Posted on 07/14/2006 7:51:25 AM PDT by dinoparty
Vatican condemns Israel for attacks on Lebanon VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Vatican on Friday strongly deplored Israel's strikes on Lebanon, saying they were "an attack" on a sovereign and free nation.
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo Sodano said Pope Benedict and his aides were very worried that the developments in the Middle East risked degenerating into "a conflict with international repercussions."
"In particular, the Holy See deplores right now the attack on Lebanon, a free and sovereign nation, and assures its closeness to these people who already have suffered so much to defend their independence," he told Vatican Radio.
Israel struck Beirut airport again on Friday and bombed Lebanese roads, power supplies and communication networks in a widening campaign after Hizbollah guerrillas seized two Israeli soldiers and killed eight.
Sodano said the Vatican condemned both "terroristic attacks" and military reprisals.
Hizbollah, which wants to trade its captives for prisoners held in Israel, has showered rockets across the frontier in its fiercest bombardment since 1996 when Israel launched a 17-day blitz against southern Lebanon and Hizbollah. ADVERTISEMENT
But Sodano reserved his harshest words for Israel.
"The right of defence on the part of a state does not exempt it from its responsibility to respect international law, particularly regarding the safeguarding of civilian populations," he said.
And could you please tell me who Pope Paul XXIII is? For someone who claims to have been knowledgeable about Catholicism, that's a real howler.
Bombing power plants will result in the loss of electricity, causing loss of life within the civilian population. Destroying phone service will do the same thing. There will be no emergency communications.
I think Israel should go after the heads of the government, since they are the ones most directly responsible for the rocket attacks, next to the terrorists themselves.
Eventually, Israel may have to invade Lebanon and fight it out in the streets, as we are doing in Iraq. In Iraq, we haven't targeted power plants and civilian communications, as far as I know.
"If the Catholic Church did not have legitimacy. this would not have been posted nor would it have 400+ responses."
A better indication of "legitimacy" is what the majority of most of those 400+ responses say, which are predominately a rejection of any "legitimacy".
"Constantine's Sword" is a piece of garbage written by a bitter ex-priest.
>>And could you please tell me who Pope Paul XXIII is? For someone who claims to have been knowledgeable about Catholicism, that's a real howler<<
(hey!)
Wasn't he one of those Anti-Popes we see on the Internet?
Who asked him?
No doubt if the missiles being fired daily were landing in the Vatican, and the kidnapped were residents of the Vatican, they would feel very correct in taking steps to protect the Vatican.
Why would they expect the Israeli response to be any different than what their response would be?
Their primary use is civilian, isn't it? I mean, we're not going to knock out our own phone system and power grid because terrorists are using it against us. It's a matter of degree, but I can only surmise that the power grid and telephone service still serves a mainly civilian purpose in Lebanon.
When the road filled with refuges is also being used to supply Hezbolah?
The road would have to be a chokepoint. A road isn't like a runway. It's easily replaced.
Did you see that this is from Reuters?
I apologize for intruding into your heated and heartfelt discussion on the history of the Catholic church, but allow me to steer the discussion back to the original topic -:))) My (and quite a few other FReepers) problem with Vatican statement is driven first and foremost for it's Dhimmi and moral equivalence tone--not anti-Catholicism in general.
If among some Catholic officials or some ordinary Catholics there are still those who harbor anti-Semitic attitudes stemmed largely from the replacement theology about Catholic Christians replacing Jews as God's chosen people, it's sad, but probably is among the least worries of Israel and the World Jewry.
Today, it is resurgent Islam and it's genocidal maniac leaders and followers that are threatening not only Israel and Jews, but the entire non-Muslim world, INCLUDING CATHOLICS. The fact that Vatican is joining the chorus of Islamist appeasers doesn't do any honor to Vatican or Catholic Church officialdome, but it by no means an attack on all Catholics. Everyone must be judged first and foremost as an individual--not a member of a group.
Your point ignores what Israel understands about the change in the situation on their northern border, presented by Hizbolla having the williness and capacity to make its raid and take those soldiers. Israel cannot allow that capacity to remain in place.
>>Everyone must be judged first and foremost as an individual--not a member of a group<<
Oh thank you!
I'll tell you what. I as a Catholic I will continue to pray for Israel and the Israeli people.
If any of the Jewish FReeper don't want me to do that, they are more than welcome to ask me to stop.
The Vatican is wrong on this one. The Jews are attacked. They don't have the luxury of waiting to see how things go.
"Would you say I was wrong to ask you to pray for me? Would you say I was wrong to ask any living person
to pray for me?"
thanks for the kind reply.
there seems to be a misunderstanding from Catholics that somehow after the saved die, they receive GOD's omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence. & furthermore errantly believe we are required to pray to these departed who supposedly are now able to hear & thus answer prayers.
a conversation with a human person on this earth, face to face, or thru technological means is not prayer. equating the motive for this earthly conversation as a theological justification for a pagan paradigm is foolhardy at least.
should not a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living? Isaiah 8.
In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. Matthew 6
And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. John 17:3
For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus. 1 Tim 2
1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. 1 John 2
Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh,
Hebrews 10
Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; 12 but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, 13 waiting from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET. 14 For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. Hebrews 10
This is why, and why their headline was accurate:
"As in the past, the Holy See also condemns both the terrorist attacks on the one side and the military reprisals on the other. Indeed, a State's right to self-defense does not exempt it from respecting the norms of international law, especially as regards the protection of civilian populations."
Where is the condemnation of the terrorists lack of "respecting the norms of international law, especially as regards the protection of civilian populations". The statement says it condems both sides and then it sets out to make special condemnation to Israel and Israel alone.
Does it say: "no matter what the terrorists claims may be they should respect "the protection of civilian populations"? No.
The headline speaks to the bottom line of the Pope's statement, which as usual is deferential to Muslims and employs separate, standout, additional condemnation of Israel, as always.
For the most part it does. But I suspect that Israel is going into Lebanon soon, and wants to have Hezbolah as blind and cut off as possible. While they have hit infrastructure, there has been few civilian casualties reports (none that I have seen, but it is probable that there is a few). This is a war, not a domestic police issue. Which is why the US is listening to the phones here (we are not at war domestically) and Israel knocked out the phones in Lebanon, where they are actively at war. The US did the same before we moved into Iraq.
War is hell, and even the best planned wars are nasty. This isn't Dresden or Nagasaki, this was an attempt to seal off the area with as little casualties as possible. Heck, we have FReepers posting from Beirut right now, so the power isn't out all over.
"If any of the Jewish FReeper don't want me to do that, they are more than welcome to ask me to stop."
Even if some do ask you, you don't have to listen and stop praying for Israel -:))) !
Israel is not only the place of refuge for Jews around the world, but it's also the barrier holding Islamists from taking over the Middle East entirely and concentrating their conquest on Europe (Vatican included).
What I would pray for (as a non-Jew with deep respect toward his Jewish roots and 100% pro-Israel) that Vatican, the Western Liberals and the Western Leaders will realize that the Israel's victory is their victory too.
Why don't you read it instead of condeming what you have no knowledge of.
The Pope didn't make the statement. His Secretary of State did. As much as you like to quote "history," you neglect that Catholicism has been anything but deferential to Muslims over the course of history.
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