Catholic Ping - please freepmail me if you want on/off this list
Posted on 10/29/2004 10:44:50 AM PDT by NYer
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – On receiving the letters of accreditation of Iran’s new Ambassador to the Holy See, Mohammad Javad Faridzadeh, Pope John Paul II said that freedom of religion was a “fundamental” right and that the fight against terrorism needed the commitment of the world’s governments to a stronger United Nations in order to achieve a more “balanced international order”.
The Pontiff reminded the Iranian diplomat of the necessity of respecting international accords giving as an example the non proliferation treaty. Currently, Iran is at odds with the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency over its own nuclear programme.
Speaking about Iran’s Catholics and other Christians, the Pope called for the “respect of their right to freely profess their religion” and for “grant[ing] Church institutions the status of legal entities thus facilitating their work in Iranian society.” He also said that “freedom of worship was but one aspect of religious freedom which must be the same for all citizens.”
In the face “of terrorism that seeks to impose its law”, an “international situation that is deteriorating” and the “threats that hang over humanity”, any attempt to achieve a more balanced international order and build a peaceful future for all can only be done if all states make a commitment to stable, efficient and accepted institutional arrangements such as those of the United Nations and other international organisations.
For the Pope, “such a commitment towards peace means taking a courageous stance against terrorism and building a world in which all are seen as children of the same All Mighty and Merciful God.”
Quoting from the message from the 2002 World Peace Day, the Holy Father singled out the role religion can play in this fight. “The various Christian denominations as well as all the great religions of humanity,” he stressed, “must cooperate to remove the social and cultural factors that lead to terrorism. They should teach about the greatness and dignity of man and make people more aware that we are all part of a single human kind”.
“Of course,” he said, “peace-building implies mutual trust and acceptance. Others must not be seen as threats but as partners. Everyone must accept the obligations and controls that shared commitments require. This is true, for instance, in the case of international treaties and multilateral accords in areas that concern the common good such as the environment, arms trade, nuclear non proliferation as well as child and minority protection.”
Speaking about relations among believers, John Paul II said that dialogue among people “is necessary in order to establish ties of fraternity and love”. This must be done in “response to the dialogue that God initiated with man when he revealed His Word and proposed His Alliance”.
“Our duty as believers,” the Pope said, “is to announce to our contemporaries the fundamental values of religion. By virtue of natural law God left his mark on man and in doing so he enabled such values to give every person dignity and allowed us to manage our relations with our fellow human beings.”
“As I said many times before,” the Pope insisted, “Catholics must bear witness in favour of a culture of life, one that respects human life from conception till natural death and protects man’s inalienable rights and duties. Among these rights, religious freedom stands out as an essential part of freedom of conscience and so reveals the transcendental nature of the human person.”
“The Holy See is counting on Iranian authorities to give Catholics in Iran as well as other Christians the right to rely profess their faith and grant Church institutions the status of legal entities thus facilitating their work in Iranian society.”
“Freedom of worship,” he reiterated, “is but one aspect of religious freedom which must be the same for all citizens.” (FP)
Ugh. I hope this is a reporter spinning what was actually said.
"Islamic country" and "religious freedom" are two phrases that just never seem to go together...
Catholic Ping - please freepmail me if you want on/off this list
The pope said something similar but not the same:
In order to establish a balanced international order, he said, it is necessary that States "take advantage of recognized, stable and effective instruments, like the United Nations and other international organizations. This action to promote peace also implies brave action against terrorism . in order to build a world in which everyone can be recognized as children of the same Merciful and Omnipotent God."
"This action to promote peace also implies brave action against terrorism"
Hooray for the Pope!
"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-- among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved-- "
- St. Paul
Until you are saved, you are dead to God, disobedient and under His wrath. This feel-good garbage about all being " seen as children of the same All Mighty and Merciful God" is deception pure and simple - and it is a type of deception designed to lull people into a sense of complacency. "Hey, the Pope says were all children of God - so what do I have to worry about!"
So what are you going to believe, St. Paul or this deception?
Umm... yay?
But not so fundamental that the Church would sanction killing those who deny religious freedom to others. It must be so hard to attain such a state of moral purity as the Church has done.
I see the Mullahs in Iran laughing there butts off at the Pope's comments...
“In the face “of terrorism that seeks to impose its law”, ……”
So what exactly besides what to eat, … well, that’s limited to Halal and the coupon ration, ok, what to wear, … well, that’s dictated as well, ok, how to use a restroom,… never mind, khomaini had the first 10 commandments of Islam about that, OK, I got one, how to behave once asleep, unless it’s a pleasant dreams and now you must cleans your soul because she wasn’t wearing a veil in the dream, ,,, I cant think of anything one can do and not be reprimandable in the eyes of those bozos. What religious freedom? With all respects to an optimistic and an idealistic Pop. If mullahs ease up, half the population will convert to Christianity, like mullahs will ever let that happen!
You wrote: If mullahs ease up, half the population will convert to Christianity, like mullahs will ever let that happen!
Remember WWII? Remember the "Sunday Schools" set up for children in war torn areas because the military wanted to do something constructive for them? Remember how Japan stopped worshiping the Emperor? Remember the Phillipines?
My Dad was instrumental in getting Sunday School material from the Lutheran Church to the military who wanted something to use in Sunday Schools. They also had Baptist Church materials sent to them. They may have had other materials, but I don't know about them.
I don't know what's going on in Iraq or Afghanistan, but I imagine the kindess to the children will win some converts to the "American way." Does anyone know if the military men and women are singing songs to the children? If they are, we all can surmise that "Jesus loves me" is probably one. Maybe "Away in a Manger" to the little sick babies our guys are giving medical help to. Don't you imagine that some of the children are asking the question "why?" And our military, from what I've seen of the stories coming from the families of those who have returned, both alive and in caskets, are a fairly religious group.
We have no way of knowing what G*d is doing in Iraq. But I do know He is in control and He will do as pleases Him. And we know that what pleases Him is to have all know and come to the Truth. It won't happen overnight, but it's bound to happen.
Oh, and for those who think the world will end in 2005 or 2006 -- that's a short time to get the Word of G*d to the entire world. Gotta get busy.
I have no doubt in the will of God. I have no faith in the leadership and therefore the follower men. Look at Kerry; do you think God plays any roll in his views and politics? Do we have 50 successful years of educating or the will to fund such projects in far away lands? Did you consider the defeated and dishonored mentality in Japan after WWII compared to the hostile one in the Arab countries. Frankly, I was being Ironic to Pops comments when I said half of the Iranian population would convert to Christianity. Iranians have Zoroastrian, Christianity, Judaism and Islam to choose from. That’s not where our problem is in Iran. The problem is in the impostors who highjacked Iran. We wont have to convince Iranian people on anything. Just help them to obtain freedom and the rest of the issues will disappear with their bounds and gags.
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