Bush discounts pope's anti-war plea

Washington Times ^ | 3/06/03 | Bill Sammon

[kattracks]

President Bush yesterday rejected the anti-war pleas of a papal envoy during an Ash Wednesday meeting in the Oval Office, arguing that forgoing war would be immoral.

Cardinal Pio Laghi, a former papal nuncio to the United States, gave Mr. Bush a letter from Pope John Paul II that outlined the pontiff's moral objections to an attack on Iraq. But the president countered that much good could come from such a war.

[Jeff Chandler]

a decision to wage war "can only be taken within the framework of the United Nations."

The approval of the UN confers morality on a nation's actions?!

[Mr. Mojo]

Cardinal Laghi said. "It is up to the United States government to consider the consequences [of war]."

We have done so exhaustively. .... and now we're going in.

Perhaps the Vatican's time would be better spent considering the consequences of allowing fruitcakes into their ranks.

[nopardons]

The Pope should mind his own business.

The Vatican did little, about Hitler and the Nazis, can't excommunicate ( nor use the threat of same, as it did, for centuries, to bend the Kings of Europe, to its will )President Bush, wasted time & money going to Saddam, and should get its own house in order, before poking into places it has no business with. Besides, Popes have started wars, disasterous ones, in the past. They weren't " just wars ". Now, the USA is not starting a war ; we;re just following up on a broken ( and ignored , for a decade + , the breaking of) peace treaty.

The " leaders " of Protestant demoninations, are likewise in error and at fault, for signing the silly " we're against this war " garbage, they have .

[Judith Anne]

This is an opinion of the Holy Father, not a matter that all Catholics must agree with him on. Respectfully, I disagree with him. War IS hell, but appeasement is hell on a lower rung.

[MEG33]

I feel the same way about my Methodist Church's opinion. We are not held by the "Church and Society" pronouncement.

[Mr. Mojo]

This is an opinion of the Holy Father, not a matter that all Catholics must agree with him on

But of course. ...I don't know anyone who believes otherwise.

[nopardons]

Good for you and I agree with your sentiments. :-)

[nopardons]

Same here.

[FreeCanuckistan]

The Pope was 'for' bombing the Serbs over Kosovo.

Is He saying that Slobo was more dangerous than Saddom?

Iraq is less than a 'just cause'?

Sorry.....no capish, your Holiness.

[saradippity]

Would you please give some documentation about the Pope's position on Kosovo. Thanks.

[Terridan]

You know, I've always wondered, just who, really, is speaking for his eminence... the Pope can barely move or hold up his head. Yet, these cardinals and bishops keep saying the Pope is against this or that with the war with Iraq. I wonder. I don't believe for one minute, as a Catholic, that appeasement is what the U.S. needs to continue to do. Did Jesus "appease" the vendors in the temple??? (Yeah right, that wasn't a big stick in his hand...) And, did God "appease" the citizens of Soddom and Gammorah? Wait a minute, maybe we've got the definition of "appeasement" wrong!!! I want to see that "flash" of "appeasment" live and in color! ;) Best wishes, and God bless...

[FreeCanuckistan]

It was reported all day on CNN, along with his anti-US/Iraqi war sentiments.......besides, don't you remember?

It had His blessing in the name of 'humanity'......check it out.

[Beck_isright]

Thank you Judith. Although I'm not Catholic, I strongly concur with your sentiments.

[saradippity]

I asked you for the documentation and realized that I was capable of doing a google search myself,so I did. I only found two articles about bombing Kosovo and the Pope's position on it,they both said the Pope was opposed to bombing Kosovo. The one said that never in his papacy had he advocated for any tye of violence.

What may be confusing some people is/was the fact that he spoke out against the "ethnic cleansing" that was purported to be taking place there. He seemed to blame the Serbs for this but then who wouldn't have if they were informed by the reports that we were reading. There is practically no Roman Catholic presence in Kosovo so he probably had the same information initially that we did. I guess all of the eautiful old Orthodox churches and monasteries were destroyed in the bombings,how horrible. Anyway,he was aganst it.

[Bonaparte]

"Well, I just disagree that we need to get U.N. permission to protect ourselves."

Go George Go!

[nopardons]

I agree with everything you said. :-)

May GOD bless you & your's , as well.

[Just mythoughts]

The "religious leaders" of this world are beginning to leave a bad taste in my mouth.

The focus of this "war" always gets placed upon President Bush being responsible. Where have all these "ministers of God" been for the past 12 years, they keep crying "PEACE", "PEACE", "PEACE", yet if they had read, there will be no true "PEACE" until the real Christ returns.

I realize they are fullfilling prophecy by what they are doing but it is moving that bad taste in my mouth to a sour stomach.

Hopefully, there will be some that will have the desire to find out what the scriptures really say and they themselves will go and read. It is written, I Have Foretold you all things, "Have you not read"?

[.30Carbine]

You point out the very absurdity that I noted in the exchange, namely this:

The Vatican, which also opposed the 1991 Persian Gulf war, maintains that it would be "immoral, illegal, unjust" for the United States to lead a military offensive in Iraq without U.N. approval....Cardinal Laghi said a decision to wage war "can only be taken within the framework of the United Nations."

They are in essence saying, "The voice of the U.N. is as the voice of God to us!"

Actually, I'm, glad they're so blatant about it.

[.30Carbine]

I realize they are fullfilling prophecy by what they are doing but it is moving that bad taste in my mouth to a sour stomach.

I keep thinking of Daniel's reaction to the vision he was given of the last days.