Article

2007-11-30 Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Iran may play Pope card in the event of possible war with U.S.

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Posted by Delphi 2007-11-30 00:00|| || Front Page|| [7 views ] Top

#1 Not. Gonna. Happen.

They might get an envoy like the dupe Renato, and maybe a plea for peace and a condemnation of the strike, but thats about it.

Posted by OldSpook 2007-11-30 03:38|| 2007-11-30 03:38|| Front Page Top

#2 This pope doesn't seem that, ... naive. In fact, he seems like a hard ass and not someone you want to come to for protection after breaking the rules. That's a spanking.

Posted by DarthVader">DarthVader 2007-11-30 07:26|| 2007-11-30 07:26|| Front Page Top

#3 It's Pravda.

"They'll have an idea of when the 11th hour is coming."
I doubt it.

Posted by Darrell 2007-11-30 08:59|| 2007-11-30 08:59|| Front Page Top

#4 "The Iranians look to the Holy See with particular attention. It is born from our common religious matrix.

Anti-Israel and at least passively anti-semitic? Let's hope the Persians are wrong about that. They would have a sure bet with the Archbishop of Canterbury though so they might try him as well. In fact, I think the Archbishop could usefully be placed as a human shield somewhere combustible.

Posted by Excalibur 2007-11-30 09:44|| 2007-11-30 09:44|| Front Page Top

#5 Yep, it's Pravda. Unlike Playboy, you buy Pravda for the nekkid ladies ... and Bat Boy.

Posted by ed 2007-11-30 09:52|| 2007-11-30 09:52|| Front Page Top

#6 Anti-Israel and at least passively anti-semitic?

More likely that the Iranians are trying to use 1) the Vatican's long standing tradition of opposing war and, 2) their non-openly confrontational stance regarding Islam, to their advantage.

At this point, the Iranians are trying for any leverage they can get. And the Russians (and Chinese) are trying to help.

Posted by Pappy 2007-11-30 10:55|| 2007-11-30 10:55|| Front Page Top

#7 That'll be a short trick. The Pope don't draw a whole lotta water in the US anymore.

Posted by mojo">mojo 2007-11-30 11:08|| 2007-11-30 11:08|| Front Page Top

#8 I think the US military could take out the Pope fairly rapidly if it came to war. Heck, the Boy Scouts could take out the Papal States if given the order. Yeah the Swiss Guard are tough and all but the Boy Scouts are crafty and numberous.

Posted by rjschwarz 2007-11-30 11:23|| 2007-11-30 11:23|| Front Page Top

#9 "The Iranians look to the Holy See with particular attention. It is born from our common religious matrix. This could be utilized to offer ourselves as an intermediary if the crisis worsens."

I really have to wonder just how much those folks at the Vatican have thought through exactly what Islam entails. Seekingmuch less findingany commonality with a doctrine that looks to erase yours from the face of this earth seems foolish at best and more likely, just plain suicidal.

Posted by Zenster">Zenster 2007-11-30 12:09|| 2007-11-30 12:09|| Front Page Top

#10 You don't know much about how the Vatican works, or about the intellectual history of this pope, if you think "those folks at the Vatican" don't understand Islam.

Posted by lotp 2007-11-30 12:18|| 2007-11-30 12:18|| Front Page Top

#11 I agree w/mojo. Muzzies courting the pope will draw political traction w/the leftards to try & shame the religious right...."see, the pope's against bombing Iran so why are you for it...blah, blah". The whole stupid "what would jesus do" strawman bait and switch the left is big on now. Personally, I'd like to see the vatican go after islam/china/n.kor about the oppression of christians within their borders. Until that happens and is out front I have little interest on their stance on whether we whack tehran or not.

Posted by Broadhead6 2007-11-30 12:31|| 2007-11-30 12:31|| Front Page Top

#12 You don't know much about how the Vatican works, or about the intellectual history of this pope, if you think "those folks at the Vatican" don't understand Islam.

Then why are they spewing such transparent bullshit as a "common religious matrix"? If they know so much about Islam, they should already be well aware that there is no common ground to be had with an opponent who seeks only the Vatican's complete and total destruction.

Posted by Zenster">Zenster 2007-11-30 12:46|| 2007-11-30 12:46|| Front Page Top

#13 "common religious matrix" is a factual description of the shared geographical, cultural and historical origins of the 3 religions of the Book (judaism, christianity and islam).

Benedict is the spiritual leader of 1.1 billion people. He is a brilliant theologian who is deeply grounded in traditional Christian theology and has a long history of subtly using reason to undermine fuzzy thinking - his discussion groups among clergy were very influential in promoting traditional belief when he was younger. He thinks in terms of decades and centuries. He does not spout off in emotional response to today's news.

Moreover, in using that phrase he is calling Islam on one of its claims, namely to be the successor to Christianity. If the muslim scholars respond in dialog, he has laid the basis for years of slowly dismantling their own world view. If they don't he then gently chides them with their own claims.

Benedit plays chess - or Go. Don't be misled by a superficial reading of words combined with your own emotional responses and arrogance.

Posted by lotp 2007-11-30 13:12|| 2007-11-30 13:12|| Front Page Top

#14 Benedict is opening things that he can later use to show Islam is either A) lying or B) moving away from what shoudl be the core of all of the religions from the God of Abraham.

Draw them in, set them up, and give them no room to wiggle out. We Catholics have close to a couple thousand years dealing with these questions, and unliek the Muslims, we are allowed to apply REASON to things. Aquinas, Augustine, Willima of Ockham (Ockham's razor), and many others are the deep well we draw on.

The Muslims havent had an original thought since Saladin.

Posted by OldSpook 2007-11-30 13:37|| 2007-11-30 13:37|| Front Page Top

#15 Yup. And if ever there was a Pope whose training, innate skill and formidable intellect was up to the job, it's this one.

He also has to be a near-Machiavellian politician inside the Vatican bureaucracy, as well. This is not a job for off-the-cuff, self-appointed Experts in Jammies. It's serious business and he is treating it accordingly.

Posted by lotp 2007-11-30 13:41|| 2007-11-30 13:41|| Front Page Top

#16 or maybe they will use the Gold Card.

Not a Catholic but support any who add to the glory of civilization. I thought that the response to the gaggle of 'scholars' was appropriate. So with that go Get'em Pope Benedict, checkmate their asses.

Posted by swksvolFF 2007-11-30 16:17|| 2007-11-30 16:17|| Front Page Top

#17 One other VERY important point : as a Cardinal, the present Pope was the head of the Vatican office on doctrine and heterodoxy - Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Most people would know this office by its old name : the Holy Roman Inquisition.

Posted by Shieldwolf 2007-11-30 17:46|| 2007-11-30 17:46|| Front Page Top

#18 See also LUCIANNE > TALKING WWIII, + THE YEAR OF GOVERNING DANGEROUSLY articles.

Posted by JosephMendiola 2007-11-30 19:44|| 2007-11-30 19:44|| Front Page Top

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