Pope in dramatic appeal to avert war

Yahoo News (Reuters) ^ | 9-23-01 | Philip Pullella

[Iowegian]

Pope John Paul has issued a dramatic appeal that the world not be allowed to slide into war following attacks on the United States and urged against a deepening of religious divisions.

"With all my heart I beg God to keep the world in peace," the Pope said on Sunday at the end of a mass for some 50,000 people on the first full day of his visit to Kazakhstan, a Central Asian republic which may be caught up in an eventual regional crisis.

"We must not let what happened lead to a deepening of divisions. Religion must never be used as a reason for conflict," he said, referring to tensions with some parts of the Islamic world following the attacks in New York and Washington.(snip)

NEGOTIATIONS, NOT WAR

On arrival in Kazakhstan on Saturday, Pope John Paul said all controversies between nations must be resolved by negotiations and dialogue, not force of arms.

The Pope, who aides say is losing sleep over the possibility of war, celebrated a mass that began with a stiff wind blowing in from Siberia over the flat steppes and ended in sunshine.

[He Rides A White Horse]

Ecclesiastes 3:1-3:8

3:1 To every [thing there is] a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

3:2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up [that which is] planted;

3:3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

3:4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

3:5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

3:6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

3:7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

3:8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

[sinkspur]

Jesus cleansed the temple with a whip and overturned the tables. He called his enemies "vipers" and other pretty nasty words. He was no Peacenik!

He was not an earthly leader either. He took offense at the desecration of His Father's house. But He condemned those who encouraged Him to lead the Jews to some temporal kingdom over the Romans.

I'd be careful in presuming to know the mind of Jesus.

[Conservative til I die]

TELl the POPE the old teatment is still alive.. JUSTICE IS OF THE LORD>>>>>>....

Whew! Glad you cleared that up for us. Now when you speak for the Lord, is it Jesus Christ you speak for or just the Heavenly Father?

[sinkspur]

I have no doubt which side Billy Graham is on.

Billy Graham is an AMERICAN religious leader. Why would it surprise you that he supports the American position?

[Conservative til I die]

Jesus would not have stood silent about the persecution of millions of Christians in the Phillipines, Indonesia, Molluccas, Pakistan, Lebanon, Syria, Nigeria, Sudan, Egypt, Armenia, The Balkans, and dozens of other places.

Wow, so you like, got the direct hotline to Christ right? Whew! Glad you cleared that up for me, so I can drop this silly Catholic act!

Isn't what you're doing blasphemy?

[Mercat]

I think that JPII is an old sick man whom I love but don't agree with. Wishing and hoping doesn't mean he is issuing a Papal edict.

[Iowegian]

You said a world religious leader. Billy Graham has preached and is respected all over the world. He is a world religious leader (whether you recognize it or not). Everybody is born somewhere, even the Pope. Would he take sides if Poland were involved?

[Conservative til I die]

You're that guy that's his own pope right? The one with the personal hotline to Jesus, that gets to make up his own beliefs as he goes because, "at least I'm spiritual."

[John W]

Some of the Pope's earliest comments on the act of war did not include this new "negotiations and dialogue" stuff.

Perhaps he reread some of the material from Fatima and can now really interpret it in light of events and fears for the world.

[Fred]

Heavenly Father, "Thy Will Be Done"

[Conservative til I die]

Yep, that Jesus was no Peacenik alright (strawman #1 - Jesus could have been other things than either a pansy peacenik or a macho redneck). I mean, remember when He was hunted down by a mob for unjust reasons, then told his best friend to not fight, allowed Himself to be tried and convicted in a sham trial, then have very large spikes put through his wrists and feet, and then sufffocated/died of fluid in his heart and lungs on a cross? Yep, Jesus was a real Rambo.

[Conservative til I die]

Yes, you are right. I disagree with the Pope as well. I mean, I know what he's getting at, and commend him for his optimisim, hope, and high-road nature. That's what he should be doing. But of course, while I believe in Papal Infallibility, I don't believe that applies to the Pope's personal beliefs. I respectfully disagree with him.

[sinkspur]

He is a world religious leader (whether you recognize it or not).

I simply disagree.

[Conservative til I die]

OK, so, even knowing that, you expect the Pope, the numero uno religious leader in the world to be saying "KILL THEM! KILL THEM ALL!!!! IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, KILL THEM ALL!!!!"

I mean c'mon man.

[MagnusMat]

The Holy Father like most prophets will be understood in time.

[Conservative til I die]

Maybe. Who knows, maybe the Pope knows something of a non-earthly nature about this that we don't????????

[He Rides A White Horse]

I mean, remember when He was hunted down by a mob for unjust reasons, then told his best friend to not fight, allowed Himself to be tried and convicted in a sham trial, then have very large spikes put through his wrists and feet, and then sufffocated/died of fluid in his heart and lungs on a cross? Yep, Jesus was a real Rambo.

He knew His Father's will was to be done, and that nothing was going to be able to (and shouldn't) stop it.

[AuntToots]

BurkeanCyclist writes:"Your prayers for peace have been answered, Your Holiness. And the answer, given on the morning of September 11, was "No." You should probably begin praying for a quick end to the war, for the protection of innocents, and for justice." I am Catholic my entire life. I agree with the above statement.