Pope And Bush: Not Always Sharing Values
Pope And Bush: Not Always Sharing Values
Former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican Jim Nicholson painted a moving picture of the relationship between the deceased Pope John Paul II and President Bush on Fox News Sunday:
Well, the last meeting I had with him was just a few weeks ago with my wife and I in his apartment when I was getting ready to leave Rome…And the discussion he wanted to have that morning with me was about President Bush, who he admired greatly for his value system… And I was able to tell him that we want to fulfill our number one goal of our foreign policy, which is to enhance human dignity worldwide, which is the same goal that he had.
Last summer, however, the Pope had some harsh words for President Bush on foreign policy and values. From the London Times:
In a Papal lecture far stronger and more stinging than the White House had expected, the Pope told Mr Bush during a meeting at the Vatican that without a commitment to “shared human values” the War on Terror was unwinnable.
And here’s Pope John Paul II on the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal:
“In the past few weeks other deplorable events have come to light which have troubled the civic and religious conscience of all, and made more difficult a serene and resolute commitment to shared human values: in the absence of such a commitment neither war nor terrorism will ever be overcome.”
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The cynical attempts by the President to attract Catholic voters should be part of any discussion regarding the relationship of Bush and Pope John Paul II.
For some of the details, see:
- “Is the Pope Catholic?”
- “Report Says Bush Sought Vatican Help”
- “Rhythm Methodist”
April 4th, 2005 at 10:51 amand vice versa–the RC needs the tithed dollars of its US congregation, given that so much of them already are paying for litigation settlements. But maybe that is part and parcel of “shared human values.”
April 4th, 2005 at 3:42 pmSpyder, dude, generally enjoy and am in agreement w/ your comments but you’re a bit off here.
1. RCs don’t tithe. The contribution system is different but entirely voluntary. So for both general budget and quasi-political action purposes, there’s no fixed predictable income based on membership. Which brings us to
2. If you were following the lawsuits, you’d notice that each Diocese pays for it’s own. In others, a Catholic in the Philadelphia diocese contibutes nothing towards any settlement to a (former?) parishioner in the Boston diocese. & vice versa.
Okay? So if you’re suggesting we “follow the money,” let’s get the money trails straight.
I think your point was more about the general credibility of American Catholic leadership, given both the sexual abuse scandals and–let’s just say this–their campaign against Kerry.
These are both valid criticisms. But the general claim Jon’s making strikes me as correct.
For one thing, Catholicism strongly emphasizes works–deeds–and not just the profession of faith. Back to part of the original theological break, right? The born-againers (if I may) sometimes strike the RCs as overly smug and convinced of their own salvation. Not doing anything to earn it besides professing JC.
Likewise, as Jon and others have pointed out, the Pope and the Church under his leadership have been both strongly anti-war and–wait for–anti-death penalty.
Finally, Juan Cole offers an excellent discussion that parallels but not replicates Jon’s: The Other Pope.
April 4th, 2005 at 5:13 pmGREAT STUFF !!
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ORWELL IS CRINGING ABOUT BUSHco !!
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