Rob Colquhoun

John Paul II - Who are you conference- Brussels

On the evening of 22^nd April, I went to the JPII who are you? Conference in Brussels which was an evening to celebrate the life of John Paul II. There were talks from many people who knew the Pope very well and had anecdotes and testimonials about his life. Some of his majestic poetry was read, and at the end a great band called Cardiac Move played a collection of songs.

What was most striking about the event was it was extremely well organised, free (courtesy of a generous benefactor) and welcomed people to the Church (a free magazine of the Church in Brussels was given out). Also it explained the charisma and appeal of John Paul in layman’s terms and also was very entertaining. The translation, technical organisation and venue were also very good. It showed that Christian testimony is so important if we are to transmit the faith, and our faith must be seen as credible, able to be lived authentically and alive in communities. What is the most essential part of organising these events is incentive for the event, and helping to transmit living faith. If an event is organised just to look good and mix with friends little can be gained but if it is to celebrate, show the Church’s most outstanding leader as a guide and witness to humanity (as this event clearly did) it is able of being a true success.

Venice

Next stop on the break was Venice where I met my mother. It is the most extraordinary city. As an island, it is free of road traffic. It is stunningly picturesque, with romantic canals and gorgeous alleyways. It could also be considered a tourist theme park- over 12 million tourists visit a year.  The city has the most extravagant Churches- and St. Mark’s Cathedral is a true gem of antiquity. I did not object to the entry charge for most of the charges given that 99% of the visitors are tourists, there are many free Churches and clearly restoration work must be funded for. The city oozes this image that there was a great indulgent era of the city, the mystery of the Carnival joined with the wealth from trade. What is also fascinating is that the city is extremely safe, especially at night, as normally tourists are soft targets. This is probably because of the low number of residents on the islands and the overwhelming domination of tourists.