Charlie Dittmeier's Home Page
Here is another street corner that reflects some of the architectural history of Phnom Penh. On the corner are two one-story wooden houses that probably date back to the early 1900s. Then to the right of them is a green three-story concrete building that start replacing the wood buildings in the 1940s and 1950s. And finally, in the background, is a multi-story modern building going up, a product of the building craze that started around 2000.
This is a scenario that is not uncommon in Cambodia: a seamstress who sets up a food and drink service in front of her tailor shop to serve the morning rush-hour crowd going past her on a major street. The International Labor Organization estimates that 84% of Cambodia’s economy is this informal work, although in this case the woman’s tailor shop might actually be registered with the government although that is certainly not a given.
The Patriarch Abraham, who today brings us together in unity, was a prophet of the Most High. An ancient prophecy says that the peoples “shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks.”
This prophecy has not been fulfilled; on the contrary, swords and spears have turned into missiles and bombs. From where, then, can the journey of peace begin? From the decision not to have enemies.Pope Francis, with religious leaders in Iraq
Anyone with the courage to look at the stars, anyone who believes in God, has no enemies to fight. He or she has only one enemy to face, an enemy that stands at the door of the heart and knocks to enter. That enemy is hatred.
Does the government in Cambodia really think it necessary to build a special crematorium to burn the bodies of deceased COVID-19 victims? If washing hands for twenty seconds and spritzing with sanitizer can take care of the virus, wouldn’t burning the body more than have the same effect? The special crematorium will be just like the regular crematoriums except that it will only be used for coronavirus victims. Why make a special facility?
Last week the Cambodian government said that foreign diplomats, UN officers, staff at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Asia Development Bank (ADB), and the World Bank (WB), as well as staff of international NGOs would be in a priority category to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Maryknoll Cambodia is an INGO, but the government hospital I went to on Sunday morning said they were closed because they had such crowds on Saturday. At another hospital on Sunday, this sign was posted (above): “No ticket. Please go to your own embassy to take application form before you come here.” No one know what it means. What ticket are they talking about? The embassies say they don’t know about the form referred to on the sign.
The government of the Kingdom of Wonder….
From January, 2020 to February, 2021, Cambodia experienced about 375 COVID-19 infections. Then on 20 February, two infected people started a series of infections and in the next two weeks another 600 infected people were found. Click here to see more background on this development.
Richard Rohr, OFM
Looking for something to give up this Lent? Disappointment, resentment, frustration, and anger must all be given over to Christ or they will consume us–and our world.
Last night, Cambodia time, a funeral was celebrated at the Maryknoll headquarters in Ossining, New York for Fr. Ed McGovern. Ed was a former prosecutor for New York City courts but made a career change and became a Maryknoll priest and was assigned to Cambodia in 2004. He and I lived together until 2008 when he was elected to the General Council for the Maryknoll priests and brothers group. Good guy. I’m going to miss him.
In the photo, Fr. Ray Finch, the Superior General of the Maryknoll priests and brothers, incense’s Ed’s coffin at the beginning of the funeral in the main chapel at Maryknoll, New York.