Posted on 11/11/2004 11:21:15 AM PST by george wythe
VATICAN CITY, NOV 11, 2004 (VIS) - Upon learning of the death early this morning in a hospital near Paris of Yasser Arafat, 75, president of the Palestinian National Authority, Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls made the following statement to journalists:
"The Holy See joins in the pain of the Palestinian people for the death of President Yasser Arafat. He was a leader of great charisma who loved his people and sought to lead them towards national independence. May God welcome in His mercy the soul of the illustrious deceased and give peace to the Holy Land, with two independent and sovereign States, fully reconciled with each other."
Pope John Paul and Yasser Arafat have met 12 times during the Pope's 26-year pontificate. Arafat was received 11 times in the Vatican: the first was on September 15, 1982 and the last time was October 30, 2001. The Palestinian leader and the Holy Father also met in Bethlehem during the pontiff's pilgrimage to the Holy Land in March of 2000.
Yasser Arafat has met with Cardinal Angelo Sodano, secretary of State (1996), with then Archbishop and now Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, secretary for Relations with States (1994 in Tunisia and 1995 in Gaza during a trip to Israel) and with Cardinal Pio Laghi when he visited the Holy Land in 2001.
On October 25, 1994, the Holy See announced that the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Holy See will exchange representations to be "open channels for continuing the development of mutual relations, understanding and cooperation. ... It was decided to give to the already long-existing and fruitful working contacts a permanent and official character. The Palestine Liberation Organization will, therefore, open an office of representation at the Holy See, with its own director. The apostolic nuncio in Tunisia will be responsible for contacts with the leaders of the Palestine Liberation Organization."
On February 15, 2000, John Paul II received Arafat and a delegation for the signing of a Basic Agreement between the Holy See and the Palestinian Liberation Organization, as the representative of the Palestinian National Authority. At that time the Palestinian leader invited the Pope to Bethlehem. The agreement signed that day dealt with certain juridical questions regarding the presence and activity of the Catholic Church in the territory dependent on the Palestinian Authority.
VATICAN CITY, NOV 11, 2004 (VIS) - The following telegram of condolences was sent in Pope John Paul's name to Rawhi Fattuh, president of the Palestinian Legislative Council, by Cardinal Secretary of State Angelo Sodano, upon learning of the death early this morning of Yasser Arafat:
"At this hour of sadness at the passing of President Yasser Arafat, His Holiness Pope John Paul is particularly close to the deceased's family, the Authorities and the Palestinian People. While entrusting his soul into the hands of the Almighty and Merciful God, the Holy Father prays to the Prince of Peace that the star of harmony will soon shine on the Holy Land and that the two Peoples dwelling therein may live reconciled among themselves as two independent and sovereign."
Sometimes it's tough to be a Roman Catholic. This is one of those times.
...yeah, right, whatever...
I'm straining to make sense of this...
The kindest translation is this:
"Too bad for you he's gone. Let God sort it out. We ask Jesus to help you stop killing each other over there."
But somehow... I think they really liked the guy...
" WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
DIVERSITY IS STRENGTH"
This is right up there with covering for child-molesting priests, handing out annulments on demand to Kennedys, and letting abortion-promoting pols take Communion.
Vatican statement should be: "We're sorry that Arafat died before he could repudiate his crimes and heresy and ask for forgiveness. As it is, he will unfortunately roast in Hell for all eternity. Have a nice day."
Bill Clinton is a Southern Baptist.
My grandmother once told me that greatest enemy of the Church is inside. It's the bunch of priests and prelates who constantly try to move the Church away from the Truth.
My only consolation is Jesus' words in St Matthew 28:20: "I am with you always till the end of the age." Those of us who have decided to stay in the Church and fight back the forces of darkness know that Jesus is with us. We will prevail.
this is utterly embarrassing. On behalf of all Catholics, I apologize.
Joe Kennedy withdrew from the NY Governor's race when he couldn't get an annulment. Kerry was refused an annulment. Child-molesting priests and toleration of pro-abortion pols are the fruits of Vatican II, which an increasing number of Catholics reject.
Nothing this pope does should surprise anyone. A pope who prays with animists and mohammedans would certainly mourn a murderous anti-Christian, in the interest of false "ecumenism". Nothing new here.
I just don't get this. Arafat was a killer and a terrorist. What is ahppening in the Vatican.
Deacon Francis
The people who wrote this statement do no represent me or any of my Catholic relatives and friends.
I'm glad an evil terrorist is dead; I also hope that the Palestinian people will choose a different leader who might want to negotiate in good faith.
I aplogize for Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter.
Sometimes it's tough to be a Roman Catholic. This is one of those times.<<<
Sorry about how the Pope is acting, but it should not make your faith in God any harder, right?
I agree!
"Vatican statement should be: "We're sorry that Arafat died before he could repudiate his crimes and heresy and ask for forgiveness. As it is, he will unfortunately roast in Hell for all eternity. Have a nice day.""
Exactly. It boggles the mind that this pope, who saw communism for the monstrous evil it was and faced it down, cannot or will not acknowledge the evil that is islam. I can only conclude that the man has lost his faculties in his old age.
Something is seriously wrong when I, a lapsed Catholic, can recognize the hell-bound better than the head of my church.
Goodbye TerroRat...
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