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Vatican: U.S. Action Could Be Seen As Self-Defense
EWTN ^
| September 28, 2001
| Zenit.staff
Posted on 10/03/2001 3:42:37 PM PDT by Lady In Blue
EWTN News Story
28-Sep-2001 -- ZENIT.org News Agency
ZENIT material may not be reproduced without permission. Permission can be requested at info@zenit.org VATICAN: U.S. ACTION COULD BE SEEN AS SELF-DEFENSE
YEREVAN, Armenia, (Zenit.org).- The Vatican today repeated its view that if the United States had to resort to force to protect its citizens from future threats, such action could be considered as legitimate self-defense. In an interview with a Mexican television network in Armenia, Vatican chief spokesman Joaquín Navarro-Valls repeated the basic themes of an interview he gave to Reuters on Monday while John Paul II was in Kazakhstan. He told Mexico´s Televisa that the Vatican was not giving a "green light" to Washington to take indiscriminate military action, as some media reported earlier this week. "No one ever said ´do whatever you want´ because there is a very precise Christian ethic on legitimate defense that takes proportionality into account and says that blood of innocent victims should not be spilled," Navarro-Valls said. U.S. President George W. Bush has demanded that Afghanistan´s ruling Taliban hand over militant Osama bin Laden, whom it holds directly responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington. Navarro-Valls said earlier this week that the Vatican would prefer to see those responsible for the attacks handed over to face justice, but if this were not possible, an act of self-defense would be legitimate.
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FYI
To: Lady In Blue
Just remember - You're with us, or your with the terrorists, your holiness.
To: American Soldier
Whew, that's a relief. Now that we have the Pope's approval, let's roll...
-bc
3
posted on
10/03/2001 3:54:18 PM PDT
by
BearCub
To: American Soldier
Just remember - You're with GOD or you're with the devil.
Please refrain from thoughtless responses concerning the Holy Father.
We have no idea what he has seen and suffered through.
He has survived the communist takeover and slaughter in Poland during his youth. And there is no one who can hold a candle to him as he seeks to bring the love of Christ to the world.
If anyone knows the need for just wars it is someone with his experiences.
PAX CHRISTI
4
posted on
10/03/2001 4:00:37 PM PDT
by
MI
To: MI
Make that..
"He has survived the nazi and communist takeover and slaughter in Poland during his youth."
5
posted on
10/03/2001 4:03:05 PM PDT
by
MI
To: MI
No offense, but I think if he were a younger man, the Holy Father would be packin' a .45.
6
posted on
10/03/2001 4:03:38 PM PDT
by
45Auto
To: American Soldier
"No one ever said ´do whatever you want´ because there is a very precise Christian ethic on legitimate defense that takes proportionality into account... Thats right guys....no more than 100 of them for everyone of your guys. About 600,000 of them sounds pretty proportional.
To: 45Auto
I was going to comment that he has a 50 BMG in his Pope-mobial. But I think he has much more effective weapons at his disposal!
PAX
8
posted on
10/03/2001 4:11:39 PM PDT
by
MI
To: American Soldier
I just hope there won't be a bunch of anti-Catholic rantings on this thread, to the effect that any church spokesman who comes out against nuking women and children must be on the side of the terrorists.
To: Arthur McGowan
No it's just that this Pope is a little less absolutely incapable of error than previous popes.
To: MI
He's a political leader now. He deserves, and actually needs all the same criticism (guidance) that any other political leader would receive. When at a Catholic Church I would not question his authority his political actions (for instance speaking out against the execution of McVeigh) have put him on my "To be scrutinized" list...
To: MI
You forgot one other thing.He was run over twice by the Germans! I think it was the first time,he almost died.
To: American Soldier
Pope John Paul 11 is a SPIRITUAL LEADER.When you have the guidance of the Holy Spirit,holiness and intelligence the way he does,then you might presume to criticize him.The Italians have a very old saying.It goes something like this, "He who tries to eat the Pope,will get indigestion!"[paraphrasing]
To: 45Auto
There's an old photo of the Pope as a young man with a rifle doing training in wartime Poland!He's had quite a life.He was an actor at one time as well as teacher.
To: American Soldier
"Just remember - You're with us, or your with the terrorists, your holiness."
You really need to think before you write.
15
posted on
10/03/2001 5:52:33 PM PDT
by
Theresa
To: All
I think some folks are seeing the Papacy as something it's not. I came from a Catholic family so I understand the emotional, religious attachment. I won't argue with him on spiritual issues but the man is obviously capable of political errors. To follow every political pronouncement that the Pope has given out would be like following lemmings off of a cliff. One ought to be as willing to say "No!" or criticize the Pope on substantive policy issues as any other leader.
To: American Soldier
I'm sure this will get a flame or two but my allegiance is with the church over country.
To: Lady In Blue
I am not a Catholic, but I do know something about the Christian tradition on war. There is a teaching on just war that is basically shared by every western Christian church, because it starts with St. Augustine. What the Vatican has said about this is exactly what the leadership of any western church that had any sense of its own tradition would say. It is not "liberal." It is not "political." It is just basic Christian moral teaching - exactly what Aquinas or Luther or Calvin or Richard Hooker would say. It is just to fight in self-defence and to do justice, but don't do it if there is any other way, and try not to kill civilians unnecessarily.
The Vatican in this case has actually been a bit less pacifistic-leaning than John XXIII and Paul VI sometimes were - in the days when discussion of war was dominated by the possibility of massive nuclear missile attacks.
Though not a Catholic, I am willing to take the Pope seriously as a Christian minister with whom I share many basic beliefs. And it is never the task of a Christian minister to get on the bandwagon even with righteous enthusiasms in society. The task is to teach according to Scripture, and on this point, the Pope and his helpers are doing much better than most Protestant denominations. Click here to go to a bare-bones account of just war doctrine from a Protestant source - it is exactly the set of principles the Vatican spokesman is referring to.
To: American Soldier
Stalin mocked Pius X with "How many divisions does he have?" Brehznev and Gorbachev postumhously ate his words for him thanks to this vicar of Christ! Btw no catholic here.
To: American Soldier
Why are you ranting about the Pope's "political" statements, when he hasn't made any.
Enunciating the principles of just war and self-defense, and condemning unjust aggression or disproportionate acts of war (such as killing civilians deliberately or carelessly) is not political. It is moral teaching, well within the Pope's sphere of competence and authority.
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