by Br. Alexis Bugnolo

The pictures tell the story.

In the photo above, you need no explanation if you live at Rome. If there is a line wrapping round the block, there must be a supermarket round the corner. This line was seen yesterday, Sunday morning, opposite the Piazza of Santa Maria Maggiore.

But look how many police there were to make it clear to everyone that they better not dare even to think to take a step towards the Basilica to visit it:

The same sights can be seen elsewhere in Rome. Here are the lines at supermarket today, Monday:

This supermarket has longer lines because it is one of the few which is managing to keep its shelves stocked. Indeed they have merchandise waiting on the curbside to go into the store. It’s a good way of publicizing that it’s worth your while to wait in line:

As you approach the door, you are given plastic disposable gloves to wear while in the story. Something, someone though of in the past few days.

However, as you enter you are greeted with the daily propaganda. I notice propaganda readily, because I grew up in the USA where it is rarely seen:

The Italian phrase, Andrà tutto bene, means, “Everything will be all right!”

I cannot fail to notice that future tense of the verb.

In the store, if you waited the 45 minutes in line, you found that bread shelf was nearly empty and the meat shelf was half empty. But everything else was well stocked, because prices at this particular supermarket are 20-50% higher than the others, whose shelves are even less well stocked.

As they say in Italy, you can only be certain of the truth, when it is publicly denied.

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