This Sunday morning, my wife and I leave for Mexico City for a one week contemplative pro-life pilgrimage sponsored by Human Life International (HLI), a U.S. Roman Catholic activist pro-life organization, and the largest international, pro-life, pro-family, pro-woman organization in the world. Two years earlier, we had the opportunity to visit with the staff of Vita Umana Internazionale, the Rome, Italy office of HLI.
News of our trip have raised frequent comments and concerns from family and friends that we will encounter Montezuma’s Revenge and our travel safety.
Montezuma’s Revenge
Montezuma’s Revenge is the colloquial term for any case of traveler’s diarrhea contracted by tourists visiting Mexico. The name jokingly refers to Montezuma II (1466-1520), the ruler of the Aztec civilization who was defeated by Hernán Cortés, a Spanish conquistador.
Well I’ve got a stomach made with bricks and mortar and lined with steel so I’m not worried about Montezuma’s Revenge.
Concerns for our travel safety
The U.S. Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs issued a travel alert on February 20, 2009, excerpted in part below:
“While millions of U.S. citizens safely visit Mexico each year . . . violence in the country has increased recently. . . foreign bystanders have been injured or killed in violent attacks in cities across the country, demonstrating the heightened risk of violence in public places . . . The Mexican Constitution prohibits political activities by foreigners, and such actions may result in detention and/or deportation . . . U.S. citizens who believe they are being targeted for kidnapping or other crimes should notify Mexican officials and the nearest American consulate or the Embassy as soon as possible, and should consider returning to the United States . . . .”
Even though our planned activities include a rosary service in front of an abortion hospital, I’m not worried that Mexican authorities might deem this to be a prohibited political activity and detain or deport us. Nor am I worried after reading the travel alert or listening to the many good-intentioned comments from family and friends, fearful for our safety, that we shouldn’t go to Mexico because they might kidnap us.
Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum
News of our trip have raised frequent comments and concerns from family and friends that we will encounter Montezuma’s Revenge and our travel safety.
Montezuma’s Revenge
Montezuma’s Revenge is the colloquial term for any case of traveler’s diarrhea contracted by tourists visiting Mexico. The name jokingly refers to Montezuma II (1466-1520), the ruler of the Aztec civilization who was defeated by Hernán Cortés, a Spanish conquistador.
Well I’ve got a stomach made with bricks and mortar and lined with steel so I’m not worried about Montezuma’s Revenge.
Concerns for our travel safety
The U.S. Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs issued a travel alert on February 20, 2009, excerpted in part below:
“While millions of U.S. citizens safely visit Mexico each year . . . violence in the country has increased recently. . . foreign bystanders have been injured or killed in violent attacks in cities across the country, demonstrating the heightened risk of violence in public places . . . The Mexican Constitution prohibits political activities by foreigners, and such actions may result in detention and/or deportation . . . U.S. citizens who believe they are being targeted for kidnapping or other crimes should notify Mexican officials and the nearest American consulate or the Embassy as soon as possible, and should consider returning to the United States . . . .”
Even though our planned activities include a rosary service in front of an abortion hospital, I’m not worried that Mexican authorities might deem this to be a prohibited political activity and detain or deport us. Nor am I worried after reading the travel alert or listening to the many good-intentioned comments from family and friends, fearful for our safety, that we shouldn’t go to Mexico because they might kidnap us.
Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum
8 comments:
I'm glad you're able to go. Have a great trip!
Thanks Charles, and a special thank you for being part of the Pierini Fitness Dream Team of guest bloggers helping guard the fort during my absence.
I'll pray for you and your family's good faith, fitness, fortune and health.
Bon Voyage from your friend in Omaha! If you don't mind, I'd like to give you a "Special Intention" to present to our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas. In the meantime, a very powerful travelling prayer is the "Itinarium" which I will pray on your behalf.
Hello Father Novokowsky and thank you for the blessing of a priestly visit, the first here at Pierini Fitness.
Even though you are not a middle-age man, the prerequisite for being a guest blogger here at Pierini Fitness, maybe one day I'll make an exception so that your priestly wisdom can be shared in a very special and prayerful blogflection.
God Bless you Father Novokowsky.
Have a safe, fun, and relaxing trip. Here's something else to worry about while you're down there: an outbreak of the swine flu in Mexico!! I just heard it on the news a little while ago.
Be safe and take care,
Donna
I just read this and thought I'd pass it along. Could this affect your trip??? It says some activities are being cancelled.
Donna
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090425/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/med_swine_flu
Ok, that didn't link like I though it would.
Look up yahoo news Mexico swine flu possible pandemic.
Donna,
I'm so grateful for you concern for my well-being that next time I update my Will, I'll bequest you a fractional interest in Pierini Fitness.
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