Vatican Downplays Opposition to Iraq War

Yahoo! News/AP ^ | 3/31/04 | Nicole Winfield

[B Knotts]

ROME - A top Vatican (news - web sites) official sought Wednesday to downplay the Vatican's opposition to the U.S. war in Iraq (news - web sites), saying it only objected to the means of disarming Saddam Hussein (news - web sites), not the ends.

French Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, the Vatican foreign minister during the war, stressed the Vatican did indeed oppose the conflict and thought U.N. weapons inspections should have been allowed to continue. But he said Pope John Paul (news - web sites) II shared Washington's ultimate aims in Iraq.

"The Holy See is not pacifist," he said. "It is a peacemaker."

...

"He affirms that if the positions weren't always in agreement, it was due more to disagreements over the means than on the ends, thanks to the values that both parties share," Tauran said.

Tauran went further in comments to reporters afterward, saying there was a public perception that the Vatican was "anti-American" when in reality it merely opposed the American choice to go to war.

"(The Vatican) understood that there was a situation that had to be resolved, but with other means," he said. "It was against the war. Washington thought that the time had come to resolve it with war. We said war is the last recourse."

[BlueLancer]

"It was against the war. Washington thought that the time had come to resolve it with war. We said war is the last recourse."

Always with the negative waves, Moriarty ... always with the negative waves.

Pacifists can ALWAYS find a reason to avoid having to stand up for themselves ... or anyone else for that matter.

[Notwithstanding]

DipLomacy is An area where the Vatican doeS not claim infallibility.

Sadly, most people, including the ever-erroneous lamestream media, fail to note this important point.

[international american]

""(The Vatican) understood that there was a situation that had to be resolved, but with other means,"



What other means??zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[jwalsh07]

Christian Soldier Peacemaker

[international american]

A Smith & Wesson beats 4 aces...and Saddam, too:)

[TheGeezer]

The press failed to note that important fact that the mere opinions of individuals in the Vatican do not constitute authoritative teaching. Thank heaven for Catholic Answers online for clarity in such matters...

[Dajjal]

ping

Maybe someone told them that the terrorists believe Mohammed's prediction in the Hadith that the Muslims will conquer Rome.

[Notwithstanding]

The qustion of whether all other means had been tried was not one that could be definitively answered in the Iraq situation. In fact, there wasmore evidence to suggest that all other means HAD been tried.

Therefor the Vatican's position, even the official diplomatic or theological position of the pope - culd not have been considered infallible.

[BushisTheMan]

Hope I don't offend any Catholics, but the Pope can take a big hike. He didn't support us so STFU.

[livius]

Thanks for catching this, B Knotts; ping to all the rest of you for opinions and further pings to other folks for their opinions.

I have a very dear Opus Dei friend who was very opposed to the Iraq war because he said that while it was technically just, the Pope opposed it (Opus Dei is very devoted to the Pope, and even his private opinions are taken as Gospel by them).

It's interesting that the Papal opinion seems to be adapting to reality now and recognizing the vision behind it.

[ninenot]

Well, you've managed to offend a bunch of Catholics. Congratulations. STFU yourself.

[pax_et_bonum]

We said war is the last recourse.

And so exactly how many more U.N. resolutions later would be "the last recourse"?

[presidio9]

Hope I don't offend any Catholics, but the Pope can take a big hike. He didn't support us so STFU.

I am a Catholic. I supported the War. I respect the Pope's opinion, because I know there is sound logic in his thinking. I hope I never see the day when a Pope is advocating anything other than a peaceful resolution to conflict. You are entitled to your opinion, but you will always offend Catholics when you use terms to address him that you would not feel comfortable using with your own mother. I'm guessing STFU is not one of those. Pope John Paul II is one of the three individuals most directly responsible for the fall of Communism.

[BushisTheMan]

Well, if the Pope is supposed to be against violence and war (which I think he should be), then he should not have welcomed the Iraqi representative. It was the Iraqi goverment that was filling mass graves in Iraq. I didn't hear him speaking up about that.

So, again I'll state that the Pope should have been a little more clear about killing people -- I guess he thinks that killing in a war is wrong but killing in a shredder is okay.

[BushisTheMan]

Just because he's your religious leader does not make him mine. I don't respect him for many reasons besides the war. If you do, then watch your own language in front of him. I never expect to kiss his ring or kneel in front of him so he can keep his opinion to himself next time or repeat in in the church instead of the newspaper.

[presidio9]

Well, if the Pope is supposed to be against violence and war (which I think he should be), then he should not have welcomed the Iraqi representative. It was the Iraqi goverment that was filling mass graves in Iraq. I didn't hear him speaking up about that.

How, do you suppose, the Pope could have stopped the killing be refusing to meet with Tariq Aziz (who claims to be Christian)? The Pope has no army. The only way he can persuade offensive men to change their evil ways is by speaking to them.

[NutCrackerBoy]

Just because he's your religious leader does not make him mine.

Pope is an important world leader, and deserves respect on that basis and the basis that he is a respectable religious leader. I was disappointed that he (and his advisors) opposed the war; great efforts were put into convincing them.

Anyway, I don't think STFU is the correct response. He will continue to make pronouncements on the world stage. These pronouncements are of importance and should be respected. Anyone is free to agree or disagree with them.

[BushisTheMan]

Anyway, I don't think STFU is the correct response

In retrospect, I think you are correct. Permit me to apologize to anyone I offended with this comment.

[McGavin999]

War WAS the last recourse. Any further delay would only result in further innocent lives being taken. In addition, the Iraqi people were living a daily horror.

I have a feeling the Pope is beginning to see the truth in this matter despite the poor advice given to him by those around him.