[stanz]

Funny how sensitive some people are about religous references. I don't recall bashing the Vatican. It was at the end of a list of other entities.But I do think the Pope made bad call on this one. And, I'm not the only one saying it. Even the staunch Catholic Bill O'Reilly seems to feel that way.
Someone once said "Politics makes strange bedfellows." This is so true.

[WaveThatFlag]

I don't recall bashing the Vatican. It was at the end of a list of other entities.But I do think the Pope made bad call on this one. And, I'm not the only one saying it. Even the staunch Catholic Bill O'Reilly seems to feel that way.

I think you and Bill O'Reilly are confused about Catholicism and the Pope's role within the Catholic Church. The Pope is, in fact, Head of State for the Holy See, but that hardly makes him a political figure. The Vatican has 400-odd citizens. In his role as Pontif, he is the moral leader and spiritual guide of the 1 billion Roman Catholics around the world. As such, it is his role to deliver the message of Jesus Christ, which is one of compassion, forgiveness, and personal sacrifice. He does not make political judgements. Secretly, I think that he is appaled by Saddam Hussein (has he ever said "Saddam's not such a bad guy?"), but there is no point in him getting into it, because there is nothing that he can do about it anyway.

Remeber, this is a guy who forgave the man who shot him two days afterward. Does this mean that he endorses asassination? Hardly.

[BriarBey]

Why wouldn't the RCC support Saddam...they have their own history of alot of the same. Crusades...inquisitions...oh excuse me..none of that ever happened. Now its lower keyed its just a group of fudge packers.