Posted on 06/04/2004 3:49:33 AM PDT by Jet Jaguar
ROME — President Bush and Pope John Paul II (search ) met briefly for talks in Vatican City Friday at the start of the president's 36-hour tour of Italy.
The president nodded and smiled as he greeted the 84-year-old pontiff, leaning down to hold his trembling hands. The closed-door talks between the president and the Pope, who has expressed fervent opposition to the war in Iraq, were to focus on Iraq and the conflict in the
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Except for Celestine V, who was a very pious man who had been the reforming abbot of an order of hermits before he was elected Pope, in hopes that he would do something to reform the Papacy and the Church (which was, as usual, seriously out of order). It was too much for him and he resigned. He was later canonized for his piety and the work he did for his order.
However, Dante placed him in Hell for having shirked his responsibilities when he was called to assume this burden. The "Great Renunciation," Dante called it, IIRC.
The Pope, as a shepherd, would meet with just about anyone, including Kerry. Of course, meeting with him should not be taken as an endorsement, anymore than Bush meeting with Chirac or Schroeder is an endorsement of their policies (or vice-versa). Remember, the Pope is a head of state too.
Reminded me of the movie "Weekend at Bernies"
I don't see how he would know.
Yes, and some Popes have.
On has to respect him, even though we may not agree with all he says.
As head of the Catholic Church, he has attempted to bring the Church back to basics and has had much success, but he is fighting that battle alone it seems, as he is surrounded by Euro-Cardinals who fight him every step of the way.
I am not a Catholic and do not hold the Pope responsible for the smear on his record regarding the pedophile priest issue.
I think the Catholic church may do a knee jerk after this Pope passes and choose a liberal as the next Pope. This will be (if it happens) a harbinger of future major disruptions within the Catholic family and may well make the prophesies of the end of the church as it is now known a reality.
Just my thoughts on a very uncertain future.
I could not agree more.
President Bush did an outstanding job with both the speech and the presentation of the Freedom medal...you could tell that both President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush had the utmost respect for the Pope and his endeavors to promote peace. Proud day for Republicans, Catholics and September 11th Americans....
I could not disagree more :)
The next pope will be traditional, not progressive. The forces that want to move the Church to a more secular state are the ones behind the pedophilia scandal. The long term solution will be to go back to Catholic roots, to the traditional. I think the current voting Cardinals know this.
thanks for that picture. Laura looks beautiful.
Dante did not have the power to put anyone in heaven or hell ;)
Is the 1st lady wearing black? If so, I wonder why?
(Except in the movie LOVE ACTUALLY, which showed a very bad behaving American president get exactly what he deserves from a plucky British Prime Minister, played by Hugh Grant.)
Black is very dignified, low-key
& respectful.
Thanks, it just seemed odd to me, but then I don't go to that many formal affairs.
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