Pope Calls for Fast Against War in Iraq (Catholics to fast on Ash Wednesday)

ap ^ | 2/23/2003 | ap

[TLBSHOW]

Pope Calls for Fast Against War in Iraq

VATICAN CITY - Pope John Paul (news - web sites) II called on Catholics to fast on Ash Wednesday in the name of peace and said again on Sunday he worried a U.S.-led war against Iraq could unsettle the entire Middle East.

Looking wan and tired, John Paul opened his traditional Sunday remarks from his studio window overlooking St. Peter's Square by denouncing war as a way to resolve the conflict.

"We Christians in particular are called upon to be sentinels of peace," John Paul said, calling on Catholics to dedicate their fasting on Ash Wednesday, March 5, for the cause of peace.

On that day, the pope said, faithful will pray for "the conversion of hearts and the long-range vision of just decisions to resolve disputes with adequate and peaceful means."

He said that the fast, which Catholics traditionally conduct at the start of Lent to prepare themselves for Easter, is an "expression of penitence for the hate and violence which pollute human relations."

Fasting, an ancient practice shared by other religions, he said, also lets faithful "shed themselves of all arrogance."

Rainbow-hued peace banners fluttered in the crowd of tourists and pilgrims in the square. Surveys have shown Italians and many other Europeans oppose war, even if waged under the aegis of the United Nations (news - web sites), and earlier this month, about 1 million Italians marched through Rome to protest against the United States and its push for using military force.

"For months the international community is living in great apprehension for the danger of a war, which could unsettle the entire Middle East region and aggravate the tensions unfortunately already present in this beginning of the third millennium," the pontiff said.

"It is the duty of all believers, to whichever religion they belong, to proclaim that we can never be happy pitted one against the other; the future of humanity will never able to be secured by terrorism and by the logic of war," John Paul said.

While the pope has been hailed as a champion of peace by anti-war demonstrators ranging from environmentalists to communists, some in Italy challenged his view.

Radical Party leaders Sunday denounced what they saw as the pontiff's "equating terrorism and war, whatever war." Led by Marco Panella, the Radicals say they would like to see Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) in exile and a democratic government under U.N. auspices to replace the Iraqi leader.

John Paul has been holding practically daily meetings with key players in the crisis over Iraq. In his latest effort, on Saturday, he met with British Prime Minister Tony Blair (news - web sites), who has been trying to line up support in Europe and elsewhere for Washington's insistence that military force is necessary if Baghdad doesn't quickly and completely comply with U.N. disarmament resolutions.

John Paul, 82 and struggling with Parkinson's disease (news - web sites) and other health problems, appeared weary, his voice trailing off in the final words of his appeal, "blessed are the peacemakers," a phrase from the Gospel of Matthew.

John Paul made similar calls against conflict in the months before the 1991 Gulf War (news - web sites), but in this campaign, with the memory of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks making the world particularly apprehensive, he has seemed more determined than ever to do his part to persuade decision-makers against going to war.

[MeekMom]

I'm sorry to read that you will not study to show yourself approved unto God CTID.
Please reconsider.
Caring for your soul is not a game CTID, and God, nor His Holy Word will be mocked.
Again, please reconsider.

[Conservative til I die]

Hey, that's fine. If you're one of the "tribe," it is OK to make light and have a little fun with some of our rituals. But if you were a non-Catholic asking that, I would take offense, because then it would be sort of mocking us.

[Conservative til I die]

SO where are we burning crosses this week?

[GirlShortstop]

Darkdrake says:  Praying for peace is what the Pope is supposed to do.

Zeroisanumber says:...I admire his sincerity and his continued commitment to the ideal of peace.

Well said.... it is heartwarming to see God's goodness and trust in Him found in *some people's* responses. Btw, my response to the l--o--n--g post above definitely does *not* count, LOL!

[Conservative til I die]

This is a thread about the Catholic stance about war. Not exactly on-topic to trot out the latest cut and paste from Jack Chick on every topic under the sun.

[MeekMom]

CTID, that makes no sense at all.
I'm sorry you have such anger within you.
If you'd like to talk about these issues you have please, FR-mail me and I will give you my online contact info.

I pray for your health and peace CTID.

[GirlShortstop]

I'm saddened that you fine the Holy Bible rude and off topic.

Really?   Last time I checked, this was NOT a scripture study.   A private reply -or- a simple excerpt with links would have been a better way to put your message out for perusal if a reader is so inclined.

[nmh]

Need I mention that the "rainbow" is a homosexual symbol. Just like a cross in the flag is a symbol for Christians. Homos have claimed the rainbow, preferably on a flag, as their sympbol of solidarity. In any event, whatever they do or don't do has no effect on me. Evil needs to be confronted and removed when we are threatened and we certainly are threatened. Get rid of Sadaam Insane.

[AlguyA]

"Axis of deception!"

"Will this dope ever obey the Gospel and stop deceiving his willing puppets?"

Since this thread is about the Pope calling on Christians to pray for peace and since this call leads you to condemn the Pope as a "dope" engaged in deception, can we assume you pray for war? You seem very anxious for the killing of your fellow man.

[sinkspur]

Stop attempting to hijack the thread.

This is about the Pope's opinion on the war.

If you want to discuss the merits of Catholicism, go the religion forum.

[DontMessWithMyCountry]

have you had your cholesterol level checked recently? haha.

[GirlShortstop]

 
LadyDoc says:   Maybe if we pray and fast, there will be a peaceful resolution (not necessarily appeasement). For example, the overthrow of communism was prayed for by millions of Christians for 40 years, and one day it was gone, without violence.

Ann Archy replied:  Thank you so much for your writing. Prayer brings about miracles. The Pope can be nothing other than a man of peace.

Beautifully stated.  Peace.

[T Minus Four]

That is a shockingly excessive amount of food for one day. You should lose those sauteed beets! :-)

[DontMessWithMyCountry]

"Is the pope siding with Muslims?"
Well, yea. When does he not? Didn't you follow his comments while the darling Pali occupied (oh, i mean, 'sought refuge in') and desecrated the Church of the Nativity.

[Barnacle]

ROTFLMAO... not

[BlessedBeGod]

Please take your Protestant teachings to the Neverending thread. They don't belong here.

[GirlShortstop]

 
Not exactly on-topic to trot out the latest cut and paste from Jack Chick on every topic under the sun.         

I pray for your health and peace CTID.         Sure, sure... but not for "that dope", right?

[BlessedBeGod]

I feel sorry for you and your obvious lack of faith.

[T Minus Four]

Don't you just hate it when someone says "I'll pray for you" as a tactic to gain the upper hand and the last word in an argument?

[1rudeboy]

Gosh, this is all so complicated. Let me see if I can help. If you are not Catholic, then don't fast on Ash Wednesday. If you are Catholic, then you should be fasting anyway, regardless of the Pope's Iraq policy. And as for the folks that are passing virtual kidney stones on this thread, I suppose you could join the Catholic Church, and work to have a pro-war Pope appointed. Did I cover all the bases?