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Pope Francis News 2015: Vatican Makes Balloons New Symbol of Peace After Last Year's Dove Attack
Latin Post ^ | 25/01/2015 | Roberto Ontiveros

Posted on 01/28/2015 11:21:28 AM PST by Gamecock

On Sunday in St. Peter's Square, balloons were released as a gesture of peace instead of the traditional symbol of flying doves.

This comes one year after an attack by a seagull and a crow on the symbolic birds ignited protests by animal protection groups.

Ever since Pope John Paul II started the tradition of releasing doves on the last Sunday of January every year, children have been at a window of the papal studio overlooking the square with the pope, setting free a pair of doves for world peace, according to the Associated Press.

In 2014, the act of goodwill turned ugly when the birds were attacked mid-flight.

After the children, alongside Pope Francis, tossed a pair of doves from the window, a seagull swept down, then a crow got into the action, and the doves were attacked.

Animal rights advocates demanded the church put an end to the dove releases.

They appealed directly to Pope Francis himself, who is the first pope ever to take the name of Saint Francis of Assisi, a holy man known for his adoration of birds and other wild creatures.

When children in the square let go of their balloons pope Francis said, according to the Associated Press, "Here's the balloons that mean, 'peace.'"

Many gulls make their nests atop the colonnade of St. Peter's Square, not far from the Tiber River, and there they look for garbage. For an animal advocacy group, this meant putting the dove's lives at risk by freeing them.

After the seagull and crow incident, there were all kinds of Tweets and Facebook posts using words such as "demonic," "omen" and "apocalypse" to describe what the attack on the doves meant.

So, why did the seagull and crow attack the doves?

The National Geographic put it simply by saying the doves were attacked because they were "bred to be unnaturally white."


TOPICS: Current Events
KEYWORDS: balloons; birds; pope
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1 posted on 01/28/2015 11:21:28 AM PST by Gamecock
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To: Gamecock
What's next, the Swiss guards replaced with circus clowns?
2 posted on 01/28/2015 11:24:17 AM PST by semaj (Nothing will change until lying becomes an extremely dangerous & expensive habit.)
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To: Gamecock

Fabio approves.

3 posted on 01/28/2015 11:25:20 AM PST by dfwgator
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To: semaj

Just browsed the popes facebook page, no mention of Jesus.


4 posted on 01/28/2015 11:27:30 AM PST by javie
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To: Gamecock

So, why did the seagull and crow attack the doves?

Cause they are frigen animals and animals do animal things..Get over it Pope


5 posted on 01/28/2015 11:28:21 AM PST by CGASMIA68
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To: javie

I don’t like this Pope


6 posted on 01/28/2015 11:28:44 AM PST by CGASMIA68
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To: Gamecock

Pity the poor bird that accidentally swallows one of those balloons after it deflates and drops to the earth...

;-)


7 posted on 01/28/2015 11:29:02 AM PST by WayneS (Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos.)
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To: semaj
Dunno. But I do know you can find a clown mass:


8 posted on 01/28/2015 11:29:19 AM PST by Gamecock (Joel Osteen is a preacher of the Gospel like Colonel Sanders is an Army officer.)
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To: Gamecock

Other birds will starve now.


9 posted on 01/28/2015 11:29:41 AM PST by b4its2late (A Liberal is a person who will give away everything he doesn't own.)
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To: Gamecock
The National Geographic put it simply by saying the doves were attacked because they were "bred to be unnaturally white."

That also explains why Iceland is constantly being invaded...

10 posted on 01/28/2015 11:31:25 AM PST by WayneS (Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos.)
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To: Gamecock

How is releasing balloons into the air different from littering?


11 posted on 01/28/2015 11:32:47 AM PST by AppyPappy (If you are not part of the solution, there is good money to be made prolonging the problem.)
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To: Gamecock

Well this is actually a pretty good demonstration of what can and will happen to peace hippies in the real world.

Peace through strength.

Weakness invites aggression.

Survival of the fittest.

All that good stuff.


12 posted on 01/28/2015 11:32:57 AM PST by chris37 (heartless)
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To: Gamecock

A sign that we are living in the last days.


13 posted on 01/28/2015 11:34:14 AM PST by Genoa (Starve the beast.)
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To: Gamecock

what an omen...


14 posted on 01/28/2015 11:35:06 AM PST by Mr. K (Palin/Cruz 2016 (for 16 years of conservative bliss))
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To: Gamecock

Worst Pope ever. Leftist as they get.


15 posted on 01/28/2015 11:35:20 AM PST by Lazamataz (With friends like Boehner, we don't need Democrats. -- Laz A. Mataz, 2015)
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To: Gamecock

Are those balloons or condoms?


16 posted on 01/28/2015 11:35:37 AM PST by FlingWingFlyer (When the hell do I get MY white privilege? I'm tired of busting my @$$ for a living.)
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To: dfwgator

what the heck happened to Fabio??


17 posted on 01/28/2015 11:36:34 AM PST by Mr. K (Palin/Cruz 2016 (for 16 years of conservative bliss))
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To: Gamecock

Truly the end of days.


18 posted on 01/28/2015 11:37:30 AM PST by ColdOne (I miss my poochie... Tasha 2000~3/14/11)
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To: Gamecock
The National Geographic put it simply by saying the doves were attacked because they were "bred to be unnaturally white."

So much for white privilege.
19 posted on 01/28/2015 11:38:59 AM PST by rightwingintelligentsia (Democrats: The perfect party for the helpless and stupid, and those who would rule over them.)
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To: Gamecock
"Pax vobiscum!"


20 posted on 01/28/2015 11:40:38 AM PST by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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