US, Backers Responsible Before God on Iraq - Vatican

Reuters | 3/18/03

[kattracks]

March 18

— VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Vatican said Tuesday that countries which decided to wage war on Iraq without the consensus of the international community were assuming great responsibility before God and history.

"Those who decide that all peaceful means that international law makes available are exhausted assume a grave responsibility before God, their conscience and history," said Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls.

Navarro-Valls comment was the Vatican's first official reaction to Washington's ultimatum to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to go into exile within 48 hours or face war.

[kattracks]

And those who stood idly by while Iraq committed it's atrocities, including the Vatican, are assuming great responsibility before God and history.

[The Wizard]

we're well aware of that, we're Americans

[goldstategop]

Yes.... hasn't the Vatican one word of reproach to the Iraqi regime for its persecution of Assyrian Christians? All we hear from the Church is silence in the face of evil.

[ZinGirl]

ditto, kattracks....my exact thoughts.

BUMP

[Jorge]

This is profound coming from the Church that sat on it's hands while Hitler murdered 6 million jews, while Saddam gassed entire towns etc. etc.
What hypocrites.

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

Yes.... hasn't the Vatican one word of reproach to the Iraqi regime for its persecution of Assyrian Christians? All we hear from the Church is silence in the face of evil.

The Pope was once a great man.

The Vatican is stale and in need of a reformation - it needs to get with the program.

[highpockets]

While her children were harmed by her teachers. A disgrace.

[Diogenesis]

Raped chldren? Murdered children? No problem to some, apparently.

Dead children, previously playing in Halabja
Victims of Saddams' WMD in March 1988.

[Bluntpoint]

The Pope feels thant we should not kill Saddam. He should just be quietly shuffled to another Parrish and placed in charge of a church youth group.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

.

[livius]

I was in Spain this weekend, and many Spaniards are disgusted by the Church's stupid statements on this. One article I read accused the bishops of grandstanding because they knew it would get them favorable press treatment from the left-wing groups they are always so desperately trying to court. Another article pointed out that the Pope himself is, quite simply, a European, and is reacting on the basis of age-old European anti-capitalism and anti-Americanism.

Don't believe what you read about the Spanish man-in-the-street being anti-US, btw; there as here, the press magnifies the discontent of the left and ignores the rest of the citizenry. People I spoke to were quite supportive and are proud of the fact that Spain is on our side and has had the courage to stand up to France and Germany, for the first time in 200 years.

[stevem]

This is profound coming from the Church that sat on it's hands while Hitler murdered 6 million jews, while Saddam gassed entire towns etc. etc. What hypocrites.

This part is untrue. While I believe there were some clerics in Europe that were sympathetic of the Nazis, Pius XII did more to help the Jews by an exponential factor than Schindler and Wallenberg and that Japanese ambassador combined. Furthermore, if you want to look at someone in power that turned a blind eye to the slaughter, you need look no further than to Roosevelt. There may have been strategic reasons for this, but it was palpable none the less.

[CasearianDaoist]

What is it about Iraq and the Continetals? This is takin on an absurd dimension. Why are we being held to a standard that no other nation is held to. They are doing the same thing to us as they do to Israel.

[TheyConvictedOglethorpe]

The Vatican said Tuesday that countries which decided to wage war on Iraq without the consensus of the international community were assuming great responsibility before God and history.

Admirably exact phrasing. We are assuming great responsibility -- because nobody else will.

[Cboldt]

As if assuming a grave responsiblity is a bad thing. Obviously, the UN wasn't up to the assumption of a grave responsibilty.

[Gamecock]

The Vatican is stale and in need of a reformation

Been there, done that.....

[stevem]

On the other hand, I can't understand the desire of John Paul II to overlook the murdering, raping torture machine of Hussein now that there is an opportunity to put a stop to it. Maybe he thinks it was a mistake for the Poles to attempt to throw of the repression of the Soviet Union. I think it might be time for him to retire.

[dennisw]

The Vatican is actually condemning itself by giving aid and comfort to Saddam and psycho-dictators across the globe.