Now he has come against Israel.
Does he not realize that Almighty God has both the right and the capacity to punish?
Posted on 05/14/2015 1:48:01 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
After Pope Francis moved to recognize a Palestinian state, some gung-ho defenders of Israel suggested the pontiff should stick to preaching and stay out of politics.
“It’s interesting how the Vatican has gotten so political when ultimately the Vatican ought to be working to lead people to Jesus Christ and salvation, and that’s what the Church is supposed to do,” said Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.), a hawkish defender of Israel.
It wasn’t just Duncan. Several House conservatives seemed exasperated that Francis, who will address Congress this fall, approved the Vatican’s recognition of Palestine as a state. On Wednesday, critics said Rome needs to leave the question of Palestinian statehood to be sorted out in the Middle East.
“I’m disappointed,” Duncan added. “Now the Pope is legitimizing a Palestinian state without requiring those who get recognition to recognize Israel as a Jewish state.”
Others were frustrated that the pontiff would recognize a place that’s an avowed enemy of a U.S. ally like Israel.
“I’m surprised that the pope would recognize Palestine when they’re still haters who want to eliminate Israel off the map and don’t recognize Israel,” said Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), a member of the Israel Allies Caucus. “The Pope is the head of his religion, and he makes those calls for himself, but I represent 700,000 people from East Texas and a vast majority agree with me.”
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
Now here’s news to me:
Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), also Catholic, has invited the Pope to address Congress later this year, where the whole world will watch to see if he delivers a political message.
The Vatican has been using the phrase “State of Palestine” in its official diplomacy since November 2012, when the UN admit the Palestinians as a non-member observer state. The Vatican took the position that it would follow the lead of the UN as to when to start referring to it as a fact. That UN vote came during the papacy of Benedict XVI, so recognition of Palestine as a state is not new under Francis.
The “news” reported Wednesday, therefore, is two and a half years old.
Wednesday's announcement isn’t about the question of statehood. Instead, it largely concerned the tax and legal status of Catholic facilities and personnel on the West Bank and Gaza Strip, building on a basic accord reached between the Vatican and the Palestinian Liberation Organization in 2000.
When Pope Benedict XVI traveled to the Middle East in 2009, he met with former PLO leader Yasser Arafat, who gave him a set of the Stations of the Cross made out of ivory. Benedict did him the diplomatic honor of installing this in a small chapel off of the Vatican “synod” assembly area.
Using the phrase “State of Palestinian” is, at most, a confirmation that the Vatican under Francis is not backing away from a position it had already taken.
Allen concludes his article by saying, "Perhaps the Vatican’s communication team might want to consider a boilerplate disclaimer in the future. 'Caution: Not everything contained in the following statement amounts to a revolution.'"
Thank you for clearing the facts.
It is important to get in front of them before the mass hysteria — which this “news” is designed to produce — sets in.
Pope Benedict met with Yasser Arafat in 2009?
I hope it was in a vision, dead five years would have been a little ripe.
Now I understand Earnie Pyle is claiming to have been there and says he can verify that the meeting took place, so maybe I was wrong to be skeptical.
Now he has come against Israel.
Does he not realize that Almighty God has both the right and the capacity to punish?
My sincere advice in Love to you is to abandon your “Pope” and get right with Jesus Christ.
As a Catholic I put my trust in Christ and find this Pope to be a false prophet kind of Pope.
I feel the same way. I have tried to be neutral but this Pope is not the greatest. Some are better than others.
This Pope should have been kicked out of the Church as a priest IMO the way he turned out.
I am very grateful to be a member of the Catholic Church, which has taught me and brought me, and urged me and drawn me, into contact with Jesus Christ Our Lord. I am convinced now, more than ever, that the Catholic Church is one of Christ's most valuable gifts to the world, and especially to souls like me.
So if you don't mind (or even, my friend, if you do!) I will pray for you to draw nearer to Christ, thinking this will draw you --- in some way you may not even know about ---- into a better relationship with this, His Church.
You are already in it, I think, in your way. Whether you know it or not!
Two sinners praying for each other. I do think that pleases Him.
Thanks for the correction. I'll have to look it up tomorrow and figure out what two things I have mixed together!!
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