Vatican welcomes Obama gun control proposal

AP/cnsnews ^ | January 19, 2013 | Staff

[Tailgunner Joe]

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican praised President Barack Obama's proposals for curbing gun violence, saying they are a "step in a right direction."

The Vatican's chief spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said Saturday that 47 religious leaders have appealed to members of the U.S. Congress "to limit firearms that are making society pay an unacceptable price in terms of massacres and senseless deaths."

"I am with them," Lombardi said, in an editorial carried on Vatican Radio, lining up the Vatican's moral support in favor of firearm limits.

"The initiatives announced by the American administration for limiting and controlling the spread and use of weapons are certainly a step in the right direction," Lombardi said.

Obama is trying to rally support for reinstating a ban on assault weapons...

Excerpt, read more at cnsnews/ap

[stanne]

Meant to include this.

Here’s something from Catholic University, where’s the AP on this debate?:

Self-defense

Father Joseph Classen, a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Louis who is now serving in Alaska and who is an avid outdoorsman and hunter, discussed the gun issue in the context of self-defense. He said he carries a concealed pistol in areas where his physical safety may be compromised, such as remote areas in the West and isolated locations notorious for illegal drug production and sales.

Father Classen said he would seek every nonlethal option for self-defense before using a weapon to defend his life.

“Whatever legal means one chooses as a method of self-defense is up to the individual, and it is something that should be prefaced with much prayerful discernment and practical forethought,” he said.. . .

But with the nation having a functioning court system, police and military, Di Ruzza wondered if allowing guns in private citizens’ hands undermined the common good and promoted a lawless street justice.

Father Mitch Pacwa, a writer and EWTN on-air host who is also a hunter and outdoorsman, disagreed with Di Ruzza and suggested he was presenting a European perspective not familiar with hunting and private gun ownership.

While there is a “legitimate need” for regulating weapons, Father Pacwa told Our Sunday Visitor that guns, like all other weapons, are morally neutral, and that people will use any means at their disposal when they decide to commit crimes.

“I’m very skeptical of the ability of new laws limiting weapons having any effect,” he said. “Making certain weapons illegal probably is not going to be all that effective. The people participating in these crimes don’t care about the law.”

A real problem, Father Pacwa said, is a mainstream culture where violence is glorified and divorced from reality. Father Pacwa said that in 1970 he saw a youth he had been counseling, who had left a street gang, shot to death, and added that he himself has been shot at and had a cousin fatally stabbed. Forcing criminals to confront survivors of murder victims, he said, would show them their actions have consequences.

“The value of human life needs to be taught in our society

[Politicalmom]

Considering that that estimate comes from the same people who have been saying there are 12 million illegals for the past couple decades....

[GBA]

Luke22:36 Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.

Not sure what that means, but I find certain comfort in not letting my brother sin by not allowing him to be my or my family's murderer.

I believe it's also good to keep my brother from breaking the Commandment not to steal, from me or anyone else.

In these efforts, my defense weapon (as opposed to the "assault weapons" the progressives hate so much) is a handy tool to have, no matter what the Vatican might say.

Regarding the Vatican, if am of the mind to join or rejoin the Church and the Church would like to have me in the congregation and assist in saving my soul, they might want to be a bit more helpful and relevant in the world we find ourselves in, rather than political.

[Secret Agent Man]

wonder if this pope would welcome germany disarming the jews. then everyone else.

gotta say it’s a total idiotic statement to pronounce disarming law abiding people a step in the right direction.

[backwoods-engineer]

In any event, my church of Christ congregation is not a gun-free zone. Tomorrow, during worship services, there will be quite a few of us in the auditorium armed -- and that includes the preacher. Sure, we may sing without instrumental accompaniment but we certainly are accompanied by our firearms.

My church of Christ is right there with ya, brother. Acapella and concealed carry everywhere... it sounds good to me!

[G Larry]

Here is my intended meaning.

Gun control has NOTHING to do with “Faith and Morals”.

Papal infallibility ONLY applies to matters of “Faith and Morals”.

This statement wasn’t made by the Pope, but a representative of the Vatican.

Therefore, the statement in no way should be interpreted as being “infallible”.

Elsewhere, I went on to say, they shouldn’t have commented at all on “gun control” or our 2nd Amendment.
IF they were to comment at all, it should have addressed our Godless society, and our need to return to God to regain our sense of right and wrong as a society.

[Luke21]

“And screw the Vatican too…”

And after that, screw the Asspress bootlickers.

[Lera]

Always on the WRONG side

[LifeComesFirst]

Rebel against what? The federal government, with its tanks, and artillery, and jet fighters?

This idea of using guns to rebel against the US gov in this day and age is a fantasy. That was feasible in the 1700s, not now. Our hope is in our governors and state assemblies now.

[Lera]

Well, obviously the Vatican spokesman has been poorly catechized and doesn’t speak for the Church.
I’d put an /s sarcasm tag at the end, but, unfortunately...

Lol

[haffast]

This is propaganda. In fact, I have cited three of the above articles just today.

The news media is anti Catholic.

Pope in Spain: Benedict XVI speaks off-the-cuff
November 8, 2010 by Kris Dmytrenko

"Twice during our coverage of Pope Benedict’s trip to Spain this past weekend, S+L interviewed Carol Glatz from Catholic News Service. Glatz covered the papal visit as one of the Vatican Accredited Media Personnel (VAMP). She was among 61 reporters, photographers and cameramen who were privy to a much closer view of the Pope than the other 2000 accredited media."

"“Everyone is very excited,” says Glatz of the atmosphere on board Shepherd One."

"She explains that that the pontiff always answers the questions off-the-cuff. Journalists send them in advance to the Holy See Press Office. It’s director, Fr. Federico Lombardi, sometimes synthesizes similar queries, which was the case with one of Glatz’s submissions that was answered by the Pope."

"“It’s assumed that Fr. Lombardi tells the Pope ahead of time what the questions are about,” says Glatz. “Maybe he submits them to Msgr. Georg Gänswein [the Pope’s personal secretary], but that is speculation.”"
http://saltandlighttv.org/blog/tag/santiago-de-compostela

I doubt Ms. Glatz, correspondent for the Catholic News Service at their Rome bureau, would appreciate being characterized as an anti-Catholic media propagandist.

I would also speculate that she is a tad closer to the goings on of the Vatican, and the Pope, than your priest dancing around bear scat in Alaska.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1392525/posts?page=14#14

I do check with the fox to tell me how things are going in the chicken coop, but I don't assume he's telling me the truth. But you're welcome to believe any thing you choose.

[Mad Dawg]

Dear Fr.Lombardi<

Fun control regulations are matters of political prudence and thus outside the Vatican’s bailiwick.

Yours faithfully in Christ and St. Dominic,
Mr. Mad Dawg, OP.

[stanne]

Have not seen one quote from the Pope just a lot of words, here.

[Tailgunner Joe]

Catholics unite for new gun control measures - January 15, 2013 - Representatives of a range of national Catholic groups, including those speaking for the country's sisters, brothers, priests and bishops, signed a letter Tuesday calling for stringent new national gun control measures.

"Gun violence is taking an unacceptable toll on our society, in mass killings and in the constant day-to-day of senseless death," write the signatories, who include Stockton, Calif., Bishop Stephen Blaire, chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development. "While we continue to pray for the families and friends of those who died, we must also support our prayers with action. We should do everything possible to keep guns out of the hands of people who may harm themselves or others."

[ROCKLOBSTER]

Prohibition of a state religion was not based on the Vatican but on the persecution these people were experiencing from the sects in their Euro conutries.

Actually, I believe the Church of England was the constant reminder, but Rome could have been present in their thinking. I've read that the real reason was the various states wanted their own state religions, not one imposed from the federal government.

After all, they were religious colonies.

[stanne]

You bring up the good point that there was a lot to it. My point I didn’t make very well was as a response to your comment in which it makes more sense, but what I meant was that the Vatican was not involved in 2nd ammendment.

I do think there was a lot to consider and perhaps rome was on the list, I just don’t think the Vatican is or was involved in politics as much as everyone wishes they were, wishing they could be mad at the Vatican for something in particular.

this press man/priest was mouthing off his own Euro opinion. The AP jumped on it like Elmer Fudd after bugs and folks here are falling right in.

The Catechism is the go-to document, not some Euro ir American sensitive reactionary and the paprazzi press.

I cannot think of anything which points to the Vatican somehow lamenting that it cannot be more involved in American politics.

The opposite is true when it comes to Abortion.

Where is the AP when it comes to what the Vatican says aobut that or homosexuality?

Have you read the Pope’s New Year sermon? AP did not pounce on it, to be sure.

Current issues take such magnitude and get so emotionally charged with the way the media blows stuff up and propagandizes.

[NVDave]

I’ve referred to the RCC as being rather socialist/left wing in outlook in other matters.

Sooner or later, people are going to have to admit that it’s true.

[Gaffer]

There are many forms of rebellion. One only need Google or Bing modern revolutions since the start of the 20th Century to see that. Wiki has a decade-by-decade list; there are hundreds. Although some involved actual implements of war, many others went differently.

A modern rebellion could take the form of sparse armed resistance to egregious government intrusion coupled with other more wide-spread citizen acions - like not paying estimated taxes by those with their own businesses, etc. State and citizen disregard for Federal Laws, just like Obama does when it suits him.

All I’m saying is that there is a ‘tipping point’. It may very well be something like Obama’s plans to confiscate them that touches it off. It wouldn’t be a typical NORTH/SOUTH fight nor would it be a colonies/King thing, even though Obama thinks himself one. The result may not be much except to excite newer more effective ways of dealing with tyranny outside of the totally corrupt and fraudulent voting system we have today.

[TheOldLady]

One day, Father Sullivan, my Religion-class teacher, stood up in front of us all and announced that the Catholic Church was “very totalitarian.”

I was young and stupid, but I realized about ten years later that “totalitarian” was not a good thing at all. I’ve been right of Reagan every since.

History, learn it, but don’t live it or love it.

[what's up]

The vatican was against the Iraq war to.

Other than their pro-life stance, they sure seem to favor despots don't they.