When? Please give specific time periods and not generalizations.
Rome has held temporal power, more or less for over 1100 years.
The papacy held considerable temporal pattern in western Europe for a several decades in the 12th and 13th centuries. Various popes may have tried to get it back after that, but they were unsuccessful (except at times within limited areas of Italy). Perhaps you should go back and read what you posted in 2307.
I am certain it longs for the glory days when it exercised its will by force.
And what makes you certain of this? And what is this "force" that you speak of? Various popes may have been able to command troops in parts of Italy, but that was about it. If the papacy truly had all the temporal power and access to force that you speak of WHY was the Orthodox Church able to leave in the 11th Century? WHY were popes PRISONERS of the kings of France for nearly a century? WHY were huge portions of Europe allowed to become Protestant a few hundred years later? Some of these claims really come across as comical in light of actually happened, it's a lot like listening to the left talk about Republicans.
Once everything else is stripped away, the Church is made up of people just like any other institution. What makes you think that modern popes want to live as popes did eight centuries ago?
Your statement is as absurd as me saying that Calvinists long for the day when they could burn heretics at the stake or soldiers long for the day when they could pillage cities and rape women. Anyone who believes these things is a fool.
Wagglebee, I don’t think it’s an either or issue, or if the catholic church will have much say about how it goes in the future. Though you are correct, it does not weld military power, but it won’t need that if it has political power. Which it has to some degree even now.
The Pope has now come to the defense of those opposing the Koran burning...as have many mainline church leaderships...this small event has taken on a worldwide whirlwind as if a tinderbox to explode what we hope won’t happen...but we need to be aware that it could very well esculate beyond Sat. and then some. Muslims will continue to demand attention and protection....it is the “war” they have determined to win....without a shot being fired...it will be won politically.
Pres.Bo and Petraeus have both weighed in....something never done for any other religion...now why is that? and why now?
The Islamic issue will have to be addressed and find a peaceful resolution to before this esculates....but we have forgotten their agenda is to instill fear and they have accomplished this as we see the world come to their defense. When our religious leaders do so we need to surely have a heads up....what power is it that has all this in motion?..and to what end?
When the Pope says "we are a Church, not a nation. When this "Church" disbands it's Diplomatic Corp and it's "observer" seat in the United Nations. Maybe then.
Today the Holy See has formal diplomatic relations with 176 nations as well as the United Nations (where it enjoys Permanent Observer status) and other international agencies and secretariats. Its ambassadors are also automatically recognised as deans of the diplomatic corps wherever they are accredited, as affirmed in 1961 by the Vienna Diplomatic Convention.