[SoothingDave]

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".

So the Pope prayed for Arafat's soul, expressed sympathy for a grieving people, and expressed a desire for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

What part of this is "bad" or "unChristian" again?

SD

[Blue Scourge]

I'm very disappointed in the Vatican on this one. Perhaps some of the Catholics here can enlighten me as to why the Vatican seems to keep ending up on the wrongside of alot of events lately.

P.S. Don't accuse me of being anti-catholic it is simply a criticism of their policies.

[Jeff Chandler]

it made no mention of militant attacks

So blowing up children in pizza parlors is a militant attack?

[Humvee]

I feel their pain? I guess the next thing is Clinton will become pope.

[My Favorite Headache]

I am so humiliated by my faith in the Catholic church...we are total pansies.

[MarcoPolo]

Uh, who is surprised that the Vatican would say something abominable in favor of a dictator? Their little inquisition in Spain didn't seem to mind murdering Jews by burning them at the stake in the 1400s and 1500s, so why wouldn't they just fall in love with a modern-day Jew-killer like Arafat? The Vatican is corrupt and always has been. I feel a great swell of sorrow for the everyday folks within the Catholic Church who are actually trying to find and follow God's way. It's sad because they're led by such wicked people, and the common Catholic deserves better.

[ellery]

A Palestinian "vision" from Sept. 11, 2001:

[jb6]

Just upholds my view that the Vatican is morally bankrupt. Will he morn Saddam's execution too? Did he mourn the Iotola Khomani's death?

[montag813]

The Pope has been simply nauseating with respect to Islam since 9/11. Doesn't he realize there is no difference between Islam and the Communism he fought so heroically and successfully against?

Islam is no more a "great religion" than any other political ideology which attempts o justify mass murder and military conquest.

[Alouette]

FRmail me to be added or removed from this Judaic/pro-Israel ping list.

WARNING: This is a high volume ping list

[Aquinasfan]

Media filtered:

Pope:
"in this hour of sadness".
"star of harmony"
"reconciled among themselves as two independent and sovereign states".
"illustrious deceased"

Joaquin Navarro-Valls:
"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,"

Vatican officials:
"jumping off the peace train".

senior Vatican prelate
"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,"
"That was a great failure and a lot of problems stemmed from that,"
"He missed his date with history."

The "illustrious deceased" gets me, as does the "leader of great charisma."

[technochick99]

Over the past four years, the Vatican's improvement in relations with the Palestinian Authority coincided with a deterioration of relations with Israel.

This is what is so sad.

[nmh]

"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."

Praising the enemy of the Jewish people and Christians is not something we appreciate, hence the snub by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

[rang1995]

cowards

[Petronski]

Obscene

[P-Marlowe]

The Conservative Evangelical Churches in America will welcome all you Conservative Right Minded Mackerel Snappers with open arms. :-)

See you at church on Sunday. Bring your Bibles.
(We'll help you tear out your Apocrypha's after the service).

[Convert from ECUSA]

"The Vatican has praised Yasser Arafat as a charismatic leader who struggled to win independence for his people ... 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."

Oh, puleeeeeeeze! A murder and terrorist was "a charismatic leader?!" (Hitler and Stalin were "charismatic", too!) "Illustrious deceased!??!?!" An evil man should be granted "eternal rest to his soul?!?!?!" Well, that may be what some in the Vatican may say, but they sure do not speak for this particular Catholic!! Arafat was a murder, terrorist, and plain evil. Hardly someone to be "illustrious!" Rest for his "eternal soul?!?!" I don't think that Hell is a place of eternal rest. Maybe we can't know for sure who will finally end up in Heaven or Hell, that is God's ultimate judgement. But by the fruits of Arafat....I doubt that he is now, or ever will, enjoy the bliss of Heaven.

Eulogizing Arafat like this is a slap in the face of Jews and of Christians. He and his organization murdered many of both. Maybe the Vatican is supposed to say "nice" things, and all that, but at least they could refrain from eulogizing someone like Arafat. One wonders next if they'll start eulogizing Stalin or Hitler. What are those people smoking over there?!

[TapTheSource]

Well, seeing how the Pope is the "Vicar of Christ," not to mention "infallible," what he says about Yasser Arafat must be true, right?

[k2blader]

Sick.

Arafat was a terrorist.

Terrorists should not be praised, especially by people claiming to be Christian.

[laredo44]

A serious question. Can somebody please name Arafat's three greatest accomplishments?