POPE TO SEND ENVOY TO US

Sky News ^ | 10:54 UK, Saturday March 01, 2003 | sky news

[colette_g]

POPE TO SEND ENVOY TO US

Pope John Paul will send a senior cardinal to Washington on a personal peace mission to try to avert a war in Iraq, the Vatican has said.

Cardinal Pio Laghi, for many years the Vatican's ambassador to the United States, will leave in the next few days, and will deliver a letter from the Pope to US President George W. Bush.

Last month the 82-year-old Pontiff sent a special envoy to Baghdad to try to persuade Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to co-operate with United Nations weapons inspectors.

More to follow...

[Momaw Nadon]

Has the Pope or the Church ever supported any war?

[colette_g]

The Crusades come to mind - http://www.medievalcrusades.com/crusadesbegin.htm

[cgbg]

personal peace mission

I would prefer the Pope sent an envoy here to scout the gay bars looking for wayward priests. :-(

[Caipirabob]

Speaking as one who has promised to raise our children Catholic, Papa should clean house first if he expects any credibility.

My wife and I agreed there's no way we'll even consider subsidzing the Catholic Church before they take the proper stance on perversion in their church and among their preists.

The silence is such matters dismays us to no end. I cannot state enough how saddened I am at the lack of action to resolve this issue. The Catholics in my family and among my friends are simply the best people I know. Fortunately my regards for the church do not impact my view of Catholicism as a whole. It simply confirms that Catholicism really isn't the Church, it's the people, and if the Catholic Church did not exist, Catholics would still be among the greatest of the faithful.

I think the Church would shudder in fear if they realized how irrelevant they are making themselves.

Then again, the interesting question I've heard recently was "When Jesus drops by, would he recognize Christians or Christian Churches?"

My thought is that he would certainly know those who know him. Christianity being an irrelevant label at that time, serving only to identify ourselves among the lost.

In The Gospel of St. Thomas, it recounts Christ as saying, "Split open a piece of wood, and I am there; lift up a rock and I am there". One can make many assumptions of this controversial gospel, but I like to interpret it as the fact that there is no particular Church which is representative of Christianity. Jesus resides in all of us and is omnipresent. Church is dandy for socializing and gathering with other of faith, but Jesus build his church within us and we take it whereever we go.

Pretty dangerous thoughts for the Catholic Church. No wonder this is such a controversial Gospel.

Donning flame suit...

[Texan5]

I am sure that you realize that Catholics in general are furious with the Church fathers for sweeping this under the carpet. Even so, we are hardly the first and only denomination to have sexual skeletons in our closet-Jim Baker and Jesse Jackson come to mind.... I take it you do not like Catholics? You appear to be condemning all of us with your remark.

[colette_g]

Church is dandy for socializing and gathering with other of faith, but Jesus build his church within us and we take it whereever we go.

I can't remember it exactly, but isn't a classic Jesus quote describing a church as "where 2 or more are gathered in my name", which I take as meaning that denominations, physical church buildings etc. are irrelevant.

Donning flame suit...

Surely none necessary :-)

[Caipirabob]

Whoa...

This is my second way-to-serious post within 12 hours.

NOOOOOOObody expects the FREEPERS! Our chief weapon is surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise.... Our two weapons are fear and surprise...and ruthless efficiency.... Our *three* weapons are fear, surprise, and ruthless efficiency...and an almost fanatical devotion to JimRob (or RushLimbaugh).... Our *four*...no... *Amongst* our weapons.... Amongst our weaponry...are such elements as fear, surprise.... I'll come in again.

[oceanperch]

Thanks I will read the link you provided.

You have mail.

[Texan5]

I have harbored those "dangerous thoughts" for many years-ever since I took some classes on Comparative Religion taught by a Jesuit priest at the Catholic college I attended.

[Texan5]

Thank you very much for the link.

[tomahawk]

Does the Vatican really want U.S. citizens to be sitting ducks for Saddam Insane's future nukes? Apparently so. Will the Vatican also rush to save Kim Jong Il? Is there a dictator whom the Vatican does not want to protect from American power?

[Mustang]

I can relate to your above #29...Big Time!

My 'old time' RC religious indoctrination taught this, but not now,: Jesus came to take away one's sin..."not their minds".

To think , and not question,...defies the thought we share as being thinking folks.

Now,we have the Pope stating our war against Saddam is wrong.

Sorry, Pope...I've visited St. Peter's several times...if you're real....sell the gold, give it back to those who gave it against their will.

Mustang sends w/Best FReegards...(once an altar boy, many moons ago, who learned the Mass in Latin)...

[Recovering_Democrat]

Nice try, pontiff. Won't work.

[Domestic Church]

Cardinal Pio Laghi, in his 80's is a career diplomat to say the least. He most likely is bringing info too delicate to fax...remember the Church has channels for info deep inside Iraq.

[Domestic Church]

The real value in this envoy is the info he brings. There is much more beneath the surface of this visit. The Vatican is the center of a covert communications system cloaked in doctrinal words that has saved lives in many other wars. The fact that the envoy comes here last speaks volumes.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

In Europe they took the side of the anti -communist and in South America took the side of the communists. And they did it at the same time.

Now they take the side of brutal repressive socialist regimes. Go figure.

[Iowegian]

Why isn't the Pope interested in having freedom for the Iraqi people? I heard there are many, many Christians there.
He must have missed those verses about setting the captives free.

With all the problems in his own church, you'd think he could try and solve those first.

[ohioman]

As much as I respect the Pope, I just wish he would shut the hell up about making peace with evil.

[O6ret]

Instead of trying to influence the White House the Catholic church would be better served if Il Papa sent his envoy to every seminary and parish in America to oust the homosexual predatory priests.

[sinkspur]

400.000 Catholic priests at last count. Who may be as much of a fifth column as the islamists.

A galactically stupid remark.