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.

[tomkat]

hey !
are you pullin' an all-nighter ??
foflol !

(ok, so maybe 'pullin'' wasn't the best choice of words, but ...)

[doosee]

The Catholic bashing on this thread is repulsive. The Pope is simply saying that we have a responsibility to avoid killing of innocents in Iraq to the extent we can. What is wrong with that since it is official administration and military policy? People are taking a reasonable comment and turning it into a We love Saddam message. Get real.

[Bluntpoint]

And he called Saddam a ruthless, Godless murderer when?

[tomkat]

alright, this just has to stop !

we'll have people leaving this thread and having to stop for confession before work,
causing them to be late and starting economic disruption ripples all over the country ...

[ejo]

TES! YES!

[doosee]

And he called Saddam a ruthless, Godless murderer when?


The Church is not about name calling. That isn't the message. Their intent is to hold the loss of innocent life to the minimum. A few remarks like you noted from the Vatican and within weeks every Catholic in Iraq would be dead. They are acutely aware of how evil Hussein's regime is.

[tomkat]

... you might as well be wearing swastikas

horsesh*t, and you know it.
if this kind of self-serving tripe was coming out of jerusalem, they'd be gettin' blasted in here too.

[Bluntpoint]

By their very actions in the U.N., the French are in the position of putting more "innocent" Iraqis in peril than the U.S.

What has the Pope said about the French's conduct.

Nothing. Hypocrits.

[ReaganRevolution]

Speaking for myself as a Catholic, I'm not in agreement with the Pope at all over this issue. In fact, my parish priest is pro-war, and says this war is just.

[TimPatriot]

Sounds like judgemental talk coming from the Vatican to me. Anyone looking at this objectively could not conclude that we are acting without international consensus already having been reached. Look at unanimous agreement on UN1441 and what that resolution says. I have to wonder what is behind the bizarre stance of the church leadership, are the French pulling strings? Have they made some kind of deal with someone?

[Cvengr]

"Those who decide that all peaceful means that international law makes available are exhausted assume a grave responsibility before God, their conscience and history,"

If I may be so bold as to offer a more constructive thought....

Those who fail to decide that all peaceful means international law and US wherewithal has afforded Saddam Hussein has failed to promote a tolerance of Israel, a turn towards God, or even a spirit which will lay inactive while others seek God, but instead promotes any criminal act on a national scale to promote any counterfeit system other than God's, ....assume an even greater responisbility before God , their conscience (more accurately their soul) and all future eternity.

[ZULU]

That senile old phoney occupying the Vatican has once again demonstrated his irrelevance.

The Catholic CHurch, like a good many other mainstream Christian religions is self-destructing from within while under assault by radical Islamist fanatics from without.

How stupid!!

[KneelBeforeZod]

[sd-joe]

The Vatican is stale and in need of a reformation

Been there, done that.....

I guess after 500 or so years, the effects have worn off and it's time to try again.

[Cap'n Crunch]

God bless Pope John Paul II.