Daily Ramblings:
Oh Mercy ...04/03/2005
03:44:07 pm
Lots of yammering by talking heads on how Pope
John Paul II was opposed to the war in Iraq. It was a
jarring position for the Vatican to take, of-course,
since they're usually such reliable cheerleaders for
armed conflict. Who can forget John XXIII's famous
words from the balcony about Vietnam: "I hope
that LBJ bombs the Vietcong back to the stone
age." And then there was the unforgettable Papal
encyclical from 1980, "Sino Afghanus Degusto
Plumbum, (Let The Afghans Taste Lead)."
Well ... a serious look at the record might note
that the Vatican did not take sides even in World War
II against the Nazis - a fact which many would
contend is to the Papacy's eternal shame. Others
would make a case for Pius XII's behind-the-scenes
work to save the lives of Jews. Right
Wing Bob is not the sufficient
historian to delve into that topic.
John Paul II's own words (as opposed to some more
specific criticisms from Vatican officials) were to
the effect that war always represents a failure for
humanity. Few would disagree with that sentiment,
even while facing the reality that humanity's fallen
nature means that force will continue to be used to
settle conflicts, and that there is a duty to defend
the innocent from the murderous intentions of the
wicked. Where the most recent conflict in Iraq falls
in that equation will continue to be debated by some,
but a President of the United States certainly does
not have the luxury of holding his head in his hands
and anguishing over just war doctrine, when the duty
of of the Federal government he leads is to provide
for the defense of the American people.
The Pope also said this in the run-up to 2003's war:
The political leaders of
Baghdad certainly have the urgent duty to
collaborate fully with the international
community to eliminate every reason for armed
intervention. To them I direct my urgent
appeal: the fate of your fellow-citizens
should always have priority.
In other words, he recognized that war was not
solely the choice of the coalition arrayed against
Saddam to make, but also Saddam's choice, in lieu
(apparently) of what Saddam regarded as the
too-humiliating concession of full cooperation with
the international community.
But I guess it's too much to expect this kind of
perspective from the likes of ABC's George
Stephanopoulos.
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