Domini Dictum: Go East!

March 26, 2008 - 1:00 PM by Stephanie

If you’re living in Rome and the pope issues an edict, then heed ye the call lest fire and brimstone raineth down upon ye and your household.

Ech… how would I know? I’m not Catholic.

But it appears Vatican higher ups are busy with more than the official deity business at hand these days: They’re dipping into the tourism industry i.e. urging Italian Christians: Get ye and yourn to the Holy Land – that would mean over here – and visit holy sites – that would mean spots tied to the history of Jesus of Nazareth (& Jerusalem, Bethlehem and the Galilee.)

Starting today, Opera Romana, the Vatican’s official travel agency and one of the largest Catholic agencies in the world, will begin operating six weekly charter flights from Italy to Israel. Tourism Ministry representatives at Ben Gurion Airport will greet the pilgrims arriving on the inaugural flight, present them with a small gift and escort them through their entry into Israel. The Vatican travel agency has chartered planes from Mistral Air which will carry the Opera Romana logo – a fact that bears witness to the enormous potential that Opera Romana sees in this route.

About 500,000 pilgrims visited Israel during 2007, an increase of 25% over the previous year. During January-February 2008, about 80,000 pilgrims visited Israel, an increase of 30% over the same period in 2007. An impressive increase in incoming tourism was also registered from Italy: some 5,000 tourists arrived in Israel from Italy during February 2008, 70% more than February 2007. cites a press release put out by Israel’s government.

By Job, we’re in for a travel boon! Except Job would’ve never flown because he wouldn’t have been able to afford it and even if he could’ve coughed up the cash his luggage would’ve gotten lost and if his luggage didn’t go missing his flight would’ve been re-routed via Honduras and….

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