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.

[GraniteStateConservative]

The problem is the Pope hasn't spent half the time condemning Hussein and his regime and talking about the importance of protecting free will-- a gift given to us from God himself-- that he has spent condemning us for fighting an illegal war.

This is like those liberal losers like Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks who say they support the troops, but oppose the war and oppose the commander in chief. No one seriously believes they support the troops. They only say it because it gives them cover to hate the military.

[GraniteStateConservative]

Good one. Very well played.

[Kevin Curry]

And yet not one word of Vatican censure for Saddam Hussein for having any responsibility for this state of affairs. This is akin to condemning the SWAT team sent in to rescue a hostage who has a knife held at his throat by a street thug.

Will some good faithful Catholic please explain this to me?

[GVnana]

a grave responsibility before God, their conscience and history

OK. I don't have a problem with that. Does anyone here have a problem with that? (Guess that's why I'm a Prostestant.)

[GraniteStateConservative]

Oh, so it's strategery? The Pope doesn't want to upset Hussein even further? That sounds like the terrorist appeasers in this country. "Don't make the terrorists more mad, they'll hurt us more."

The Pope has a moral authority to condemn all evil in the world. Period.

[LadyDoc]

The vatican, like the US STate department, is full of pacifistic appeasers.

No catholic thinks they speak anything but their own opinion.

The Pope has been working on Saddam's exile...of course it failed. But I suspect the US was encouraging him to work with the Arab league to exile SH to prevent war.

The danger seen by the Pope is an exacerbation of the Islamic/Christian wars in many third world countries, such as Nigeria Philippins and Indonesia...he also worries about WMD and deaths...

Bush is taking responsibility, but it is a long term gamble. Better if the UN supported this, but the irony is that the left has actually made the war necessary, by blocking a credible threat of force.

[GraniteStateConservative]

The other denominations get it, too-- they are liberal denominations that support gay marriage, abortion rights, etc. FR is no safe haven for Methodists, Unitarians, etc.

[Cap'n Crunch]

Good article. I would ask: when Iran and Iraq were fighting each other in the early 80's, didn't we at that time back Iraq? I don't know, but did we assist Israel in knocking out the nuclear plant? I suppose I should research this myself.

It doesn't make sense to me that we decry France giving Iraq nuclear weapons in the 80's (which I'm against, but at that time we backed Iraq, so I've heard) yet our own government gives nuclear and military technology to China and North Korea.

The whole thing rings hollow to me. Yet, I believe as someone else said, the media is not portraying the Pope in the most favorable light on this mess.

It's also a tiny bit puzzling to me how people who call themselves Christains can post such nasty things about the Pope when they would never listen to what he says on any subject.

[GraniteStateConservative]

There isn't any picture of Bush shaking Arafat's hand. I'd take moral messages from Bush before I'd take them from the Pope.

[GraniteStateConservative]

May God shake off the scales from his eyes.

[texson66]

What was the Vatican doing about the "Jewish" problem in Germany before and during WWII???????

[Bluntpoint]

The enemy of our enemy is our friend.

That does not make one an appeaser or a collaborator.

If one emeny wants to destroy anotherof our enemies, we may give them a little helpful nudge.

Let the termites eat the roaches first, then spray for termites.

[Spiff]

Spokesmen for practically every major Christian denomination have come out against this war but I've only seen Catholics bashed.

Catholics are not being bashed here - the misguided words of Pope Pious...er...John Paul are.

Feel free to post those statements from the spokesman of "every major Christian denomination" though.

[Kevin Curry]

Their intent is to hold the loss of innocent life to the minimum.

Saddam and his boys have already killed over 200,000 innocent Iraqis and Kurds, are continuing to murder more every day. And they have produced and stockpiled chemical and biological weapons capable of killing hundreds of millions more.

For twelve years these thugs have ignored UN pleas to disarm. Now Bush has decided to enforce the pleas, has designed a war plan that will very carefully target the thugs and their armies and free the innocent, and the Vatican condemns WHOM? Why, President Bush.

I'm sorry, but if this is an example how the Vatican seeks to protect innocent life, the Vatican has lost its soul. If I and my family are ever taken hostage by a serial murder, I pray that a Vatican-inspired Catholic priest is not included as part of the negotiating team.

[texson66]

What was the Vatican doing about the "Jewish" problem in Germany before and during WWII???????

[GraniteStateConservative]

Don't you know we are supposed to kneel in the direction of the UN building every day and pray to Kofi Annan? Their words are the infallible voice of God.

[uncbob]

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.

Either it is a just war or it isn't

This BS about what the consensus of the international community(UN)thinks is irrelevant

That same international comunnity ( the UN) thinks ABORTION is OK

[Bluntpoint]

"If I and my family are ever taken hostage by a serial murder, I pray that a Vatican-inspired Catholic priest is not included as part of the negotiating team."

Priest negotiator: "You have 12 years to come out with your hands up. After 12 years, curt response to follow."

[GraniteStateConservative]

Until someone shows me a memo from Bush asking the Pope to be our diplomat by trying to convince the world's Muslims that we aren't on a crusade, I'll believe the Pope is just another useless European who allows fear to paralyze noble and just action.

[Straight Vermonter]

"Blessed are the peacemakers, unless they have the backing of the UN"