We don't need that picture again, but yes, I agree that it was horrible. I think JPII was well-meaning but totally clueless on the "ecumenical" front. You probably haven't seen the pictures of him at some of the bizarro syncretist masses his liturgist designed, and we don't need to see those again, either.
I don't think he meant to give his stamp of approval to Islam, but I do think he didn't fully weigh his gestures at times and was so focused on the media moment that he ignored the doctrinal implications (which, after all, were supposed to be his job).
Livius, I appreciate your serious tone and willingness to call a spade a spade.
I agree that JPII was not ill intentionned. I think that the entire generation leading up to 9/11 was gulled into missing the "distinctives" that make Islam a death cult, not one of the three "Great Religions of the Book".
I too, thank God that it appears that the leadership of all the branches of Christianity seem to finally "get it"!
*Yes, true. But, you have to cut him some slack. After all, he only had a Doctorate in Theology and a Doctorate in Philosophy and more than two score years of Orthodox Christian Orthopraxis as Priest, Bishop, and Pope, and wrote a succesful play, and several books, and developed a Theology of the Body, and taught millions around the world, and brought Jesus to hundreds of millions around the world,and was the soucre of innumerable conversions, and was the catalyst in deconstructing the evil empire and the source of countless vocations and was one of the greatest evangelical Popes in history and is acclaimed as Johannes Paulus Magnus, but really, the poor man was absolutely clueless, wasn't he?
Whereas you are...um, I forget...
> Anyways, I think this new age in Chrtstianity is absolutely wonderful and exciting. I remember back in the bad old days prior to 1960 when a Christian would not think of publicly attacking either his own Father or the Holy Father. Thank God we Christians are grown-up and we can judge and publicly denounce the Vicar of Christ as though he were just any old dufus. I think we have really come of age....