Posted on 02/10/2003 7:17:40 AM PST by RCW2001
Do you worship the United States?
The land of Planned Parenthood
He knows much better than you (believe me) in which Muslim country Christian are treated better or worse. To make it clearer for you - compare the situation of Christians in Iraq (or Syria, also ruled by secularist BAATH) with the situation in our "friend" Saudi Arabia.
After the regime change in Baghdad the position of Christians ther will deteriorate, but those who want this war will not give a hoot (and Pope knows it too).
Good measure of involvement into Muslim extremism is the fact that while Al-Queda and Saudies supported Muslim terrorists in Yugoslavia, Baghdad gave support to Belgrade.
So what is your support for hope and freedom of Christians in Saudi Arabia versus in Iraq? Do you give a hoot if the status of Iraqi Christians will become the same as it is amoung our "friends" Saudies? Or are you just proposing that another group of Christians flees their homeland to come to America? You see, Pope cares for Christians in the Middle East and he knows in which countries they do better or worse.
The burden of proof is on YOU my friend.
Can you substantiate ANY Vatican press conferences "as a matter of great urgency" beseeching World leaders to step into murderous "frays" in the Sudan and elsewhere?
Has the Pope unequivically held specific murderous thugs like Arafat (the Pope's friend) accountable and responsible for his actions?
And suddenly NOW the Vatican feels an obligation to play "peace-maker" and ask the Madman Hussein to lay down his arms?
Gimme a break -- it's only more style over substance, and words instead of deeds.
And this only makes the Vatican MORE accountable for standing by idly twiddling its thumbs.
The Pope has actually been to Sudan. Have you? The Pope has a personal representative working on the strife in Sudan. Do you? What have been your actual deeds with regard to Sudan, not your meaningless gum flapping.
Yes, the Holy See has constantly throughout the years used diplomacy of the type you ask to help build a more just world in general, and the Sudan in particular. In fact, many times throughout the 90's, the only source of information on a weekly or daily basis in the press for me concerning the great tragedy occurring in Sudan was from the Holy See. Problem is, the Pope can only beseech as you say. Political world leaders (as well as the press) can and do ignore him. While the primary duty of the Pope is preaching Christ to the world and the spiritual life Christ's Church, within those parameters he has tried valiantly to do as you ask. You do need to research more, although I can't blame you for not knowing about it - the Western press tends to ignore the Pope.
Has the Pope unequivically held specific murderous thugs like Arafat (the Pope's friend) accountable and responsible for his actions?
Your being silly here. What do you expect? The Pope to put him in jail? Find us all one valid source of the Pope validating the murderous actions of people like Arafat. Don't confuse diplomacy with validation either - our own government deals with Arafat and his ilk also.
And suddenly NOW the Vatican feels an obligation to play "peace-maker" and ask the Madman Hussein to lay down his arms?
This is, and has always been, standard MO for the Holy See. What if the Pope could get Hussein to do just that. That is what we as a nation are asking for. Not that it's likely to happen, but geez, wouldn't it be nice to not have to go to war and have innocent lives of American soldiers and Iraqi's taken from the world while breaking Hussein's reign of terror? Why do you think use of the words "suddenly" and "NOW" are appropriate? There is nothing sudden or impending in how the Holy See has been acting.
You seem to confuse the Holy Father with a Political civil leader of a nation. Your immature whiney vitriol is beginning to sound like those liberals who have all but accused the Pope of being responsible for WWII.
And abortion, contraception, divorce, and loose sex. Don't forget to include that in your red-white-and-blue monologue.
Most of the world associates us more with Madonna than with Thomas Jefferson. Sad, but true.
Problem is, the Pope can only beseech as you say. Political world leaders (as well as the press) can and do ignore him."
It may be the lesson taught in the 'Kumbaya' handbook, but mere "diplomacy" from the Vatican is not nearly enough my friend to "help build a more just world."
The Pope need to make impassioned pleas with comviction to a billion Catholics around the world and wield the influence we know he has.
"What do you expect? The Pope to put him in jail? Find us all one valid source of the Pope validating the murderous actions of people like Arafat."
ONE valid source?? It's not exactly a secret Arafat and the Pope are friends for heaven's sake.
Some of us expect the Pope to chastise a murderer and ask that he cease from his activities -- NOT continue holding court in the Vatican over a quiet cup of tea after the fact.
Don't you find anything strange about this?
"You seem to confuse the Holy Father with a Political civil leader of a nation. Your immature whiney vitriol is beginning to sound like those liberals who have all but accused the Pope of being responsible for WWII."
Yes, the Pope in fact IS the spiritual "leader" of a billion Catholics who take their cue from him -- do they not?
BTW, you haven't the foggiest notion of the dynamics concerning the Catholic Church and events from WWII -- fact is it's not very pretty, though playing ostrich is much easier than handling the truth.
Me?? Who am I -- the Pope??
Since the Pope is arguably the most influencial leader in the world (besides the President) it certainly can suggested the Pope and Vatican work a lot harder to mobilize one-billion Catholics and use its clout and prestige around the world to bring to the fore the constant suffering. Why is this so hard??
Incredibly enough, even Bono appears to have out-hustled the Vatican in influencing public opinion and addressing crises (AIDS) when it come to Africa.
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