Bush Praised Pope Despite War Criticism ["one of the greatest moral leaders of our time"]

Newsmax ^ | 6-8-2003 | Mike Reilly

[Notwithstanding]

NewsMax.com's religion editor Fr. Mike Reilly notes that relations between President Bush and Pope John Paul II remain warm despite their disagreement over the war in Iraq.

While Pope John Paul II joined the chorus of European critics urging President Bush not to make war on Iraq, Bush had nothing but praise for the Pope during his recent visit to Poland.

Zenit news reported that on the eve of Secretary of State Colin Powell's meeting with the Pope, President Bush told cheering crowds that, "At Wawel Cathedral in 1978, a Polish cardinal began his journey to a conclave in Rome, and entered history as Pope John Paul II -- one of the greatest moral leaders of our time."

"A young seminarian, Karol Wojtyla, saw the swastika flag flying over the ramparts of Wawel Castle," Bush said. "He shared the suffering of his people and was put into forced labor. From this priest's experience and faith came a vision: that every person must be treated with dignity, because every person is known and loved by God."

Meanwhile, Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski took the opportunity to weigh in on the debate over the European Constitution.

While the Constitution acknowledges the contributions of the Greeks and the Romans, the framers ignore the influence of Christianity.

"I am an atheist and everybody knows it," he the London Telegraph this week. "But there are no excuses for making references to ancient Greece and Rome, and the Enlightenment, without making references to the Christian values which are so important to the development of Europe."

[Notwithstanding]

President Bush heaps tremendous and sweeping praise upon the Pope and it gets under your collar.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

Actually, it is very relevant. Dubya graciously heaped praise on a very confused and clueless man who pretty much lumped the President of the US with the antichrist - and as always, showed how he is a much better man than the Pope by doing that.

Destro chimed in preemptively the fact that the Vatican had much less to do with than fall of the East Bloc than JPII's spinmeisters claim, and RBA and I have pointed out the cozy relationship JPII and Gorby have, especially with regard to their shared economic ideology. I simply asked a question appropriate to the development of the thread - which goes beyond the symbolic value of the selection of JPII.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Ever since the Pope criticized the Bush administration over war in Iraq, you have been backpeddling. Why? Did he embarass you?

[Notwithstanding]

Backpedaling?

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Nope, that doesn't get under my collar. Did the Pope heap tremendous and sweeping praise upon Bush with regards to Iraq? Seems like Bush is blessing those who persecute him. A true Christian, is George Bush. And I am quite proud of him. Does that get under your collar?