Pope Benedict
ROME (AP) – Pope Benedict XVI and Israeli President Shimon Peres discussed Middle East peace efforts on Thursday, with both sides saying the atmosphere was favorable for Israelis and Palestinians to work to end decades of conflict.
… Shortly after the meeting, Benedict held talks on the Middle East situation with the Saudi foreign minister, Prince Saud al-Faisal.
… The Vatican has been campaigning for countries like Saudi Arabia to give greater rights to Christian minorities.
Benedict raised a similar issue in his talks Wednesday with the Syrian vice president, Farouk al-Sharaa, the Vatican said.
Would that others could be as accommodating…or cordial.
It’s a shame this sort of thing goes without comment ~ people only seem to notice him when Islamic Rage Boys lose their ignorant, arsonist pea-brains over some obscure source he’s quoted.
In any event, that’s an amazing diplomatic visitors list for a 48 hour period. Someone needs to put this guy to work.
World Stuff | tree hugging sister | 
September 6, 2007 10:21 pm
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I seem to notice when he asks people to kiss up to muslims and not “offend” them by printing cartoons.
I seem to notice when he tried to harbor pedophiles and protect them from US law.
I seem to notice that he used to hate Jews when he supported their genocide as a Hitler youth.
Yeah, I’m not impressed.
Ya know, Mike ~ I get the whole atheist thing really. We all respect your viewpoint and choices. It’s a big tent here. What I DON’T get is this persistant, derogatory, angry eruption every frickin’ time someone says something regarding the Roman Catholic Church/Pope, whatever. It’s gets old, especially when you trot out piteous canards like Ratzinger’s Hitler youth membership. (Even radical Jewish sites point out that membership was COMPULSORY after 1941 ~ you would be hard pressed ~ I’ll say damn near impossible ~ to find a German citizen his age who DIDN’T have that card in his wallet at one time or another.) As for the rest, I’ll be back shortly when I’ve had my bowl of cereal and cooled down some.
All you have to do is tell me who else has had that parade of regional dignitaries meet him on his own turf in the space of two days. Be my frickin’ guest and THAT was the point of the post.
My comments had nothing to do with atheism. I’m pretty sure they would be agreed to by many a person from any denomination and even a lot of Catholics. Or they should, anyway.
You’re right, the Hitler youth thing is a bit of a low blow, but it’s a fun one! Children are excused from many moral lapses, and in fact I admit that turning oneself around after that upbringing is probably harder than most people have to endure.
But shielding pedophiles isn’t much of an indication that he did so.
Nor is his abnegation of the just war theory and failure to understand that Islamic terrorism can only be countered in one way successfully, and that is by using force.
As for your point that he met with a lot of dignitaries, it’s not necessarily an indication of his personal skills or his personal dedication as it is a function of his office. You could put anyone in the papacy, say a pedophile-protecting, terrorist apologist, former Hitler youth and still get people to pay attention to the Pope as though he had some moral authority. Oops. They already did that, didn’t they?
Yeah, and I put the Hitler youth thing in again, but it was fun, wasn’t it?
🙂
But if it offends you so, I promise not to point out his moral vacuacy anymore, because I admire you so much! And I like your blog.
God, you make my teeth hurt…
🙂