Pope expected to tell Bush he is wrong on Iraq: Vatican

AFP ^ | May 13, 2004

[Shermy]

ROME (AFP) - Pope John Paul (news - web sites) II is expected to warn President George W. Bush when the two men meet on June 4 that his policy in Iraq is wrong and the actions of US troops are damaging efforts to bring religions closer together, a senior Vatican official revealed.

Cardinal Pio Laghi said the US-led occupation force in Iraq should be replaced by "a multinational presence which is not dominated by those who wanted and fought the war."

It was not enough for a military force in Iraq not to be under US command, "it must not even give the impression that it is," he said Thursday.

Laghi was the pope's envoy to Washington last year in a fruitless attempt to persuade Bush not to invade Iraq against the wishes of the majority of the United Nations and its 15-member Security Council.

Referring to revelations this month of torture and humiliating mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners by US soldiers, the cardinal asked "how is it possible to remain in Iraq if these abuses continue?"

Laghi said he liked the United States and "could not have imagined that this madness was possible". He said he was "astonished" at the behaviour of US troops and called for "all light to be shed on this affair, justice to be done and guarantees given so it does not happen again."

Bush is due to meet the pope on June 4 before travelling to France for ceremonies commemorating the 60th anniversary of the allied landings on the Atlantic coast on June 6, 1944, which began the liberation of Europe from Nazi occupation.

Laghi said Bush had been very anxious to see the pope and had changed his schedule to make the meeting possible, but said he did not think the president wanted to make political capital out of it before the election due to take place in November.

"If ever there were a difficult time to ask for an audience with the pope it is now," he said.

The cardinal said he also expected the pope to tell Bush that his policies in the Middle East in general were not helping the cause of peace.

"We must above all build cultural understanding between peoples and I do not believe that our American friends are doing that," he said.

"Bombing mosques, going into holy places, putting women soldiers in contact with naked men shows a lack of understanding of the Muslim world which I can only call surprising," he said.

"We must build bridges with Islam, not dig trenches between us," he went on. "And we must give top priority to the Israeli-Palestinian question, which is the root cause of terrorism."

The pope would tell Bush that "the fight against terrorism must not be purely repressive and punitive but must also proceed from the elimination of its causes, which are rooted in injustice."

Bush and the pope have met twice before, but the June 4 audience will be their first since the start of the war in Iraq.

[LoneRangerMassachusetts]

The pope would tell Bush that "the fight against terrorism must not be purely repressive and punitive but must also proceed from the elimination of its causes, which are rooted in injustice."

The Pope is a Dope.

[Piranha]

""And we must give top priority to the Israeli-Palestinian question, which is the root cause of terrorism."

I can't decide whether these guys are stupid or evil. Any thoughts?

[jwalsh07]

Cardinal Pio Laghi said the US-led occupation force in Iraq should be replaced by "a multinational presence which is not dominated by those who wanted and fought the war."

Right Cardinal Laghi. Perhaps we can replace Americas soldiers with soldiers from the countries who were happy to stand by and watch while Saddam filled the trenches with bodies and Iraqi children starved so that the Ba'athists, Russians, French and UN weasels lined their pockets with "oil for food" money.

Wake up Cardinal, The good and evil thing is not a myth and you're currently sliding down the wrong slope.

Signed,
A Catholic former soldier who still believes that good and evil exist and pulling the covers over ones head enables evil.

[Adrastus]

I'm not impressed. Not since all the Vatican troops were...wait one......disregard. There never were any there.

[DB]

He's man.

He was chosen by men to be Pope.

There is nothing he is infallible at just like the rest of us.

[Piranha]

Maybe he or one or more of his top advisers were on the Oil for Food scandal list for kickbacks.

[Shermy]

The Pope can voice his opinion.

To be fair we don't know his personal opinion, and, really, how much complexity can he understand?

Many speak for him. Cardinal Laghi - on whose dole is he? He wasn't on the Saddam bribe list, but other Vatican -connected people were.

[fedupwithlibs]

"We must build bridges with Islam, not dig trenches between us," he went on. "And we must give top priority to the Israeli-Palestinian question, which is the root cause of terrorism."

Oh, I see. it is the Jews' fault. The goal of these radicals of Islam is to kill Christians and Jews. How do you build a bridge with a religion that consistently ignores the hateful acts of their followers? In fact, many of the religious leaders themselves encourage these hateful acts.

[Redbob]

"Bush expected to tell Pope to take a hike" - America!

[NCjim]

US troops are damaging efforts to bring religions closer together

When a "religion" is basd on the tenet of killing those not part of it, there is no option for closeness.

[Argus]

As a Catholic, I have no desire to get closer together with the heresy of Islam. The sooner Muslims are converted to Christianity the better, for them and the world. That's where the Vatican could help, if it really wanted to. But unfortunately, the Church has lost the crusading vigor it had in the Middle Ages, and is now just another NGO.

[EternalHope]

Islam and Christianity are very different religions. Bringing them "closer together" is not a desirable objective.

Peaceful coexistence, on the other hand, is a different thing all together. Competing for men's souls in the realm of the heart and mind would be fine.

Peaceful coexistence does NOT mean giving up the right of self defense. It most definitely does NOT mean becoming Islamic.

It DOES mean Islam quits trying to kill or subjugate everyone who is not Islamic. Let me know when that happens.

[Piranha]

Which Vatican people were on the Oil for Food bribe list? It seems obvious that one or more of them was, but who?

[AngieGOP]

When I was in grammer school we were taught that the Pope is Christ's representative on earth and that although he is a man he is infallible when it comes to Church doctrine. Infallibility does not include political commentary.

[1Old Pro]

When I want advice on war I won't ask the Vatican or the U.N. for advice.
What's worse, Bishops preying on young boys ruining their lives forever, or putting panties on a few murderous terrorists?

[hsmomx3]

No, but I wonder how the Pope would have reacted if the Reformation took place during his rein/lifetime?

[protest1]

Good grief, what COMPLETE UNADULTERATED DRIVEL!
G. W. Bush should cancel his audience with the pope and tell him to get stuffed.

[SF Republican]

President Bush tells Pope he wears funny hats

[gilliam]

Not the Vatican, the UN Security Council.

[Redbob]

Damn that's good!

(But I wouldn't be as easy on them as you...)