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...

[Iowegian]

A galactically stupid remark.

Much like the remarks coming from the Vatican.

[ErnBatavia]

Hand the envoy a tax bill to take back home. If Il Papa wants to break down those 'separation' barriers, fine then.

[sinkspur]

One can make many assumptions of this controversial gospel,

One thing one can say about the gospel of St. Thomas for certain is that it is a fraud and is not inspired by God.

[sinkspur]

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.

If the "info" is so critical, why is the Pope waiting until now to send it?

There is no "info" that JPII has that we don't have, unless it is a personal pledge from Saddam Hussein to go into exile on March 3.

This is a high-profile attempt to dissuade Bush from going to war. It's not going to work, but it keeps the Pope's name in the papers as an advocate of "peace."

[Caipirabob]

I can't honestly debate it as being a fraud or not. It wouldn't change my opinion, though.

What basis do you have to say it's a fraud? I'd like to know more either way, and I'm not asking as a matter of dispute. I'm completely open-minded on your point so if you can give me a link or something I'll read up. - Thanks

[Semper Paratus]

The only thing I want to hear from the enjoy is an apology, in the Pope's name, for the damage done to so many American children by monster priests and that action is being taken to ensure it never happens again.

I'm not betting the ranch that will happen.

[sinkspur]

What basis do you have to say it's a fraud?

Since the Church does not include it as an inspired part of Scripture, I'd say that's prima facie evidence right there.

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".

This is pantheism, not monotheism.

[RobbyS]

Right, you are judging entirely by appearances

[Domestic Church]

"high-profile attempt to dissuade Bush from going to war"

I disagree. This stance deflects scrutiny from Saddam and has to be a cover to keep the Vatican info net open in Iraq and perhaps has to do with getting civilians out of the cities. I expect church facilities to be used as they have been in the past. The Pope has to see the similarities between Saddam and Stalin. I think he understands but cannot lean in our direction until the last minute. Also I think the choice of Laghi might have some tie in with the other two hot spots, Venezuela and N.Korea. The media info we get is just the smoke screen on this.

[RobbyS]

Leo XIII, a great pope who lived past 90 in the last century, was very feeble in his last years but died still in office. Popes are not CEOs; to expect one to resign is like expecting your grandfather to resign just because he gets old.

[RobbyS]

Add to this the fear of a backlash among Muslims against the Christians remaining in Muslim countries, since as Indonesia. Something similar to what happened to the Chinese could happen to Christians. Also a spur to muslim rebels in the Philippines.

[arasina]

The Pope, as the head of the Catholic Church, feels he must state his beliefs on the issue of a war with Iraq. We all know this isn't the only thing about which he has spoken in a public way. It seems people are allowing recent events (pedophile priests in the American Catholic Church) to erase their memory about the Pope's history of speaking out as a man of peace. (Remember his visits to Communist countries?) The mere fact that this Pope is Polish and was "elected" by the Catholic Church was a political statement by the church leaders. His speaking about politics is nothing new. However, it seems to me that a recent visit from another noted man from Italy carries much more weight than the visit by an envoy of the Pope's, and that would be Italy's Prime Minister Berlusconi. He has given the support of his country in the war against terror.

President Bush visited Italy in July, 2001 (yes, before 9/11) and here's what Prime Minister Berlusconi had to say then:
PRIME MINISTER BERLUSCONI: Good afternoon, everyone. I am very happy to extend my welcome to President Bush during his first visit to Rome. It's as a friend that I receive him in a free country, a democratic country, that has always been a friend of the United States of America, which, with the United States of America, has had for over 50 years a very special cooperation based on the feelings of the Atlantic Alliance, the European Union.

Our country is a country that looks to the United States of America with a recognition that must be steadfast. A recognition that derived from a very profound feeling, Mr. President, of those who are aware of the fact that precisely, thanks to your country, to your great democracy, to the young lives that Americans sacrificed in Italian territory over 50 years ago, Italy ended a very dark moment, where totalitarianism had got rid of freedom.

I realize the Pope represents Catholics worldwide and this Prime Minister heads the little boot called Italy, but Mr. Berlusconi remembers freedom from totalitarianism and the Catholic Church does not, possibly because it seems to operate in a somewhat totalitarian way itself.

[wilmington2]

If you say you are merely for peace; the question should be what does this mean? Do you seek peace by doing nothing about Iraq and sweep the problems under the rug for a short while? Doing nothing leaves open the situation that Saddam can pass biological, chemical, or radiological weapons to terrorists who will deliver it (them) lethally to the US. Do you say you support the UN"s inspectors and not war? If that is the case do you ignore that the only reason there is any progress is solely because US forces are in the region? If no US action is taken soon US forces will be sent home as they practically cannot attack during the high heat periods which start soon and don't abate until fall.The moment US forces leave , any disarmament will most likely stop and what has been destroyed wiil probably be replaced.What is needed from the Pope is real solutions to real problems not a mindless support of peace.

[vishnu2]

Hear, hear! Perhaps the Pope should worry more about cleansing the Catholic Church of the child molestors and homosexuals among the clergy.

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

There is no "info" that JPII has that we don't have, unless it is a personal pledge from Saddam Hussein to go into exile on March 3.

Unless you were in attendance you don't know what Aziz said or told the Pope during their recent meeting.

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

said or told

Should have read "said or gave".

[livius]

If you say you are merely for peace; the question should be what does this mean?

The crucial question that nobody ever asks.

[Bulldogs22]

I am starting to think that the Evanglists may be right.

[Domestic Church]

Yes, avoiding Muslim attacks in many places is a backdrop to this too along with "old Europe". Both the Philippines and Indonesia are tinderboxes. Sacre Coeur in Paris had a bomb placed in a confessional. This is a religious war. Since the Vatican cannot defend itself and already has been a target of terrorism they can only deflect and try to do what it can using its net of Churches. Just war doctrine places the bottom line decision in the hands of the Head of State. No one else, not even the Pope would have access to the full information necessary to make such a serious decision, so the Pope, understanding this, can only voice his opinion on the limited info he has and the doctrines he stands for and rally prayers for Peace.

[roses of sharon]

I wonder if the Pope knows that Aziz won fame in Baghdad, when he was a newspaper editor boasting about the lynching of the Jews in Iraq.