Maybe we should BLAST the Pope with email requesting that he

[burn the bush]

do his job and make a very strong statement about this war being wrong. That would make at least the Catholics take notice. Is that a stupid idea?

[DemBones DemBones]

1. He already has said the war is wrong. nt

[AwakeAtLast]

2. I think any religious leader worth their salt

would be doing this. Some are, and they are being heard. Of course there needs to be more!

[Squatch]

3. Um...the Pope and Catholic church officially and fundamentaly

oppose this and all war

[burn the bush]

5. but can't he stand up and demand an end to it or something.

I mean of course he is against all wars. These psuedo Christians in the shrub camp should believe the same. But can't he stand up and make a big stink about it? I would think that if he is going to make any huge contribution in his life time that it would be a good thing to stand up and make a huge stink about this war. The world is in serious trouble and I think he should be raising hell with every wheezy breath he has left.

[Squatch]

6. He's 80-something years old. He can't stand for anything

without help. :evilgrin:

[Book Lover]

8. That is actually not true

The Catholic Church created and supports a just war doctrine.

[Squatch]

12. Hell's bells...live and learn. Thanks for the info (link inside)

http://www.catholic.com/library/Just_war_Doctrine_1.asp

[Book Lover]

15. Thank you for the link

Good to know others continue to shore up my deficiencies ;-)

[ieoeja]

4. He's been EXTREMELY vocal about his opposition.

He has ben more vocal about this than anything else the past year. It just hasn't gotten that much press.

[Selatius]

9. You can blame that on the corporate news media in this country

[louis-t]

13. You're right, very limited coverage

I have fundie relatives that say "the pope really, really likes * and that's good enough for me". I try not to eat before subjecting myself to this.

[Book Lover]

7. While I am uncomfortable

supporting this pope in most things, he has spoken loud and forcefully; it's just that no one is listening. Also, I cannot imagine that an avalanche of emails would move him one way or another in the slightest.

[TwilightZone]

10. Well, considering that he makes statements like that all of the time,

I'm not sure what your point is.

[Cyrano]

11. No, it's not a stupid idea.

I don't remember which would-be conquerer who asked, "How many legions does the Pope have?"

But moral authority, in the person of the Pope, doesn't require legions. Although we may differ with the Pope on abortion and other issues, I believe that a strong (and very loud and public) condemnation from him about our involvement in Iraq would carry tremendous weight.

And for those who disagree that the Pope's condemnation of the Iraq "war" wouldn't carry any significance, I defy you to stand up for his position on abortion.

(Full disclosure: I am not a Catholic. I am a devout agnostic. However, I refuse to be a hypocrite. If you are Catholic and anti-abortion, let's hear you're defense of Abu Ghraib.)

[readmylips]

14. American Catholics, like American Christians are not real....

Catholics. Catholics in the US do whatever the hell they please. Christians in the US only hunger for power. They are all hypocrites.

[Barney Rocks]

16. he has done so--several times and quite strongly.

he has already said what needs to be said--no need to BLAST him--he is an old, sick man. does he even "do" e-mail? pretty cool to e-mail the pope--but I bet it would only get to some flunky.

The problem is that American Catholics do not listen to the pope anyway. Sometimes this is annoying (on the war because he is on OUR side) but sometimes it is good (on abortion--where if Catholics listened to him they would abandon a cause many of us hold dear--a woman's right to choose).