Pope will not attend his own White House dinner.
Pope will not attend his own White House dinner.
Raw Story reports, “The White House has scheduled a dinner next week in honor of Pope Benedict XVI’s first visit to the United States, but one guest will be conspicuously absent from the proceedings: the pope himself. There are no competing events listed on the pope’s schedule, and the White House was unable to explain Benedict’s absence from the dinner.” During Friday’s White House press briefing, press spokesman Scott Stanzel was stumped in explaining why the Pope would not attend:
Q: I’m sorry, the Pope doesn’t attend a dinner in his honor?
MR. STANZEL: No.
Q: How does that work?
MR. STANZEL: He doesn’t come into the building.
Q: But then it’s not a dinner for the Pope, is it?
MR. STANZEL: It’s in honor of his visit. There will be leaders from the Catholic community from all over the country who are in town for that visit.
Q: Is there a reason the Pope doesn’t attend the dinner?
MR. STANZEL: I don’t know. I don’t have the full extent of his schedule.
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The bubble where this criminal administration lives is getting smaller by the minute. Bush and Chenney & Co. are alone! No one likes to be lied to! No one likes War Criminals and War Crimes! No one likes War! No one likes terrorist who call themselves ‘promoters of Freedom and Democracy’! And Dr. Rice, no one likes Torture!
April 12th, 2008 at 11:36 pmTypo!
“Poop will not attend his own White House dinner”.
April 12th, 2008 at 11:56 pmOh gee….the Pope is smart enough not to be seen in the presence of the POTUS. Wow, that must smart.
April 12th, 2008 at 11:58 pmThe answer to this is simple: The pope, as a matter of papal protocol, does not eat in public view. No more to the story than that.
April 13th, 2008 at 12:29 amThe pope ditches the idiot President. Priceless. That should be a clue to Bush.
April 13th, 2008 at 12:31 ammtclax Says:
April 13th, 2008 at 12:29 am
The answer to this is simple: The pope, as a matter of papal protocol, does not eat in public view. No more to the story than that
wouldn’t you love to believe that.
April 13th, 2008 at 12:35 amWell, maybe the Pope doesn’t want to be honored by a WAR CRIMINAL, that tortures, and has been responsible for the slaughter of thousands upon thousands of Iraqis. Sorta like the reason that leaders are not going to the Olympic opening.
You, Bush and Cheney are WAR CRIMINALS.
April 13th, 2008 at 1:17 amYou know it’s bad when an alleged Nazi sympathizer is too disgusted to want to eat around BushCo.
PEACE
April 13th, 2008 at 1:43 amMaybe it is the “new” sins that came out in March.
1.) genetic modification
2.) carrying out experiments on humans
3.) polluting the environment
4.) causing social injustice
5.) causing poverty
6.) becoming obscenely wealthy
7.) taking drugs
Notice that Bush is guilty of 5 of them.
April 13th, 2008 at 1:48 amlurker Says:
April 13th, 2008 at 1:48 am
Maybe it is the “new” sins that came out in March.
1.) genetic modification
2.) carrying out experiments on humans
Notice that Bush is guilty of 5 of them.
I’d argue that his support of “enhanced interogation techniques” would make him guilty of #2 also. So that’s a score of 6 out of 7, probably the best scoring Bush has ever gotten on a test!
PEACE
April 13th, 2008 at 2:15 amSpencers mom
April 13th, 2008 at 2:22 amI stand corrected
The Pope has realized that he is going to need a lot more than a fancy title and a crucifix to deal with the demon that is Dubya.
He’s OK with the sex abuse scandals by all of those creepy priests but he apparently draws the line at psycho nutjobs.
Go, Pope, Go!
April 13th, 2008 at 2:23 amEven this reactionary Pope hates Bush. That says alot.
April 13th, 2008 at 2:30 amFrank. So nice to see you again. I left for a few minutes last night and when I came back all hell was breaking loose.
All the best!
April 13th, 2008 at 2:37 amMy guess: the Pope just thinks Bush is an A55HOLE.
Which he is.
April 13th, 2008 at 3:07 amI “Raq” my brain trying to figure out why the pope won’t attend.
April 13th, 2008 at 3:11 amNow, the Pope will be declared a terrorist. Next target is The Vatican (or is it Iran?). St. Paul’s is such a lovely building, are the pyramids next, the Spinx?
April 13th, 2008 at 4:18 amNow, the Pope will be declared a terrorist.
The new math:
Pope = hate-filled left wing Dimocrat Lib’rul = George Soros/Al Gore/MoveOn.org = terrorist
April 13th, 2008 at 5:53 amQ: Is there a reason the Pope doesn’t attend the dinner?
Mr. Stanzel was just too polite to give the real answer. It is simply against the Pope’s religion to attend a dinner with a war criminal.
April 13th, 2008 at 7:35 amDidn’t The Pope greet Bush with a rather cold and distant demenor when he went to Rome last year? I thought I read an account of that occurring.
April 13th, 2008 at 8:14 amMaybe it’s sort of like protesting China’s human rights record by not attending the opening ceremonies at the Beijing Olympic Games.
April 13th, 2008 at 8:33 amMaybe the Pope’s running for re-election?
April 13th, 2008 at 8:35 amHave you ever seen the number of bacon double cheeseburger and SlimJim wrappers that are crammed under the seats of the Popemobile? The dude just isn’t hungry
April 13th, 2008 at 9:06 amPfffft. They BOTH exude the stench of sulphur.
April 13th, 2008 at 9:11 amPopes ok with Hitler but they hate Bush.
April 13th, 2008 at 9:11 amThe incompetence of the White House apparently extends even to scheduling dinners with foreign heads of state. Mission Accomplished scheduling office, you’re doing one heckuva job.
April 13th, 2008 at 9:38 ammtclax Says:
April 13th, 2008 at 12:29 am
The answer to this is simple: The pope, as a matter of papal protocol, does not eat in public view. No more to the story than that.
And the Bush administration is again shown to be culturally clueless about anything outside their “bubble,” just as they were totally in the dark about the aftermath of the invasion of Iraq.
April 13th, 2008 at 9:51 amI love this. I’ve been waiting 7 for the shunning to begin. My next hope is to have the beast indicted as the war criminal that he is.
April 13th, 2008 at 10:57 am>The pope, as a matter of papal protocol, does not eat in >public view
question one: got any cite for that assertion?
question two: do you think a whitehouse dinner is “in public view”?
question three: why does the pope have nipples?
April 13th, 2008 at 11:08 amHas the “journalist” B.O. chimed in yet?
Be Bill O’Rielly claims the Pope hates “freedom”…
April 13th, 2008 at 11:39 amI was so-so about Pope Benedict; it is very hard to fill the shoes of John Paul.
I like this Pope.
April 13th, 2008 at 11:39 ama) The menu featured the usual Cheney fare: Iraqi liver en brochette, which is counter to papal protocol - not because its human flesh, but because it may be Muslim.
b) Popey had nothing to wear.
c) John Hagee was scheduled to give the blessing.
d) I hear Trent Lott’s dying to go; apparently, he ain’t had a decent meal in years.
April 13th, 2008 at 11:50 amI agree…….
April 13th, 2008 at 11:50 amwasnt convinced about this Pope..
His standing has shot up dramatically with this no show
bravo!!
In response to some of the ignorant statements posted above, there is such a thing as Papal protocol. If people would check it out before posting, they would know that no pope in modern times has ever been seen at a public dinner event. Does the Pope invite people to dine with him in Rome? Yes he does, frequently. But no pictures are ever published of those meals. It simply is not done. Period. End of discussion.
The other point of ignorance that is being pushed around is Joseph Ratzinger’s involvement with Hitler Youth in his native Germany during the Second World War. People who know the history of Germany during that period, know that all youth were automatically enrolled in Hitler Youth when they reach a certain age. It was not a matter of choice. If you check rather than rushing to judgement, you will discover that Ratzinger deserted the first chance he had and never served with them anywhere. End of discussion.
April 13th, 2008 at 12:04 pmMaybe he just didn’t have any cool conical hats to match the robes he had already packed
April 13th, 2008 at 12:15 pmWell isn’t it just amazing that the Bush White House is not aware of this Papal Protocol?
Once again their extreme ignorance has put them in a bad light.
They were dumb enough to invite the Pope to a dinner? What idiots.
April 13th, 2008 at 1:37 pmThe “higher father” must not be talking to George any more.
April 13th, 2008 at 1:41 pmMore on Papal Protocol from Dallas Morning News’s Bruce Tomaso:
http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/ archives/ 2008/ 04/ popes-typically-do-not-attend.html
A few readers have commented on an item, posted yesterday, saying Pope Benedict XVI will not attend a White House dinner being held this week in his honor. The item suggested that maybe the pope was snubbing President Bush, whose policies, especially in Iraq, have been opposed by the church. But the readers note that the pope’s decining the invitation is in keeping with papal custom.
One reader cited “Whispers in the Loggia,” Rocco Palmo’s fine blog on matters related to the Vatican. It said papal protocol “shies away from the Pope eating in public view (aside, of course, from the Eucharist).” It added that “the precedent of his predecessors” has been to decline “the lavish expense of state banquets in their travels.”
I would say two things in response:
1. Perhaps White House spokesman Scott Stanzel should have known this when he was asked by reporters why the pope wasn’t going to attend a dinner being thrown in his honor, and his response was: “I don’t know. I don’t have the full extent of his schedule.”
2. There is nothing that would prevent the pope from breaking with precedent if he so chose. Lord knows his predecessor broke plenty of them.
April 13th, 2008 at 1:52 pmNot a “Public” dinner. DUH
April 13th, 2008 at 2:08 pmThe Pope won’t be attending the dinner because the Pope does not support the war in Iraq and the boy Bush does. This presents a huge ethical and moral difference between the leader of the Catholic Church and the “Decider-in-Chief”.
April 13th, 2008 at 2:15 pmI wouldn’t sit down at the same table and break bread with the chimp either.
Some of us still have a little pride.
April 13th, 2008 at 2:20 pmWhy not? After all, this pope at one stage were the NAZI uniform. Now he lives in the Vatican crossdressed as pope…
April 13th, 2008 at 2:36 pmYou papal proctocal is a bunch of crap:
http://www.cnn.com/ 2008/ POLITICS/ 04/ 13/ pope.visit.ap/ index.html
“The evening festivities will mark the first time the Bushes have put on a high-profile meal in honor of someone who isn’t even a guest. Wednesday is the pontiff’s 81st birthday, and the menu celebrates his German heritage with Bavarian-style food.
But Benedict’s prayer service that evening with U.S. bishops at a famed Washington basilica preclude him from coming to the dinner, according to the White House. Catholic leaders will be there instead.”
…
i.e. “schedueling conflicts” the same reason almost none of the republican candidates ever show up to minority sponsored debates..
April 13th, 2008 at 4:25 pmIf the popes dont eat in public, I guess a plane filled with 54 reporters must be “private”…
http://www.time.com/ time/ magazine/ article/ 0,9171,946213-3,00.html
http://www.time.com/ time/ magazine/ article/ 0,9171,946213-4,00.html
“54 cameramen and reporters, including TIME’S Wilton Wynn, rode in the third section. “…”Later in the flight, the Pope dined on lobster, ham, veal in wine, cheese, chestnut tart, fresh fruit and selected Italian wines, the same menu that the other travelers enjoyed. “
April 13th, 2008 at 4:33 pmhttp://www.fco.cat/ files/ imatges/ Butlleti%2022/ Time.pdf
pope dining with a dissident “defrocked” catholic theologian who denied the infallibility of the papacy..
April 13th, 2008 at 4:35 pmhttp://members.cox.net/ a-gcarter/ dinner_at_hotel_columbus_where_t.htm
a public resturant where the pope ate before..
April 13th, 2008 at 4:37 pmpope each lunch in a cafteria, which we all know are more exclusive than country clubs…
http://www.dallasnews.com/ sharedcontent/ dws/ news/ longterm/ stories/ close_to_home.5f10ac9b.html
“His accommodations are pleasant. The headquarters’ first floor has a tranquil garden courtyard with a fountain and begonias, a hotel and a tourist information center. Upstairs are offices, a chapel and a large kitchen and cafeteria, where the pope ate lunch during a visit a few years ago. And the rooftop patio offers a panoramic view of imposing St. Peter’s Basilica and other Roman landmarks. “
April 13th, 2008 at 4:41 pmmaybe the easier answer is that he just doesnt want to be seen with the new butcher of baghdad..
April 13th, 2008 at 4:43 pmWouldn’t it be great to catch the Pope playing golf while the dinner was going on?
April 13th, 2008 at 5:29 pmOK so the Pope can’t make it but Osama bin Ladin is free.
April 13th, 2008 at 6:20 pmWaltTheMan Says:
April 13th, 2008 at 4:18 am
Now, the Pope will be declared a terrorist. Next target is The Vatican (or is it Iran?). St. Paul’s is such a lovely building, are the pyramids next, the Spinx?
———————
The Spinx?
Leon or Michael?
April 13th, 2008 at 6:39 pmChocolate Jesus, chill out. Go hang with Nougat Buddha.
April 13th, 2008 at 7:09 pm:-PP
:-PP
Right on, ChocoJesus. I love a good papal debunking.
April 13th, 2008 at 8:45 pmI cannot stand Benedict XVI, whom I call Maledict I. But he is not entirely without principle (and he isn’t a Nazi sympathizer - he’s just a reactionary). And I believe he just considers Bush a piece of trash and does not wish to be used to legitimize.
Like his predecessor, he is VERY opposed to this war.
April 13th, 2008 at 9:38 pm>Right on, ChocoJesus. I love a good
>papal debunking.
Thanks, its hilarous to watch these people obfuscate and just generally, lets face it, these days, Bush is about as welcome a dinner guest as Idi Amin..
April 13th, 2008 at 10:45 pmSo the pope has never eaten jesus’s flesh and drank his blood
at mass?
Later in the flight, the Pope dined on lobster, ham, veal in wine, cheese, chestnut tart, fresh fruit and selected Italian wines. Then he goes to some poor country where he lets them
April 14th, 2008 at 2:40 amkiss his ring and maybe taste some lobster juice.
Maybe the pope is listening to Chavez and doesn’t want to have dinner in the house of “the devil” ..
April 14th, 2008 at 9:13 amthe Pope is concerned for his security and rightly so , since bush has a history of fondling and groping dignitaries , like Merkel from Germany .
April 14th, 2008 at 7:49 pm