Posted on 07/14/2006 7:51:25 AM PDT by dinoparty
Vatican condemns Israel for attacks on Lebanon VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Vatican on Friday strongly deplored Israel's strikes on Lebanon, saying they were "an attack" on a sovereign and free nation.
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo Sodano said Pope Benedict and his aides were very worried that the developments in the Middle East risked degenerating into "a conflict with international repercussions."
"In particular, the Holy See deplores right now the attack on Lebanon, a free and sovereign nation, and assures its closeness to these people who already have suffered so much to defend their independence," he told Vatican Radio.
Israel struck Beirut airport again on Friday and bombed Lebanese roads, power supplies and communication networks in a widening campaign after Hizbollah guerrillas seized two Israeli soldiers and killed eight.
Sodano said the Vatican condemned both "terroristic attacks" and military reprisals.
Hizbollah, which wants to trade its captives for prisoners held in Israel, has showered rockets across the frontier in its fiercest bombardment since 1996 when Israel launched a 17-day blitz against southern Lebanon and Hizbollah. ADVERTISEMENT
But Sodano reserved his harshest words for Israel.
"The right of defence on the part of a state does not exempt it from its responsibility to respect international law, particularly regarding the safeguarding of civilian populations," he said.
You're quite right, between Hizbollah and Syria, but the sentence you excerpted shows the bias of the writer. The Vatican also condemned the terrorist attacks.
I'll take it further: Making too great a distinction between asking my wife to get me a glass of water and asking God to end a drought risks a kind of spiritualism. Yes (despite what she sometimes seems to think) there is a MAJOR difference between my wife and God and a major difference between getting me a glass of water and changing the weather. But what about the "asking"? Tell me the difference there, I pray. I have a need and desire. I tell someone and ask for someone's help in meeting it.
Finally, I'm not sure what you mean by "hear" but my hope is that, should God take me to heaven one day, my perceptions will be increased, not decreased. Consequently if I now can tell a little about what's on your mind, I hope to be able to know more one day. If I am to be, as St. John says, "like Him", I hope to share more and more in His knowledge, compassion, and love.
So it doesn't seem to me too out of bounds to suppose that holy people now living in heaven with God can hear my requests now. I am as confident that they will hear my asking them to ask God for various things on my behalf as I am that you can read my prayer that you will pray for me.
JPII under a significant threat to his life (as was confirmed by the almost successful assassination attempt later on) went to Poland to basically agitate against the Evil Empire and was encouraging Polish people to rise against USSR, also under a very real threat to their personal safety. It is hard to praise him too much, because I doubt that without Poland leading the revolt against communism, the USSR would collapse when it did. Maybe, eventually, but who knows?
So, it was OK for the Pope to lead against the Evil disregarding personal safety of his own and people he lead. How is today's evil is lesser than yesterday's evil?
You are exactly right. And the Vatican also knows that the consequences have been disastrous for Lebanon's Christians each time Lebanon has gotten caught up in a wider Mideast conflict.
Some say they should not shoot back because Lebanon is a democratically elected government. Why does that change the fact that they have sent 700 rockets into Israel?
Arab Christians in Lebanon are caught up in this mess, too, and no doubt appreciate the Vatican's words cautioning Israel.
Once again, you should see this as a wink-wink-nod-nod statement from the Vatican toward Israel. You're making much more of it than you should.
The Vatican probably is more concerned about the fate of the Maronite population, which is Catholic. The Catholic Church has its own interests in Lebanon to watch over that do not necessarily agree with Israel's.
Israel has the right to defend itself, but the Maronites' past
alliances with the State of Israel puts them in a bind.
Lebanon once was the only nation in the Middle East with a majority Christian population, but the civil war and persecution at the hands of Hezbollah, et. alia., has elminated that majority.
Done it. Been there. Got the t-shirt, AND the immunity from the Goldhagen anti-Catholic ranters.
Spare us your anti-Catholic bigotry.
Pope Benedict XVI has spoken far more forcefully against Islamist terrorism than his predecessor.
Pope condemns India terror bombing
Jul. 12 (CWNews.com) - Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) has released a statement condemning the July 11 terrorist bombings in Mumbai (Bombay), which he describes as "senseless acts against humanity."
In a telegram sent by the Secretary of State, Cardinal Angelo Sodano (bio - news), the Pope promised his prayers for the families of the victims and for those who were wounded by the bombs.
At least 190 people were killed, and several hundred injured, by a series of 7 bombs that exploded in Mumbai's busy commuter-rail system during commuting hours on Tuesday. Police authorities suspect that the bombing was the work of an Islamic separatist group. Because of similarities between the attack and the earlier terrorist bombings in Madrid and in London, there are suspicions that some group connected with Al Qaida could be involved.
India has experienced several terrorist attacks in recent months. In March, 23 people were killed by bombs in Benares, a town in northern India that is sacred to Hindus. Last October, 66 people were killing by bombings in New Delhi. Those attacks were attributed to Islamic groups that are battling Indian troops for control of the Kashmir province: a region that has been the focus of dispute between India and Pakistan since the two countries were separated by the partition of 1949.
There you go again, sinkspur!
Do you "know the first thing about the political realities that the Vatican is dealing with"?
It's your attitude of superiority-at-all-costs that defeats your own argument. Of course I do not know about the political realities that the Vatican is dealing with, but neither do you.
Your equation of "not paying attention to what is said but rather to why it is being said" can be an acceptable compromise in politics and in world affairs, BUT NEVER FROM THE MOUTH OF A CHRISTIAN. We are to speak "the truth, in love." Anything else is not from God.
Relax, popebot
Geez
Have you been in a cave for 20 years? Three soldiers are merely the latest. Bombers and rockets and missiles and hijackings, "..Oh, it's the military wing of Hamas, not the political wing" etc.
This war has been ongoing for at least since Jimmy Carter brought the two sides together for the "peace process". These rats have been killing Jews with impunity, while also slaughtering Americans and other Muslims.
This will be bad, but it can never be over, we can never win, unless it gets bad.
The Vatican is making a statement about a political situation. That's why it was made by the Secretary of State, who deals with matters political.
The Vatican is a political voice in the world as well as a moral one.
Slamming Arabs, at this point in a very hot and volatile situation, would be the dumbest thing the Vatican could do.
Do you have anything to contribute to the thread, or are you just about potshots?
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Agreed. I doubt Israel is focusing much on the Vatican's statement at the moment. They're in the middle of a fight for their lives. Prayers for Israel.
And if we did, then so too do the sheeple out there.
Maybe I missed it, but does the Vatican issue a condemnation like this every time terrorists kill Israelis?
Or do they wait until Israel defends itself before they finally condemn the violence?
Since May 28, 2006
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Welcome to Free Republic.
There are leftwing leakers there attempting to put words in the Church's mouth.
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