Cardinal Says U.S. Treated Saddam 'Like a Cow'

Yahoo! News / Reuters ^ | 12-16-2003 | Philip Pullella

[sitetest]

[LM's note: This thread is degenerating a bit into Catholic bashing and general flaming, and is in risk of being moved to the smokey backroom. Please stop. I've locked it once, and it has continued. Any more and it is gone. Thanks.]

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - A top Vatican (news - web sites) official said Tuesday he felt pity and compassion for Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) and criticized the U.S. military for showing video footage of him being treated "like a cow."

Cardinal Renato Martino, head of the Vatican's Justice and Peace department and a former papal envoy to the United Nations (news - web sites), told a news conference it would be "illusory" to think the arrest of the former Iraqi president would heal all the damage caused by a war which the Holy See opposed.

"I felt pity to see this man destroyed, (the military) looking at his teeth as if he were a cow. They could have spared us these pictures," he said.

"Seeing him like this, a man in his tragedy, despite all the heavy blame he bears, I had a sense of compassion for him," he said in answer to questions about Saddam's arrest.

Martino was referring to the videotape released by the U.S. military which showed a grubby, bearded and disheveled Saddam receiving a medical examination by a military doctor after his capture in an underground hole Saturday.

Martino was one of the Vatican officials most strongly opposed to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq (news - web sites).

"It's true that we should be happy that this (arrest) has come about because it is the watershed that was necessary... we hope that this will not have worse and other serious consequences," Martino said.

"But it is not the total solution to the problems of the Middle East," he said.

Martino said the Vatican hoped the arrest of Saddam "can contribute to promoting peace and the democratization of Iraq."

He added: "But is seems to me to be illusory to hope that this will repair the dramas and the damage of the defeat for humanity that a war always brings about."

The Vatican did not consider the war in Iraq "a just war" because it was not backed by the United Nations and because the Vatican believed more negotiations were necessary to avoid it.

Martino said the Vatican wanted an "appropriate institution" to put Saddam on trial but he did not elaborate.

U.S. forces were keeping the ousted 66-year-old dictator at a secret location for interrogation before he is put on trial in the months ahead. He could face the death penalty.

The news conference was called for Martino to present the World Day of Peace message, in which Pope John Paul (news - web sites) took a swipe at the United States for invading Iraq without the backing of the United Nations.

[Lead Moderator]

When we see bashing of all muslims rather than just the radical Islamists/Wahhabists, we pull it and if it continues the person is gone. Similarly, when we see bashing of all Catholics and/or Catholicism, it is going to get the axe. Regards.

[Robert Drobot]

Addition to Post # 258:

"These 'we all pray to the same god' heretics have already deployed a multiple offense. They are presently seeking to promote the presence of pagan idols at the Holy Shrine of Fatima. Read :

Desecration of shrines. After Assisi, Fatima?
and
More on the sacrilege at Fatima.

[DoctorMichael]

I don't know if anybody's listening but O'Reilly is addressing THIS statement from a VERY conservative-Catholic viewpoint on his radio show.............................

O'Reilly's bottomline: "Cardinal, get a clue!!!! The only thing keeping these clowns from slitting your throat is the U.S. military!"

As a Catholic, I agree.

[Domestic Church]

It wouldn't be dumb at all if the agenda was to undermine and weaken the faith. There are many different agendas including population control that would foot this.

[Qwinn]

Didn't read everything but I just have one comment to make.

Yes. The Catholic Church is just as susceptible as any other organization to infiltration, and in fact is the heaviest target for it in the world.

The Church tried to do something about very real infiltration of the Church once before. It was called the Inquisition. Look at all the great fair and balanced press they've gotten for that one.

Qwinn

[rogator]

"In attacking the evils of Islamist extremism we are never censored. Why is attacking the evil of Roman Catholic extremism any different? I really want to know."

How many Catholic terrorists have hijacked airplanes and become suicide bombers in the past few years?

[Qwinn]

Eh. I'll add one more comment.

As ridiculous as this Cardinal's comments are, they're not any different or worse from what I'm hearing from typical American liberals. Is someone shocked and apalled that a political liberal has reached high office in the Vatican? I mean, come on. Should they engage in a political litmus test on matters not directly relating to religion? Again, if they did that, it would be decried the world over as similar to the Inquisition. Shall the Pope just excommunicate all Democrats?

It might be nice, I grant you. But to condemn the whole Church for the rantings of one silly liberal who managed to get into the Vatican on his credentials as a -religious- man (and presumably NOT his politics) is just plain silly.

Qwinn

[Catspaw]

I just watched William Donahue of the Catholic League condemn this Cardinal's remarks.

[malakhi]

The Church tried to do something about very real infiltration of the Church once before. It was called the Inquisition.

Who was trying to infiltrate the church?

Look at all the great fair and balanced press they've gotten for that one.

Yes, I feel lots of "pity and compassion" for the church for the bad rap its gotten over the Inquisition. </rolls eyes>

[Catspaw]

Sorry--I forgot to mention that William Donahue of the Catholic League was on Cavuto.

[sinkspur]

I envy how expertly and artfully you mete out sinky's rhetorical destruction. God bless you. jp

Dream on, petresky.

Black Elk is the single most uncharitable poster on this forum, and not just to me.

If you mention me, have the decency and courtesy to ping me.

God doesn't like rudeness.

[Qwinn]

Uh huh. And I'm sure that you get to hear the Church's side of the Inquisition argument all the time.

Oh. I forgot. "Fair and balanced" doesn't mean getting to hear both sides. It means only hearing the position -you- agree with.

Qwinn

[ladyinred]

We treat our cows very well thank you very much! I am pleased that he noticed how humanely Saddam is being treated by the USA!

[SoothingDave]

You don't think, that while misguided (since there was no mistreatment to speak of), the Cardinal has a point about respecting the humanity of even our worst enemy?

SD

[ladyinred]

A good reason why religious people should not get involved in politics.

Oh that wasn't a real smart thing to say was it? Not a Catholic, but it is offensive to me as well.

[malakhi]

Oh. I forgot. "Fair and balanced" doesn't mean getting to hear both sides. It means only hearing the position -you- agree with.

Having heard both sides, I continue to be amazed at those who would defend the Inquisition. Most Catholics are not so reluctant to distance themselves from it.

Now, would you please answer my question?

YOU: The Church tried to do something about very real infiltration of the Church once before. It was called the Inquisition.

ME: Who was trying to infiltrate the church?

[george wythe]

Instead, the Church takes the capture of Hussein, an event hailed by every free person, to rip the United States for proving to the world that we got him.

The Vatican has no moral credibility because it continues to demonstrate that it doesn't deserve it. Clueless.

As a Catholic, I'm very angry at this unjustifiable statement by the Vatican.

My mom called me a few minutes ago to tell me about it, and I thought she was mistaken. I had to confirm it by reading the actual statement.

My mom is writing a letter, in longhand, expressing her outrage.

This cardinal does not speak for the majority of American Catholics, and he certainly does not represent my views, or my clan's views.

There is no excuse for this kind of statement from anyone from the Vatican. Period.

[Petronski]

PING

"Black Elk is the single most uncharitable poster on this forum."

Nothing uncharitable about the truth. Use whatever adjective you want, but apply it to me too. I want to associate myself with every one of his comments on this thread.

"God doesn't like rudeness."

I hope you'll take that to heart.

[malakhi]

You don't think, that while misguided (since there was no mistreatment to speak of), the Cardinal has a point about respecting the humanity of even our worst enemy?

Since, as you note, there was no mistreatment to speak of, the cardinal has no point.