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A Vatican Spokesman's Misguided Statement on Gun Control
Catholic Culture ^ | 1/21/13 | Phil Lawler

Posted on 01/22/2013 9:41:38 AM PST by marshmallow

Let’s make something clear right away. Pope Benedict has not endorsed the Obama administration’s gun-control plans. The Pope has said nothing on the subject. But Father Federico Lombardi, the director of the Vatican press office—has released a statement on gun control, in his weekly editorial commentary for Vatican Radio. Inevitably his editorial will be portrayed by careless reporters as an official statement of the Vatican’s position. It is not; Father Lombardi does not set policy for the Vatican, or make authoritative statements for the Catholic Church.

Nor does the Catholic Church make authoritative statements about partisan political matters—especially partisan political matters in a country far from Rome, a country whose political affairs Vatican officials do not understand.

”The initiatives announced by the United States government in view of limiting and controlling the diffusion and use of arms are certainly a step in the right direction,” Father Lombardi pronounced as he began his commentary. Obviously he was referring to the executive orders issued by President Obama (who, by the way, is not “the United States government”) last week. The wording of the editorial is vague; we don’t know which initiatives in particular met with Father Lombardi’s approval. We don’t know, actually, whether the Vatican spokesman is actually acquainted with the specifics of the White House plans. In short—let’s not mince words—we don’t know whether Father Lombardi knows what he’s talking about.

Still, notice the word “certainly” in that opening sentence. Father Lombardi would have his listeners believe not only that the Obama plans are laudable, but that they are certainly good public policy. How can he possibly justify that claim?

(Excerpt) Read more at catholicculture.org ...


TOPICS: Catholic; Current Events; General Discusssion
KEYWORDS: banglist; guncontrol; secondamendment; uncontrol

1 posted on 01/22/2013 9:41:43 AM PST by marshmallow
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To: marshmallow
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church

2265 Legitimate defense can be not only a right but a grave duty for one who is responsible for the lives of others. The defense of the common good requires that an unjust aggressor be rendered unable to cause harm. For this reason, those who legitimately hold authority also have the right to use arms to repel aggressors against the civil community entrusted to their responsibility.

I find it impossible to believe that this fellow is unfamiliar with the Catechism, or with the Scriptures, yet his comments seem prejudicial to the possibility of effective self defense.

2 posted on 01/22/2013 9:47:55 AM PST by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilization is Aborting, Buggering, and Contracepting itself out of existence.)
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To: marshmallow

No excuses. The popes press office director published it in an editorial. If he doesn’t fire this turd, or make him come out and say his disrespect for the US constitution is his personal opinion, and the pope does not agree with him,,, then the pope has to own it.


3 posted on 01/22/2013 9:58:21 AM PST by DesertRhino (I was standing with a rifle, waiting for soviet paratroopers, but communists just ran for office.)
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To: ArrogantBustard

The Catholic church has its way of appealing to every group. If the Pope can’t control the statements coming out the Vatican, then it’s nothing less than a free for all. The purists will reference the Catechism, while the gun grabbers are spiritually encouraged to keep grabbing.


4 posted on 01/22/2013 10:00:05 AM PST by aimhigh ( Guns do not kill people. Planned Parenthood kills people.)
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To: ArrogantBustard

Fr. Lombardi servers another master.


5 posted on 01/22/2013 10:00:20 AM PST by Noumenon (One individual with courage, determination and a rifle can change the course of history.)
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To: marshmallow

Yes. As I said yesterday, this is not “the Vatican” speaking, and it is not the Pope speaking, and it is certainly not the Pope speaking ex cathedra about matters of faith and morals.

It’s the jerk who is spokesman for Vatican Radio, who is mouthing off with his own personal, and regretably mistaken, opinions.

That was obvious from the start. Whenever the press blares, “THE VATICAN SAYS,” be sure to look more closely. Or just take it with a grain of salt and ignore it, since 99.9999% of the time it’s nothing but liberal propaganda lies. Not lying about what somebody said, necessarily, but lying about what that means. And, of course, frequently lying about what they really said, as well.


6 posted on 01/22/2013 10:01:28 AM PST by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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To: Cicero

Whenthis came out a few days ago, I wrote my parish priest and sent him the article.

It would appear I wasn’t the only one as the heat is now coming down for the article.

Perhaps the Vatican needs to get a new mouthpiece.


7 posted on 01/22/2013 10:36:26 AM PST by Venturer
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To: Cicero

So why is a vatican radio spokesmen issuing “liberal propaganda lies”? It makes no sense that he would continue to make such statements over periods of time if the church (and pope) did not support the positions.


8 posted on 01/22/2013 10:54:30 AM PST by plain talk
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To: ArrogantBustard

They are not ignorant words, and should be condemned by all thinking Catholics.

The ignorant statement comes from the One Worlders who sold their soul to Lucifer.....the Freemasons—the Illuminati-— (modernists as SPX refers to them) who infiltrated the Catholic Church. St. Pius X warned about these very evil people in 1907 in his encyclical, “Pascendi.”

The Catholic Church has been infiltrated, which is obvious since Vatican II *by their fruits”—so we have to do what YOU did-—look at the Catholic Canon-—and read it ourselves and not be “sheep” and follow the anti-popes or whoever is disregarding thousands of years of Theology—which is so well thought out and perfected-—until Vatican II.

We can not follow the Luciferians-—even if they are wearing the “robes” of the Catholic Church. We judge using Wisdom and Knowledge and Common Sense and prayer and reflection on Truth (which is really what Christianity is since it is embedded in Natural Law). It is why it is so Rational compared to all other religions.

When this Cardinal—or whoever spoke—contradicts the Canon-—it is not Valid or “Reasoned Thinking”. It should be disregarded by all Catholics who should be versed in Catholic Theology and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

All “Social Justice” now has become Socialism in a lot of so-called “Catholic Churches” and is a scam, also—taken over by Marxist/Freemasons to destroy the Natural Family. The fundamental idea of Subsidiarity—which is crucial to ALL Catholic Theology, is being ignored in a lot of the Catholic Churches and they advocate breaking the laws of the nation. It is evil.


9 posted on 01/22/2013 12:34:57 PM PST by savagesusie (Right Reason According to Nature = Just Law)
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To: marshmallow
This for the 10,000th time confirms my usual rule: when you want to find out what's really going on, skip the clerical bureaucrat and ask Phil Lawler.

Honest to God, I wonder if Lawler feels like a maintenance guy at a dog pound: constantly cleaning up the poop.

He's --- in my eyes --- one the most valuable men in the Church. God grant him many years.

10 posted on 01/22/2013 1:55:02 PM PST by Mrs. Don-o ("When you come to a fork in the road, take it." - Yogi Berra)
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To: marshmallow

I saw this last night. Glad you posted it.


11 posted on 01/22/2013 3:11:16 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: plain talk
What You [Catholics] Need to Know: Just War [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]

12 posted on 01/22/2013 3:13:13 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation

Thanks. It was well-written and informative.


13 posted on 01/22/2013 4:45:37 PM PST by plain talk
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