture. It is wrong to think that you can protect biodiversity or the land without tackling the climate issue and vice versa.

UN News: The small-scale interventions at a local level are very important, but it sounds as though it’s going to need a huge push from governments, from the private sector to make a real difference?

Ibrahim Thiaw: Yes, we should not discard all of the efforts that are being made by the local communities day in, day out. They need much more support from governments. They also need to see less subsidies for the agriculture industry, that is destroying the environment. Public money that, in some cases, is destroying the environment should be used to actually rebuild economies.

So, it is not necessarily that we need to inject more money, but we need to better spend the money that we have.

UN News: I guess some would say that’s quite an over optimistic view that governments will be changing the way they spend their money?

Ibrahim Thiaw: Well, no, it makes sense politically. As a taxpayer, I would like to see where my money is going. If it is being invested in activities that are destroying my environment and creating eco-anxiety for my children, destroying the livelihoods of my communities, then as a voter, I would insist that my government invests my money in other areas that would be generating more income for me and creating more sustainability.

UN News: You’re from Mauritania in the Sahel. Have you seen this land degradation happen in real time?

Ibrahim Thiaw: The situation is very sad. I’ve seen land degradation in my lifetime. But at the same time, I also have a lot of hope because I see positive changes coming. I see the younger generation being conscious of the fact that they need to reverse the trend.

I see more farmers and pastoralists trying to do their bit. I see more interventions from the international community, including from the humanitarian world that are investing in land restoration. So, I see a movement which gives me some hope that if we join our efforts and if we work in a collaborative manner, it would be possible to actually reverse the trend.

And the best hope I have is energy, which was the missing link for development and for small and medium enterprises. Energy is now accessible in remote places thanks to our ability to harness solar and wind energy.

And the possibility of combining energy and agriculture is very positive, as you can harvest water, store food, reduce the food loss. You can process that food to create chains at the local level.

A white bison calf was born in Yellowstone, what does that mean?

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Newsroom

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30 June 2024

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Tribes honor the birth of a rare white buffalo calf in Yellowstone, spotted on June 4, and reveal its name: Wakan Gli.

This is the second reported birth of a white buffalo this year. The last one was born April 25th.

A white buffalo calf named Miracle was born on a farm in Janesville, Wisconsin, in 1994, according to the National Park Service (NPS). Previously, there hadn’t been a known white calf birth since 1933. Another white calf was born in 2012 in Avon, Minnesota, but survived only a few weeks. Last year, Wyoming’s Bear River State Park saw the birth of another white bison – this animal’s coloration likely comes from cattle genes mixed into its lineage rather than albinism or leucism, and its mother is also a pale white hue.

Native American tribes say this is a blessing and a sign of good things to come.

White buffalo calves are sacred to a number of Native American tribes, including the Sioux, Cherokee, Navajo, Lakota and Dakota.

“There are prophecies about white buffalo calves being born at a time of great change,” Jason Baldes, a member of the Eastern Shoshone tribe and executive director of the Wind River Tribal Buffalo Initiative, says to National Geographic’s Jason Bittel. “We have stories of the Eastern Shoshone people hunting and pursuing white bison or white buffalo from well over a century ago.”

Chief Arvol Looking Horse, the spiritual leader of the Lakota, Dakota and the Nakota Oyate in South Dakota, tells BBC News that the calf’s birth is “a blessing and a warning.”

Photo: Twitter/@TheTorontoSun

Russia and Ukraine exchanged prisoners, including priests

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Newsroom

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30 June 2024

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This is a rarely seen exchange of civilians

Russia and Ukraine have swapped prisoners, including several priests, in a rarely seen exchange of civilians that follows the exchange of dozens of soldiers earlier this week, AFP reported.

According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, two Ukrainian Uniate priests captured in the Russian-occupied city of Berdyansk have been returned to Ukraine thanks to the mediation of the Vatican.

“Bohdan Guleta and Ivan Levitsky preached the word of God in Berdyansk, in the parish “Nativity of the Virgin” of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church,” said Zelensky. He specified that the two priests were captured by Russia in November 2022.

Among those released was Nariman Jelyal, deputy speaker of the Mejlis, a representative body of the Crimean Tatars, who was moved to Kyiv after Russia annexed the peninsula in 2014. In 2021, Jelyal was taken to Russia from Crimea, where he had been living despite the annexation , states the Associated Press.

Mejlis Speaker Refat Chubarov and Crimean Tatar leader Mustafa Dzhemilev embraced him after nearly three years of captivity.

For its part, Russia indicated that the senior Ukrainian Orthodox cleric, Metropolitan Yonaphan, and two other priests had been handed over to Moscow.

Metropolitan Yonafan was sentenced to five years in prison in Ukraine in August 2023, accused of justifying the Russian invasion of the country.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which is close to the Moscow Patriarchate, is under pressure from the Kiev authorities, although it severed ties with Russia after the invasion began, AFP noted.

The former Tulchyn Metropolitan Yonatan, who was condemned by the Ukrainian authorities for cooperation with the country’s occupiers, arrived in Moscow and was received by Patriarch Cyril. This became possible after negotiations led to his exchange for Ukrainian officers captured by Russia. He was awarded by the Russian Patriarch with the Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh – first degree” because of his “unwillingness to make compromises bordering on treason”, without specifying to whom.

On the other hand, Metropolitan Yonatan stated that the purpose of his ministry as the Ukrainian Metropolitan was “not to dishonor the name of the Russian Patriarch” because “the Patriarch is a symbol of the entire Russian Church”:

“Your Holiness, thank you for the efforts that brought me to this holy place. The patriarch is a symbol of the entire Russian Church. My task was not to dishonor your name, and this gave me strength to resist evil.”

These words of the former Ukrainian metropolitan illustrate the thinking of quite a few members of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, whom Kremlin propaganda has managed to convince that the relationship with the Moscow Patriarch is a guarantee of belonging to the Church (in the form of “canonicity”) and the only possibility for the existence of Orthodoxy in Ukraine . The gross political abuse of “canonicity”, to which believers are especially sensitive, makes possible the next steps: justification of Russian military actions in Ukraine and the annexation of territories – both political and ecclesiastical. These attitudes, which are deeply rooted in the UOC, give the secular power an opportunity to look for “traitors” among the clergy and to try to introduce repressive laws regarding this church.

Photo: The convicted former Ukrainian Metropolitan was awarded by the Russian Patriarch

In France – he is a sympathizer of Germany, in Germany – a traitor

By

Newsroom

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30 June 2024

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(205 years since the birth of Jacques Offenbach)

He was a composer, cellist and conductor of German origin, but he worked and died in France. Offenbach is one of the founders of operetta and a typical representative of romanticism in European classical music.

He bequeathed us over 100 operettas: “The Beautiful Elena”, “A Bridegroom at the Door”, “Orpheus in Hell”. His other operettas are “Bluebeard” (1866), “Parisian Life” (1866), “Duchess Gerolstein” (1867), “Pericola” (1868), “Madame Favre” (1878), “The Drummer’s Daughter” (1879 ). Among his most famous works is the opera The Tales of Hoffmann, which is his only opera and his last work.

He was born on June 20, 1819 in Cologne, Kingdom of Prussia, in the family of Isaac Eberst from Offenbach am Main. Isaac, the singer in the local synagogue, baptized his newborn son Jacob.

Isaac Eberst was a versatile person – bookbinder, translator, publisher, music teacher and composer. He settled in Cologne three years before the birth of his son. He was the first to notice the boy’s gift and became his first music teacher.

Little Jacob started playing the cello at the age of 12. His father decided to take him to Paris to study at the Conservatory there. But Jacob was not French, and that became a problem. The statutes of the Conservatory prohibited the admission of foreigners. But after hearing how this boy plays, the professors decide to make an exception and accept him to study the cello. Jacob, or Jacob, as the French pronounced his name, became Jacques. And with that name he will become famous.

The teacher of cello student Jacques Offenbach at the Paris Conservatory was the famous musician Luigi Cherubini, and his favorite composer was Hector Berlioz.

Due to financial difficulties, Jacques studied for only a few years, but this turned out to be enough for him to become a virtuoso who would play with pianists such as Anton Rubinstein, Franz Liszt, Felix Mendelssohn and other famous musicians. He eventually graduated from the Conservatoire and settled in Paris.

At first he played in individual concerts, and then he became an orchestrator at the Opéra-Comique in Paris. His big dream was to create a grand opera, but it would be a long time before that. The beginning of his career was difficult – theaters refused him work because he was young and unknown.

Offenbach teamed up with Friedrich von Flotow, and the two began playing together. The public likes them so much that they become famous and finally they are allowed to participate in the Parisian salons.

Offenbach will soon take over the Palais-Royal, but everything in order: Out of love for the daughter of a Spanish emigrant – Ermini d’Alquen, whom he wants to marry, he accepts Catholicism. Their marriage is harmonious and happy – the two live in understanding in for 36 years, four daughters were born to them.Offenbach was a faithful and loving husband and father.

In 1847, he was appointed conductor at the French Theatre. At that time he was almost obsessed with Lafontaine’s fables and created several light arias based on them.

They did not go unnoticed, and in 1850 they appointed him as a staff composer in the famous Moliere theater “Comedy Française”.

The time is coming when he will play together with Liszt and Mendelssohn, and Paris will remain his permanent home. Offenbach became director (and later owner) of the theater “Bouffes-Parisiens” on the Champs-Élysées.

The year 1855 is considered the birth of the operetta genre.

In the theater, Offenbach already had complete freedom to do whatever he wanted – he was a composer, a stage director, a librettist, a conductor. He saturates the performances with an atmosphere of gaiety, but also of witty sarcasm. His performances are very popular.

When William Thackeray arrived in Paris, he said that he was very intrigued by the fact that “all Paris was singing Offenbach’s tunes”.

After watching one of the performances in his theater, he said: “If anything has a future in modern French theater, it is Offenbach.”

In 1858, Jacques Offenbach staged the operetta “Orpheus in Hell” in the theater. Its success was so great that its production was played 288 consecutive performances, and for the next 20 years, in Paris alone – as many as 900 times. After her, Offenbach wrote “The Beautiful Elena” (1864), “Bluebeard” (1866), “Parisian Life” (1866), “Duchess Gerolstein” (1867), “Pericola” (1868) and many other operettas that brought worldwide glory to its author.

In 1867, at the World Exhibition in Paris, he had to compete with Johann Strauss-son, who was visiting the French capital, but Offenbach’s fame was already truly worldwide.

And only three years later, his fate brought great bitterness. This is the time of the Franco-Prussian War. The composer was bullied by the French press into sympathizing with Germany, and the Germans accused him of treason. Offenbach goes on a tour of Europe, then returns to Paris with fear in his heart. He was aware that attacks and insults awaited him there.

All the mortal sins are attributed to him – that he undermines the national idea, that he mocks the monarchy, religion and the army.

His bitter enemies narrow-mindedly preferred not to perceive sarcasm in his works as artistic artistry and continued to attack him.

In 1871, Offenbach was ruined. He had no choice but to leave France.

He left for America, where he resigned himself to giving garden concerts. His tour was a huge success in New York and Philadelphia, and he was able to recoup much of his losses.

Opera singer Richard Lewis (right) as Hoffman, with Heather Harper (left) as Antonia and Reri Grist (centre) as Olympia during rehearsals for the opera The Tales of Hoffmann by Jacques

He returns to France, hoping to restore his normal way of life and write new operettas. Everything experienced, however, worsened his health. He suffered from cardiovascular disease and asthma.

Overwork and stress took their toll, and the composer died at only 61.

His latest work is the opera “Hoffmann’s Tales”, based on the tales of E.T.A. Hoffman, whose premiere unfortunately did not live to see.

“Hoffmann’s Tales” remains unfinished. Composer Ernest Guiro completed it. From its Parisian premiere at the Opéra Comique on February 10, 1881, until today, the opera “Hoffmann’s Tales” is constantly on the posters of the largest opera houses in the world. Only its creator fails to see it!…

Jacques Offenbach is one of the most gifted composers of the 19th century, the founder (along with Hervé) of the operetta genre, a classic of French operetta. His works became a kind of satirical chronicle of his time.

Some critics have called him a “brilliant musical columnist” and an “opera buffa magician”.

His music is distinguished by lightness, grace, wit and inexhaustible melodic richness. Many musicologists pay special attention to its rhythm and consider it typical of modern genres such as waltz and cankana.

Offenbach died on October 5, 1880. He was buried in Montmartre Cemetery.

Photo: German-born composer Jacques Offenbach (1819 – 1880), known for his light and comic operas, plays the cello. Original artwork: Portrait by Lamlein/Getty Images

The Olympic Torch visits the Council of Europe on its way to Paris

By

Torsten Hjelmar

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28 June 2024

0

The Olympic Torch at the Council of Europe, greeted by parliamentarians and other. Photo: THIX Photo.

The Olympic Torch was greeted by parliamentarians representing 46 European countries, the Secretary General and representatives of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers and staff of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France. This was the first time that the Olympic Committee approved that the Olympic Torch would enter a building and a Parliament on its way to the opening of an Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The exceptional reason was that the Council of Europe this years celebrates its 75th Anniversary.

A torch-bearer passed through crowds of well-wishers in the streets of Strasbourg before running past the flags of the Council of Europe’s 46 member states, up the steps of its headquarters, the Palais de l’Europe, and through its main entrance, where it was accorded the honour of a red-carpet welcome. The Torch then entered the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly chamber.

The Olympic Torch enters the Parliamentary Assembly for the firs time. Photo: THIX Photo

The President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Theodoros Rousopoulos welcomed the Torch and recalled the 2,800-year-old origins of the Games in his native Greece, and their historic link with France through Pierre de Coubertin’s revival of the modern Games in 1896.

“We welcome the Olympic flame of peace into the cradle of human rights!” declared the President as the Torch burned in the centre of the Chamber. “We send our best wishes to the International Olympic Committee and to France for the organisation of the Games of the 33rd Olympiad. Bonne route pour Paris!”

The Torch is being carried by some 11,500 runners on its 12,500-kilometre journey from Ancient Olympia in Greece to the host city of Paris.

HUNGARIAN EU PRESIDENCY | European Churches meet with Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén

By

Newsdesk

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28 June 2024

0

COMECE CEC Hungary — COMECE-CEC Ecumenical Delegation meeting with Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén in view of the Hungarian EU Presidency. The meeting took place in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo: Hungarian Government Press office)

An ecumenical delegation representing the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) and the Conference of European Churches (CEC) met with Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén on Monday, 24 June 2024, in Budapest, to discuss their concerns and perspectives in view of the incoming Hungarian EU Presidency. READ THE COMECE-CEC CONTRIBUTION

The meeting was an occasion to present Churches’ contributions to the main policy priorities of the Hungarian Presidency of the EU Council to start on the 1^st of July 2024. These policy recommendations were elaborated in a reflection document and handed over to the Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén.

EU Churches highlighted the need recommit to the founding values of the European Union, with a particular emphasis on unity and solidarity as guiding principles for the forthcoming in the EU strategic agenda.

The members of the delegation shared their concern about the increasing social and political polarisation in EU Member States, as well as about tendencies to misuse and instrumentalise religion. H.E. Mgr. Mariano Crociata, President of COMECE, called on the incoming Hungarian EU Presidency to “promote social cohesion and address the issue of polarisation”, considered a dangerous phenomenon that divides our societies through the spread of reductive ideologies, disinformation, populism, xenophobia, radicalisation and violent extremism.

Mgr. Crociata also wished for the next Presidency of the EU Council to prioritise the protection and care of the most vulnerable,

“assisting those who suffer from different form of poverty and exclusion, and addressing demographic challenges by promoting at the EU level policies that recognise the central role of the family in society, including through increased investment in parenthood”.

The ecumenical delegation also addressed the issue of peace, emphasising the need to establish peace and stability on the European continent and beyond. “As peace in Europe can no longer be taken for granted, peacebuilding efforts have to be constantly renewed based on the principles of truth and justice, in full respect of international law”, stated H.Em. Archbishop Nikitas, President of CEC.

“We encourage the Hungarian EU Council Presidency to act as a united, trustful and integrating force and credible peace broker amid violent conflicts and tensions in EU’s neighbourhood, the Middle East, the Caucasus region and other parts of the world”, he continued.

During the meeting, COMECE and CEC representatives urged the Hungarian EU Presidency to support a citizen-centred, credible and fair EU enlargement process with the Western Balkan as well as with Eastern European countries.

Appreciating the recognition of the distinctive contribution of Churches in the official programme of the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the ecumenical delegation expressed hope that the EU-Churches Article 17 dialogue would be strengthened during this Presidency and beyond.

Beside Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén, the ecumenical delegation also met with Miklós Soltész, Secretary of State responsible for Churches, and Tristan Azbej, Secretary of State responsible for programmes to help persecuted Christians and for the Hungary Helps Programme.

Together, COMECE and CEC represent a membership of around 380 million citizens throughout EU Member States. They are strongly committed to accompany and support the European integration process on the basis of Christian values such as human dignity, respect, justice, peace and the integrity of creation.

Meetings with EU Presidencies are part of a long-standing tradition supported by Article 17 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), which foresees an open, transparent and regular dialogue between the EU and Churches, religious associations or communities.

The CEC-COMECE delegation was composed of:

H. E. Mgr. Mariano Crociata, COMECE President and Bishop of Latina;
H. Em. Archbishop Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, CEC President;
Rev. OKR. Frank Kopania, Protestant Church in Germany, CEC Vice-President;
H. E. Mgr. Gábor Mohos, Auxiliary Bishop of Budapest-Esztergom, Bishop-Delegate to COMECE;
Bishop Péter Kondor, Ecumenical Council of Churches in Hungary;
Rev. Fr. Manuel Barrios Prieto, COMECE General Secretary;
Mgr. Tamás Tóth, General Secretary of the Hungarian Catholic Bishops’ Conference;
Dr. Vilmos Fischl, General Secretary of the Ecumenical Council of Churches in Hungary;
Rev. Dr. Peter Pavlovič, CEC Programme Officer for Theology and Studies;
Mr. Marek Mišák, COMECE Policy Adviser for EU External Relations.

FRANCE – I was a victim of a police raid and was abusively detained for two days and two nights

By

Willy Fautre

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28 June 2024

0

Inappropriate and disproportionate use of massive police raids on several yoga centers and abusive detention of dozens of yoga practitioners. Still no progress in the judicial proceedings.

“In the last ten years, I have been several times in Vitry-sur-Seine to stay in a place which was used for spiritual retreats by yoga practitioners. Every time it was comfortable, the environment was very pleasant and quiet, but on 28 November 2023, it turned into a nightmare and a traumatic experience.”

This is what Ms A.D. told Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF) which collected the testimonies of dozens of Romanian citizens having a spiritual retreat in the seven yoga centers raided simultaneously by the police in and around Paris but also in Nice in November 2023.

A wide-scale raid launched at 6 a.m. by a SWAT team of around 175 policemen wearing black masks, helmets, and bullet-proof vests, brandishing semi-automatic rifles. The official objective of the operation was to arrest people involved in “trafficking in human beings”, “forcible confinement” and “abuse of vulnerability” in organized gang.

With the passing of time, the police seemed to be puzzled, as they were trying to categorize each Romanian as a “suspect,” a “victim” or a “witness.” They were trying to discern whether their captives were suspects (of rape, trafficking, etc.), victims, or whether they might be useful as witnesses.

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Here is the interview of Ms A.D., who has been practicing yoga in various centers of the MISA yoga school in Romania for 16 years. She is a language teacher and translator who graduated from the University of Letters in Cluj-Napoca and also got a Master’s degree in literary translation from the University of Bucharest.

Table of Contents

Q.: What motivated you to go from Romania to Paris Region for a spiritual retreat?

A.D.: My previous enriching experiences in Vitry-sur-Seine. Sometimes I was travelling by car or by air from Romania but this time I flew from Denmark where I had spent some time in a yoga center. As usual I had not planned to stay for a specific period in France. It could be one month or more.

Q.: How did you experience the massive police raid in November 2023?

A.D.: The early morning of 28 November last was quite traumatic for the seven guests that were staying in the house: six women and one man. At 6:00 a.m., while we were all sleeping peacefully we were abruptly and shockingly awakened by a terrible banging noise I had never heard before, not even in movies. It was the brutal breaking of the front door. A flood of strange black men burst into the house, shouting “Police, police.” I could not say how many there were but they were numerous. They were shouting “Don’t be afraid. We are here to help you and to rescue you.” I was wondering from what we needed to be rescued. We were not victims of anything and there was no fire.

After allegedly securizing the premises, the SWAT team withdrew, leaving a crowd of civilians in plainclothes who failed to identify themselves and tell us the nature of their presence there. As I was asking them pressing questions, one of them showed me a paper in French I could not understand and said their action came as a result of a rogatory commission. They started to interrogate each of us. I and some other yoga practitioners then began to protest loudly but peacefully. One of us, a woman, was handcuffed, which shocked all of us.

Finally, it was announced that we would be taken to the police station to know “who did what” and “what role we had in what”. Our questions about changing clothes, going to the bathroom, having first breakfast, drinking or taking some water with us, and so on were met with impatience, irritation and even refusals. It was almost impossible to remove our night clothes in privacy and put on something more appropriate in this cold early morning of end November.

Q.: How was the transfer to the police station?

A.D.: During the trip to the police headquarters, I was in a state of fear, anxiety and even anguish. Eventually we arrived in front of a tall glass-fronted building with the words “Ministry of the Interior” at the entrance. We later found out that we were in Nanterre. One of the translators who assisted us afterwards explained to me that the location to which we had been brought was the highest level of a criminal investigation process. I felt that by this remark the interpreter wanted to intimidate me and make me understand our case was serious.

We were kept waiting in a standing position for a very long time before entering our cells. My legs were very sore. There were many other yoga practitioners who had been transferred from other raided places to the same police station.

Q.: What were the detention conditions?

A.D.: Although we were first considered victims, which we all strongly denied, we were put in detention for two days and two nights! There were four of us in the cell I was assigned to but there were only three beds. So, one of us had to put her mattress, which was thin, on the floor and sleep like that. One of the girls was very cold and we gave her our blankets.

The atmosphere in the cell was quite tense. There was an almost constant sense of fear and anxiety, insecurity and a certain heavy, gloomy hopelessness.

In the cell, when we needed to use the toilet or anything else, we had to stand in front of the camera through which we were watched there and wave. Quite often, when we needed to go to the toilet, both I and the other girls in the cell kept waving at the camera but it would take a long time for someone to show up, which was a very embarrassing situation. Every time, a police officer was unpleasantly taking each of us to the bathroom, grumbling, swearing and slamming the door of the cell. When I later pointed this out to one of the policewomen during questioning I was told that there were a lot of people to be interrogated and that there was not enough staff. However, it was not my impression that they were overworked.

Q.: What about the interrogations, the translation services and the lawyers?

A.D.: During my two days of detention, I was interrogated twice. The first lawyer discouraged me from refusing to answer the questions, although it is my right to keep silent, because it is usually drug dealers and similar criminals who opt for such an attitude, he said. The second lawyer tried to intimidate me, saying the accusations against us were very serious.

Moreover, the translator assigned on the second day was totally incompetent. I cannot believe that he was a certified interpreter. He was Romanian and could understand what I was saying but his command of the French language was obviously insufficient. Several times, I turned to him and asked him pointedly how to say in French certain words I didn’t know. He was unable to answer me. I have some knowledge of the French language, though limited, but I could see that his translations were much shorter than my declarations. I even made some big efforts to speak French to fill in the gaps of what he had not translated.

I could not understand why I had to spend two days and two nights, and maybe more if they decided for any stupid reason to prolong my custody. I was not a victim of anything and I had not committed any wrongdoing!

Otherwise, the questions in both interrogations were, for some of them, hallucinatory to me, absurd, insulting and irrelevant, including about my intimate, sexual amorous and love life. The interrogator obviously wanted me to say I had been sexually abused or raped in the framework of the so-called MISA centers in France.

At the end of my first hearing I was given a report of it in French of quite a number of pages to be signed. The interpreter was next to me but did not translate the document for me. Despite my limited understanding of French, I rapidly perused through it, which generated some reactions of dissatisfaction of the interrogator. However, I found several passages where there were inaccuracies as compared to what I had said. I pointed this out to them and asked them to correct it. They did it, but with some irritation. Given the circumstances, I could only wonder if there were not even more inaccuracies that I did not have enough time or knowledge of French to discover on the spot. I was not given a copy of the report and I find this whole procedure very questionable.

Q.: Tell us about your release after the 48-hour custody

A.D.: Shortly before 48 hours elapsed in custody, I was called and told that I was free and could leave. It was about 9 p.m. Outside it was already dark and very cold. Without any money or phone with me, what could I do? The police officers just shrugged their shoulders. Other yoga practitioners were also released almost at the same time and altogether we managed to find a solution to go back to our spiritual center in Vitry-sur-Seine, which had not been sealed(!), and get back what had not been confiscated. Fortunately, they had not found my computer and my phone and some money, but others were not so lucky. Jewels had disappeared. Their owners did not know if they had been confiscated by the police as they were never told about it and were not given a list of confiscated items.

In the days that followed this shocking experience, I had strong feelings of anxiety and uncertainty, confusion and lack of confidence in the future. I had the feeling that I was being watched. I was locking the doors with all the keys, pulling the curtains and covering every corner of the window. Sometimes the vision of breaking the front door and police brutally entering the house comes back to me and I’m afraid it will happen again. I have also experienced bouts of depression and a tendency to isolate myself emotionally. All these symptoms of post-traumatic stress have not yet disappeared, more than six months later.

Peace economy practices

By

Guest Author

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28 June 2024

0

By Martin Hoegger. www.hoegger.org

One of the strengths of the Focolare Movement is to combine the theoretical aspect of the themes addressed with practical testimonies. As part of the recent interreligious conference organized by this Movement with vast horizons, six actors from different religions testified to their commitments, after five economists presented their thoughts. (see https://europeantimes.news/2024/06/an-economy-for-peace/ )

The Indonesian Lawrence Chong, from Singapore, member of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue of the Vatican, testifies to his journey in this dialogue and with the Focolare movement. He also had the opportunity to participate in “Religions for Peace” meetings, of which he was the moderator for Asia, as a young leader.

The encounter with the Shanti Ashram changed his life, as well as with the Japanese Risshō Buddhist movement. Kosei Kai. According to him, young people will not advance if we do not give them the opportunity to become leaders. Chiara Lubich inspired him by creating new structures for dialogue. Words are in vain if they do not lead to action and to considering others on an equal level. Fraternity will not happen if we do not change the economy, Pope Francis told him. To do this, we must combat the selfishness that is structural in the current economic system.

He founded a company with a Protestant and a Muslim. What he experienced in Singapore, he also did in other countries. It is possible to carry out projects in other contexts, such as the construction of a new village in Malaysia, called “paradise” (Sarawak), where the economy of communion is practiced.

Live friendship with everyone

Hayat Zitouni recalls the history of the Focolare movement in Algeria, from 1964. A small group of four people started a community with a single goal: to live friendship with everyone, in a country that is more than 99% Muslim. The experience becomes popular among Muslims. The summer meetings (called “Mariapoli”) even have to refuse people because they are so many. The Imam of Tlemcen then became a great friend of Chiara Lubich and the Focolare.

For her, the dialogue of life is a daily experience that pushes us towards others. During the beatification ceremony of the monks of Thibirine, the Focolare contributed to the smooth running of this important event for the Church of Algeria. But it is above all through charitable actions that the movement works. Through the Focolare, she also had a more positive perception of the Jewish people.

“The Dice of Love”

Santi Wongyai, from Thailand, is a musician and teaches art to very poor Burmese migrant children. He also gives them Thai lessons so that they can integrate. But their parents preferred to make them work in the sugar cane fields.

In the province of Chiangmai, he teaches children who come to the Buddhist temple the “Dice of love”. This charismatic figure takes his guitar and sings a song he composed on this theme.

Empowering children

Vijay Gopal, from India, belongs to Shanti Ashram, and is committed to underprivileged children. Ending child poverty builds a peaceful world. For this, we must give them priority for their well-being. More than 140 thousand young volunteers are involved and come from various social strata and religious traditions.

The approach focuses on children’s leadership. Children play a key role from the start. We respect them, include them and make them responsible. The Focolare collaborated on this programme and made it more operational. In 2024, this programme carried out in sixteen states of India will be replicated in ten others.

A young member of this great movement then testifies that he started working on this project at the age of 15, taking care of a very poor family. “It had a huge impact on my career and helped me understand myself better,” he says. Volunteering plays a key role in fostering inclusion and social resilience. We can overcome poverty…but together.”

Alongside the homeless

Harvey Livschitz is from New Zealand and is involved in the Wellington Interfaith Council. He discovered Focolare during confinement at the time of covid-19. In collaboration with a pastor, he took care of the homeless, through sales of food, belts and jewelry, as well as objects made from recycled objects. “The goal of this action is not only to generate profit, but above all to bring a smile to the faces of people who regain dignity,” he said.

“Dare to care”

Indonesian Sri Safitri Oktaviyanti is involved in “Dare to Care”, a Focolare diaconal programme. Indonesia is made up of 17,000 islands with more than 200 million people, predominantly Muslim. The country’s motto is “unity in diversity”.

This programme wants to take care of the poor, through the distribution of meals and other charitable actions, especially for the homeless and children from disadvantaged families. In a context where ecology is only in its infancy, Dare to Care also takes care of the environment, in order to put into practice, the indications of the encyclical “Laudato Si” on integral ecology, with actions such as cleaning beaches or planting trees.

The third point of attention is the care of the marginalized, such as the elderly, orphans and the disabled. Another point is meeting religious minorities, inviting them to common meals.

Other articles on this conference: https://www.hoegger.org/article/one-human-family/

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FRANCE – I was a victim of a police raid and was abusively detained for two days and two nights

Q.: What motivated you to go from Romania to Paris Region for a spiritual retreat?

Q.: How did you experience the massive police raid in November 2023?

Q.: How was the transfer to the police station?

Q.: What were the detention conditions?

Q.: What about the interrogations, the translation services and the lawyers?

Q.: Tell us about your release after the 48-hour custody

Peace economy practices

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