Posted on 12/19/2005 2:40:09 PM PST by Aussie Dasher
FRANCE has to heed the warning from the riots that rocked cities across the country last month, Pope Benedict said today, urging the French government to do more to promote racial integration.
"The internal violence which left its mark on societies can only be condemned, however, it was a message, notably from youth," the pope said in an address during an audience with the new French ambassador to the Vatican.
The riots in France's poor suburbs began after the accidental deaths of two youths apparently fleeing police but grew into protests by youngsters of North African and African origin as well as poor white youths.
President Jacques Chirac acknowledged after the riots, which lasted for weeks, that France needed to improve conditions in its "banlieues", the often depressed poorer residential suburbs.
The pope said immigrants had brought "economic, cultural and social richness" to France which now had the challenge of living up to its values of equality and fraternity by taking "an extra step towards integration".
France, a predominantly Catholic country with a 5-10 per cent Muslim population, needed to ensure immigrants and their descendents could be part of "a real common culture imbued with fundamental moral and spiritual values", he said.
That meant giving them "more confidence in a better future, allowing them to build their existence, to find a job to meet their needs and those of their families, to have the well-being which is their natural right".
Other countries in Europe needed to make similar efforts, Pope Benedict said.
"Social peace, to a large extent, is (achieved) at this price."
French revolution, also a message.
This more or less assumes that the muzzies want to be part of "a real common culture etc". I think this is not the case ... Pope Urban understood mohammedanism.
Sounds like Benedict is as clueless as Chirac. There is nothing france or any other non-muslim country can do to integrate its muslim immigrants except surrender their country.
I followed the story closely over the last month, and this is the first I've heard of "poor white youths." Sounds like an MSM cover-up for their allied Islamofascists.
"French riots a message: Pope"
Well, duh!
Well for starters . . . the church could send in priests and baptize everyone.
"do more to promote racial integration."
Umm...isn't that what the rioters wanted? You agree with them?
Benedict is not clueless. Even a cursory reading of his extensive writings reveals that.
As far as I can see, what the rioters wanted was a bloody good riot! They got one.
What Benedict is warning against is warring racial tribes within communities.
You know, if the pope
said THAT here in a thread then
we'd all say, "Uh, pope,
do you have a link
to back up that assertion?"
I don't think he would . . .
Piss-poor comments by the Pope. He must know better than this.
If he doesn't, God help us.
Which is worse, someone
clueless saying dumb things, or
someone who is smart
saying dumb things for
political or social
reasons of his own?!
Don't underestimate him or the Lord. France faced these riots because they purposely permitted segregation. A society claiming to tbe free out of one side of its mouth and spewing venom out the other will be forced to reconcile the difference at some point. The question is, what can France do now after allowing the most militant members of its Muslim community to become so entrenched.
He's laying an option. Either the immigrants assimilate (not going to happen), or more trouble will brew (more likely).
It doesnt take much to start a riot among people who lean toward riots anyway.
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