Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Begins Major Visit to Italy

On 15 September 2019, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew departs from Athens, where he attended a baptism, for Rome and the start of a five-day visit.On 16 September, he will deliver the keynote address at the 24th International Congress of the Society for the Law of the Eastern Churches, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary.Patriarch Bartholomew will speak on the theme "Society for the Law of the Eastern Churches 50 years later and the Ecumenical Movement". Following his address, he will attend Vespers and a reception in his honour by the Holy Metropolis of Italy and Malta.
The Society says​ its organisational centre is the Department for Legal Philosophy,Law of Religion and Culture (former Institute for Canon Law) of the Viennese Faculty of Law.Its purpose is the promotion of better international and inter-confessional scholarly collaboration among specialists of the Law of the Eastern Churches and of the Civil Law on Churches insofar as it concerns the Eastern Churches.His All-Holiness is a founding member of the Society.*
On 17 September, Patriarch Bartholomew will meet with His Holiness Pope Francis in the Vatican.From 18-20 September, Patriarch Bartholomew will conduct an official visit to Calabria, Sicily on the occasion of the Centenary of the establishment of the Italo-Albanese Eparchy of Lungro, which is a Byzantine Rite diocese of the Catholic Church.The Eparchy was created in 1919 for emigrants from Albania and Epirus.
According to the Eparchy:
In a few days Calabria will witness an historic event of grace.On Wednesday 18 will land at Lemezia Terme Airport His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople.He will arrive in Calabria after having met with Pope Francis, with whom he is working intensely in steps of rapprochement between the Catholic and Orthodox brothers, so that may resound as soon as possible in the universe,in a unified way, the glory that is appropriate to God.*
The Most Reverend Donato Oliverio is the Bishop of Lungro.*

The CIA Versus ISIL

CIA Deputy Director David S. Cohen says the Agency is working closely with the US military in Iraq and Syria to disrupt and degrade ISIL.Mr.Cohen was previously Deputy Director for Operations (clandestine service) at the CIA.*
John Brennan,Director of the Central Intelligence Agency,adds that ISIL today is a greater cause for alarm than al-Qaida was after 9-11.ISIL is a lot larger than al-Qaida was and goes into more places.*
Italy will allow US drones to be based at the US Naval Air Station in Sigonella,Sicily for protection of US Special Operations Forces serving on the ground in Libya and elsewhere in North Africa.No offensive operations by the drones will be permitted and Italian pre-approval of the strikes will be required.Italy says it is committed to playing its part in the anti-ISIL effort,Operation Inherent Resolve.
The programme was initiated in January.
While the CIA has recently been involved in identification and location of ISIL leaders in Syria for drone targeting,the Pentagon's Joint Special Operations Command has actually been carrying out the strikes.It is not known whether the Agency is playing the same role in the North Africa programme.