Posted on 11/11/2004 7:16:53 AM PST by SJackson
The Vatican has praised Yasser Arafat as a charismatic leader who struggled to win independence for his people, and repeated its support of a sovereign Palestinian state alongside Israel.
Pope John Paul, who last met Arafat in 2001, retreated into private prayer when he was told of the death of the Palestinian leader earlier on Thursday in Paris, a Vatican source said.
The Pope, who made a historic trip to Israel and the Palestinian territories in 2000, sent a message saying he was particularly close to the Palestinian people "in this hour of sadness".
The 84-year-old Pope's message said he prayed that the "star of harmony" would soon bring peace to the Holy Land and that both Israelis and Palestinians could live "reconciled among themselves as two independent and sovereign states".
Earlier, a statement by the Vatican's chief spokesman called Mr Arafat the "illustrious deceased" and asked God to grant eternal rest to his soul.
"The Holy See joins the pain of the Palestinian people for the passing of President Yasser Arafat. He was a leader of great charisma who loved his people and tried to guide them towards national independence," said the statement by chief spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls.
The official statement was bound to displease Israel because it made no mention of militant attacks, which the Jewish state blamed on Mr Arafat and insists must stop before the stalled peace process can get back on track.
In recent years the Vatican continued to recognise Mr Arafat as the legitimate leader of the Palestinians after Washington and Israel had written him off.
But Vatican officials privately criticised him for what one called "jumping off the peace train".
"There is no doubt that he was a towering figure for his people but his great mistake was not to sign on at Camp David," a senior Vatican prelate told Reuters.
"That was a great failure and a lot of problems stemmed from that," he said. "He missed his date with history."
At a US-brokered a peace summit in 2000 both sides came close to a final accord that would have established an independent Palestinian state, but the talks broke down over the status of Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees.
Washington and Israel blamed Mr Arafat for the failure.
Over the past four years, the Vatican's improvement in relations with the Palestinian Authority coincided with a deterioration of relations with Israel.
The Pope repeatedly criticised Israeli incursions into Palestinian territories and last November, the Vatican was shocked when Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon came to Rome for several days but did not ask to see the Pope.
Proof of training Saddam assassins and what lists? Proof and I don't mean articles with "I believe" or "I think" or "could be"
The two "russian" generals were fired by Gorbachov under the Soviet Union 15 years ago.
The explosives were proven not to be smuggled out, DoD admitted they used the majority to blow up 400,000 tons of other explosives. You keep repeating the DU lies, ones also used to discredit Bush. Trolling again?
You mean publically over and over support Bush in the face of most of the world? Yeah, been hiding in the DU lately I see.
Hm. Now exactly what part of what I said made me a "phony bigot?" It's particularly sad that you couldn't come up with any pithy or fact-filled statement to actually refute what I said. Instead you had to resort to cheap profanity which speaks volumes not about the person to whom it is directed but the person who speaks it. If you want to defend a religious leadership, try to do so without embarassing it with foul language. It might help your case more.
They can only teach the children how to place a condom over a cucumber.
I was thinking that the terrorists could teach the children to model after their own cowardice.
Please identify where the "praise" is in the Pope's statement. I repeat it for you below.
The Pope:
In this hour of sadness at the passing of President Yasser Arafat, His Holiness Pope John Paul II is particularly close to the deceased's Family, the Authorities and the Palestinian People. While entrusting his soul into the hands of the Almighty and Merciful God, the Holy Father prays to the Prince of Peace that the star of harmony will soon shine on the Holy Land and that the two Peoples dwelling therein may live reconciled among themselves as two independent and sovereign States.
Where is ther praise you complain about?
Contrast with the statement from President Bush:
The death of Yasser Arafat is a significant moment in Palestinian history. We express our condolences to the Palestinian people. For the Palestinian people, we hope that the future will bring peace and the fulfillment of their aspirations for an independent, democratic Palestine that is at peace with its neighbors. During the period of transition that is ahead, we urge all in the region and throughout the world to join in helping make progress toward these goals and toward the ultimate goal of peace.
Is Bush also "praising" Arafat?
SD
Thanks for the words. It is difficult to argue with those who think that the Pope should be a cheerleader for America.
SD
That's repugnant. Jesus didn't die so we would wallow in the grief of our enemies. American Protestantism tends towards this isolationism.
SD
" I've never heard a Catholic raise a his or her voice to remind anyone that rednecks are human beings to."
You've heard a Catholic raise his voice now! The treatment of your mother was disgraceful. I'd gladly welcome someone like her into my parish, and from what I've observed and know of the priests in my parish, they would treat her with courtesy and respect. And for the record, I'd rather have a so-called ""unsophisticated" rural white Southerner with a sixth grade education" who truly loves the Lord and has a real, deep, and honest faith in my parish and church any day of the week over the usual sneering lefty CINO.
Consider that one Catholic voice has spoken up - however feebly - for you and your mother. And I'm a Southerner (and proud of it), too.
Unfortunately Jesus' death will not save Arafat. You have to repent to be saved. Arafat is not one of those who will enter the Kingdom of God. Why don't you take a moment and review the many murders ordered and/or committed by this piece of inhuman trash?
Our joy is that this evil man is dead. Their grief is sadly misguided. You may find that repugnant, I find it to be realistic. You can go ahead and embrace evil if you want to I choose to call it what it is. Your embrace of this evil man and all his works is repugnant to me.
Consider that one Catholic voice has spoken up - however feebly - for you and your mother. And I'm a Southerner (and proud of it), too.
Your words of comfort are notetd and appreciated, CFECUSA, as your many FReeper mails have been. Thank you, and may G-d lead and guide you always!
Ironically, now that I'm online I can find Catholic resources online that defend both total Biblical inerrancy and six day creationism (like this one and this one, for instance). But unfortunately they are very lonely voices dismissed by even the most "traditional" mainstream Catholics. And equally unfortunately, there are many radically rightwing Catholic individuals and organizations that are fanatically anti-Semitic and actually blame modern Biblical criticism on the Jews(!!!). For a Fundamentalist Catholicism is like walking a very narrow ledge between two abysses. Be strong!
Again, thanks for everything!
I never said it did. For that matter, neither have I "praised" Arafat nor "embraced evil."
Do you believe in Jesus? Do you attempt to emulate Him? Do you think He would ever take joy in the grief of another?
SD
Now you want to play who is the 'better' Christian (or maybe who's the better Catholic?). I don't play that game.
I feel that by embracing the grief of these people you are embracing evil. You try to play both sides like the Dems. You can't have it both ways. Evil is evil. Like Arafat, many of those who mourn him are also evil and the others are deceived. I don't think Jesus would embrace this and neither will I. The entire mourning for Arafat process that is going on right now is nothing more than hypocrisy. Jesus had his strongest words of condemnation for hypocrites - (see Matthew 23: 2-36).
Go ahead and embrace these people who mourn the passing of their evil 'martyr'. My not doing this makes me no less a good Christian than you Dave.
With that I think theres no more I can say to you as I won't play the game of who loves Jesus more. I know my saviour. You are not the judge in my life when it comes to my faith as I am not the judge in yours.
It's not a question of "better." It's a question of what the Christian response is period.
The Pope expresses sympathy for these people experiencing grief and says he hopes a peaceful solution to the situation can be arrived at.
And the Pope gets crap from FReepers everywhere for this. Y'all need to examine your hearts. Hate is not good. Jesus said that we are to do more than love those who love us. We are to show our love even to those who hate us. Who's doing that?
SD
I guess you are the arbiter of the proper Christian response? I think not.
Matthew 25:
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
I don't see any "escape clauses" here. Jesus doesn't say we don't have to comfort our political enemies.
SD
There you go again... twisting the words of our Lord. Jesus would not give succor to evil.
You do not see evil. You equivocate the terrorists with the innocents described in the verses you quote.
I guess it's all perception. Scripture also deals extensively with false Christs and prophets. I guess you will hug them too???
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