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With All Due Respect
02/17/2003

It's getting harder and harder to defend the actions of higher-ups in the Catholic Church:

The envoy, Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, met the Iraqi leader for 90 minutes in Baghdad delivering a message from the Pope.

The cardinal said Saddam Hussein had been relieved by Friday's report to the United Nations by the chief weapons inspectors.

"He [Saddam Hussein] is doing everything to avoid war," Cardinal Etchegaray told Italian television, according to French news agency AFP.

I do wonder (a little) whether that "he" was taken to mean "Saddam Hussein" in error at some point as this story made its way to the BBC via the AFP via Italian television. I wouldn't put such a "mistake" past European news agencies. On the other hand, I'm pretty sure that Etchegaray — a Frenchman, I believe — was the guy photographed holding hands with Arafat.

Then there's this:

Bishops councils in France, Italy, Germany and the United States itself have warned of the consequences of a military strike.

The French bishops even demanded that the French government refuse to participate in a conflict.

"If there is a war, the refusal to participate by some western countries like ours would be very important to avoid a conflict that would be presented, by extremists in particular, as a 'clash of civilizations' or of religions," the French bishops said.

Is our religion the Truth, or is lefty tolerance and relativism the Truth, bishops? Trying times for a Catholic, indeed. I'm very grateful that I found my way to the Church two-plus years ago. Of course, God could have worked a miracle, in a sense, but I may very well have been so repulsed by this behavior, on top of last year's scandal, that I'd have remained twisting in the wind of doubt and unrequited longing, ripe picking for temptation and evil.

Tend to your flock, gentlemen, rather than seeking to foil the capture of wolves, large and small.

Posted by Justin Katz @ 10:21 AM EST

4 comments

The new "Truth" is that of the appeasers;the "peace at any price" Pope and his Red Hats. The Pope blessed Aziz and Iraq at their little get together in Rome. Has he blessed America lately,or is he too busy following the next death penalty case? He is good on details but missed the Sex Mess.

tonymixan @ 02/17/2003 12:05 PM EST

Tony,

As you've probably noticed in previous entries, I'm not ready to stick the Pope in among his more-vocal spokesmen. Something in the way in which the media is so careful to weave the Pope into league with his subordinates (if that's the right word) gives me pause.

I do, however, wish that the Pope were more inclined to speak for himself. In a way, given the field of possibilities (as it appears to the lay observer), I'm almost more worried that the next Pope will be.

Justin Katz @ 02/17/2003 12:14 PM EST

Justin,
I will take your heed. But I am at the boiling point with all this appeasement talk from the Vatican; how about some plain talk from the Holy Father?

tonymixan @ 02/17/2003 03:13 PM EST

I'm with ya, Tony. I guess, ultimately, we can only pray for something new to be said or to happen.

Justin Katz @ 02/17/2003 03:52 PM EST