ITALY: Vatican Partnership Encourages Pilgrimages to Rome

Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi works to accompany pilgrims on journeys around the world with adequate spiritual assistance and logistical organization. It promotes pilgrimages to important destinations that have a spiritual and cultural interest. While they have developed many itineraries to Catholic Christian destinations for pilgrims from around the world, they also help to organize customized itineraries based on individual groups' needs and desires.

Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi (ORP) has forged a North American partnership to offer spiritual pilgrimages for American and Canadian travellers. Ornit, the official distributor of Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi services in North America, will offer pilgrimage packages to Rome, Lourdes and other Marian sites, Israel and Palestine, walking pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela, as well as social justice and event packages. Tours custom-tailored for individuals and groups are also possible.

ORP is a department of the Vatican, the Vatican's Institutional Unit of the Vicariate of Rome, Department of the Holy See, at the direct dependence of the Cardinal Vicariate of the Holy Father. Having the imprimatur of the Holy See, their guides and pastoral leaders are trained Catholics. What distinguishes ORP from other travel agencies, even Catholic operators, is that they are able to "open doors" to special places which may not otherwise be possible. Working with ORP, Ornit's tours assure a faith focus for all their pilgrimages, including daily Mass.

Founded in 1934, Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi works to accompany pilgrims on journeys around the world with adequate spiritual assistance and logistical organization. It promotes pilgrimages to important destinations that have a spiritual and cultural interest. While they have developed many itineraries to Catholic Christian destinations for pilgrims from around the world, they also help to organize customized itineraries based on individual groups' needs and desires. ORP is also committed each day to furthering its other important mission of creating a dialogue, as well as solidarity, charity and peace among people.

"We're living in a globalized world," said Patrizia De Libero Brown, ORP/Ornit's representative for the Eastern US and Canada.

"We believe that a pilgrimage is a lasting inner experience. It is a "journey of the spirit" that stimulates and helps a traveller to feel the presence of Christ in him or her and in others," said De Libero Brown. "It is also a way to explore the beauty of life and its Creations, a search for a face, as result of offering one another. A pilgrimage is a real opportunity for an inner transformation."

"Over the past couple of generations the Catholic Church's spiritual response to those changes has been to recover its spirituality of pilgrimage," said De Libero Brown. Discovering the Catholic Church today means discovering the pilgrim Church, whether it's through a monastic experience in the Holy Land or time travel through the history of the Church in Rome.

In a globalized world, pilgrimage is no longer the privileged experience of relatively wealthy North Americans and Europeans. Increasingly the 750,000 people who take Opera Romana trips each year come from countries like India, Brazil, Indonesia and the Philippines. More than ever, pilgrimages represent an important opportunity to discover and reforge the global unity of the Catholic Church.

"The most important aspect of any ORP/Ornit-organized tour is the opportunity to meet with the local Church and local people, whether it's in a village in the Palestinian Territories or along the streets of Rome," said De Libero Brown. "A journey of the spirit cannot happen without human faces," she said.

A pilgrim should experience both the life of the Church and their own personal Christian journey. "Pilgrimage is a metaphor of our Christian existence," said De Libero Brown.

But just buying a package tour doesn't necessarily lead to conversion.

"There's no magic to it," she said. "If any change is going to take place, it's going to come from within. Our mission here in the United States is to help in some small way to bring that about."

Ornit considers its market the 67 million Catholics in North America. In the last year it has established offices in Texas and Massachusetts, where De Libero Brown is based. Travel agents can book pilgrimages through Ornit, or individuals and groups can deal directly with Ornit by calling Ms. De Libero Brown in the Massachusetts office at 1-978-249-6580.

ZIMBABWE: African Airlines Association Meeting In November, Host Zimbabwe

Air Zimbabwe’s turnaround strategy is set to receive a major boost this year after the national airline won the right to host the 48th African Airlines Association (AFRAA) annual general assembly (AGA) in Victoria Falls later this year.

The event, which will take place from November 20 to November 22, is expected to attract 400 high profile delegates from Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North America.

AFRAA secretary-general Dr Elijah Chingosho, who was in the country on an advance visit and also witnessed the unveiling of the logo for the general assembly, yesterday said the general assembly was a unique opportunity for Air Zimbabwe to spread its wings as it is expected to play a major role in bringing delegates to the general assembly and taking them back to their countries.

“As the host airline, Air Zimbabwe is expected to play a pivotal role in the transportation of delegates to and from the country.

“The hosting of this event in Zimbabwe and the Victoria Falls in particular also presents an excellent opportunity to strengthen aviation in the country and the tourism sector because we are encouraging all the delegates to travel with their spouses so that they can sample what Zimbabwe has to offer.

“This is also a chance to show the visitors the business opportunities that exist in the country and to state clearly that Zimbabwe is open for business,” he said.

AFRAA president and Air Zimbabwe’s acting chief executive Mr Edmund Makona said Air Zimbabwe was geared for the challenge.

“The secretary general said the purpose of hosting the general assembly in a specific country and being hosted by a specific airline is meant to maximise benefits for that airline. As Air Zimbabwe we have taken note of that. Within Air Zimbabwe we have also said it cannot be a strategy without the attendant issue of growth and sustainability. So growth and sustainability are at the heart of what we are doing.

“So we really are geared to grow that route network. I do not want to pre-empt other than just to confess that it cannot be an airline without the attendant issues of growth otherwise there is no need for the management at Air Zimbabwe to preside over a still birth airline.

“We will be the host airline and carrier of choice during the general assembly and we cannot do that if we have not spread our wings. We want to assure you that by the time the AGA takes place we would have spread our wings beyond the thin route network that we are currently operating. We have started some initiatives but we would want to under promise and over perform,” he said.

Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Dr Joram Gumbo said hosting the AFRAA general assembly will be the best opportunity to look for partners to boost our Air Zimbabwe.

“We are busy talking to several airlines who want to partner with us to revitalise Air Zimbabwe so that we can come up with one because the shopping list of partners is long since many companies are approaching us from the Middle East, China and from Europe.

“We are expecting that in the next three to four years Air Zimbabwe will be back as a leading airline in the continent,” he said.

He added that the ministry is looking at bigger airplanes and small to complement the airline’s fleet so that it can resuscitate its old routes.

“I am looking at possibly engaging with partners before the end of the year and it’s a process, when you bring somebody to partner in such an industry which a number of countries are struggling to boost.

“We are we are aiming at bringing in new airlines and experts to revitalise Air Zimbabwe,” he said.

Meanwhile the general assembly would see delegates discussing issues on the development of air transport in Africa and development opportunities for African airlines in particular. AFRAA has a membership of 35 airlines that include all major intercontinental African operators.

The members also represent over 85 percent of total international traffic carried by African airlines. This is the third time that the annual general assembly is being held in the country.