Vatican to Stop Missionizing Jews

Every time I read here on Free Republic what the Pope has supposedly said (and then subsequently been berated for) I know to check the true quote. So far the main stream media has an abysmal record on quoting this Pope. What really surprises me is how often many here on Free Republic who distrust anything reported by the media are so willing to accept them blindly when it comes to the reporting on the Pope.

I agree with you wholeheartedly.

Here are the Holy Father's words:

13 May, Welcoming Ceremony to the Palestinian Territories:
Mr President, the Holy See supports the right of your people to a sovereign Palestinian homeland in the land of your forefathers, secure and at peace with its neighbors, within internationally recognized borders. Even if at present that goal seems far from being realized, I urge you and all your people to keep alive the flame of hope, hope that a way can be found of meeting the legitimate aspirations of both Israelis and Palestinians for peace and stability. In the words of the late Pope John Paul II, there can be “no peace without justice, no justice without forgiveness” (Message for the 2002 World Day of Peace). I plead with all the parties to this long-standing conflict to put aside whatever grievances and divisions still stand in the way of reconciliation, and to reach out with generosity and compassion to all alike, without discrimination. Just and peaceful coexistence among the peoples of the Middle East can only be achieved through a spirit of cooperation and mutual respect, in which the rights and dignity of all are acknowledged and upheld. I ask all of you, I ask your leaders, to make a renewed commitment to work towards these goals. In particular I call on the international community to bring its influence to bear in favor of a solution. Believe and trust that through honest and persevering dialogue, with full respect for the demands of justice, lasting peace really can be attained in these lands.
13 May, homily of the Holy Mass at Manger Square in Bethlehem:
In a special way my heart goes out to the pilgrims from war-torn Gaza: I ask you to bring back to your families and your communities my warm embrace, and my sorrow for the loss, the hardship and the suffering you have had to endure. Please be assured of my solidarity with you in the immense work of rebuilding which now lies ahead, and my prayers that the embargo will soon be lifted.
…
Above all, be witnesses to the power of life, the new life brought by the Risen Christ, the life that can illumine and transform even the darkest and most hopeless of human situations. Your homeland needs not only new economic and community structures, but most importantly, we might say, a new “spiritual” infrastructure, capable of galvanizing the energies of all men and women of good will in the service of education, development and the promotion of the common good. You have the human resources to build the culture of peace and mutual respect which will guarantee a better future for your children. This noble enterprise awaits you. Do not be afraid!
13 May, Visit to the Aida Refugee Camp:
My visit to the Aida Refugee Camp this afternoon gives me a welcome opportunity to express my solidarity with all the homeless Palestinians who long to be able to return to their birthplace, or to live permanently in a homeland of their own.
…
How much the people of this camp, these Territories, and this entire region long for peace! In these days, that longing takes on a particular poignancy as you recall the events of May 1948 and the years of conflict, as yet unresolved, that followed from those events. You are now living in precarious and difficult conditions, with limited opportunities for employment. It is understandable that you often feel frustrated. Your legitimate aspirations for permanent homes, for an independent Palestinian State, remain unfulfilled. Instead you find yourselves trapped, as so many in this region and throughout the world are trapped, in a spiral of violence, of attack and counter-attack, retaliation, and continual destruction. The whole world is longing for this spiral to be broken, for peace to put an end to the constant fighting.
13 May, Farewell Ceremony:
Although walls can easily be built we all know that they do not last for ever. They can be taken down. First, though, it is necessary to remove the walls that we build around our hearts, the barriers that we set up against our neighbors. That is why, in my parting words, I want to make a renewed plea for openness and generosity of spirit, for an end to intolerance and exclusion. No matter how intractable and deeply entrenched a conflict may appear to be, there are always grounds to hope that it can be resolved, that the patient and persevering efforts of those who work for peace and reconciliation will bear fruit in the end. My earnest wish for you, the people of Palestine, is that this will happen soon, and that you will at last be able to enjoy the peace, freedom and stability that have eluded you for so long.
…
Be assured that I will continue to take every opportunity to urge those involved in peace negotiations to work towards a just solution that respects the legitimate aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians alike.

Now I encourage you to look at the entire speeches, just to make sure you have all of the context. Hyperlinks are provided above for that. But that is what he said above.

That's downright shocking!!!

Yup, it's tough to believe that they could ever get something wrong, particularly when dealing with the Holy Father.

I appreciate the link and the read.

LLS

I still haven't seen where he said anything about missionizing which this thread was about. As to giving in to the Palestinians, I don't read all his comments directed towards Israel. He said the physical walls can be taken down, but first we must remove the walls around our heart against our neighbors. I thought that was directed towards the Palestinians and he later does, in fact, say to the Palestinians that this is my wish for you. In essence, Israel should bring down the walls once you change your ways. His repeated comment's of the need for mutual respect and legitimate aspirations of both Israelis and Palestinians does not mean he says Israel needs to disappear as Hamas wants. The comments are directed towards all. Do I personally believe that Hamas will lay down their arms, stop attacking Israel, and recognize Israel's right to peaceful coexistence? No, but the Pope recognizes all of humanity (Jews and Palestinians alike) as children of God created in His image. He speaks in aspirational terms and is a better man than me for thinking this way when I most often believe the whole mideast should be paved over.

:) Looks like you’ve likely summed up the whole “problem” in a nutshell. I was pretty surprised they thought they could get away with that one though. When I first saw the lead I thought I’d accidentally gotten onto “The Onion” web site. The Jerusalem Post did publish this though.

I also posted the link to the Holy Father’s Address which is on the Vatican web site for others to compare—because he indeed said no such thing. However, I think it’s important to reveal patent lies when they appear in the media. People should see the actual lie in print. It seemed so obvious from the headline that it couldn’t be true. I wasn’t, however, expecting anyone would believe it prima facie. What you have said is absolutely true though. And sadly so.

There are a lot of folks who will believe any lie about Catholics in general, a pope, specifically and THIS pope in particular. As others have said on this forum, people who wouldn’t trust the MSM as far as they could throw the NYT building, regarding any other issue, will grant inatant credulity to a negative MSM report dealing with the Vatican.

That’s why I posted text. The same folks won’t bother to click on a link, particularly if that click might force them to possibly consider reconsidering their preconceived ideas.