Bill O'ReillyL: Vatican has gone quiet when we need it most

NY Daily News ^ | July 14th, 2003 | Bill O'Reilly

[newgeezer]

Bill O'ReillyL: Vatican has gone quiet when we need it most

Maybe the next update to FR will include a real preview of the entire article prior to posting, eh? ;O)

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[mallardx]

I think the Pope's stand on the liberation of Iraq is embarrassing - he is on the side of the homicidal maniac Hussein. Perhaps he is mentally deficient.

[presidio9]

You mean there's no silent capital L at the end of his name? I could have sworn there was.

[Naspino]

The Pope historically has rarely been on the side of righteousness.

[presidio9]

The Pope can never come out in favor of military force.

[newgeezer]

And that is what the Pope mostly does these days: pray. He delegates almost all other duties to a variety of underlings, none of whom has the power or insight to deal with a scandal as withering as this priest-sex abuse thing.

It sure sounds like O'Reilly thinks praying is a waste of time. That figures.

("Yeah-like-that's-going-to-help" ping.)

[presidio9]

The Pope historically has rarely been on the side of righteousness.

You need to learn a little about the history of the 20th century before making any more idiotic pronouncements.

[wideawake]

he is on the side of the homicidal maniac Hussein

Although I suspect that sentences more complex than "See Spot run" may be beyond you I'll make a few points anyway.

(1) The Pope never took Hussein's side, ever.

(2) The Pope questioned whether or not intervention was the best solution. Although I think the idea that the program of UN weapons inspection was naive and ineffective, not everyone thought it was. They were wrong - but not necessarily maliciously wrong.

(3) The Pope is a pastor. He has tens of thousands of his flock living in Iraq. When the Pope criticized the Chinese regime, the Chinese response was to round up thousands of Catholics and imprison them, as well as torture and kill priests and nuns. The Pope realized that his words of criticism, while easy for him to say, exacted an enormous toll of suffering and deprivation on his flock.

Therefore if the Pope were on the front lines calling for war, who knows what Hussein would have done to punish him - how many innocent Catholic Christians in Iraq would have paid the price?

(4) Not everyone who opposed the war supported Hussein - this is a caricature. Although I wholeheartedly support the war and my little brother who is still over there fighting it (and you're lucky he's there or he'd kick your a$$ for saying what you said about the Pope) my peacenik cousins don't, because they are wishful thinkers who believe that all wars can be avoided.

My cousins aren't supporters of Hussein either - they just have too much faith in people's good side.

[onedoug]

Though the strength in prayer would seem in seeking that from within over the things we can affect, and certainly, this would bear on The Pope.

[biblewonk]

I have mixed feelings about the power of the popes prayers though. His may be about useless.

[wideawake]

The Pope historically has rarely been on the side of righteousness.

I'm sorry your historical education has been so woefully deficient.

[wideawake]

What a charitable comment.

[Naspino]

You need to learn a little about the history of the 20th century before making any more idiotic pronouncements. I wasn't limiting it to the 20th century. Didn't mean "this" pope alone; but all of his wacky predecessors.

[presidio9]

When you refer to "The Pope" you are talking about the current pope, whether you mean to or not.

[presidio9]

Don't forget that while the John Paul II may be personally appalled by Islamic terrorism, as Pope, he must always advocate the search for peaceful solutions to the world's problems.

[wideawake]

Well, that's the thing. I think that the current Pope has placed too much hope on appealing to the conscience of the Muslim world - his predecessor St. Pius V took a different position at Lepanto with overwhelming success.

A future Pope may rethink JPII's policy in light of developing events.

[presidio9]

Well then I don't know what the answer is. I supported the war 100%, but I would be very unfomfortable with a Pope who advocated military force. That's not what Popes are for.

[fooman]

What kills me is Billy Boy O calling on the pope to be a stand up guy, when as a Catholic he is mr permissive on his show.

...especially with respect to gays.