On Christmas, Pope Urges End to Wars

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Wakka

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On Christmas, Pope Urges End to WarsOn Christmas, Pope Benedict Urges Leaders to Find Courage to End Wars in Darfur, Iraq, Congo
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By NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press WriterVATICAN CITY Dec 25, 2007 (AP)Pope Benedict XVI issued a Christmas Day appeal Tuesday to political leaders around the globe to find the "wisdom and courage" to end bloody conflicts in Darfur, Iraq, Afghanistan and Congo.Benedict delivered his traditional "Urbi et Orbi" speech Latin for "to the city and to the world" from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, blessing thousands of people gathered in the square below under a brilliant winter sun.Wearing gold-embroidered vestments and a bejeweled bishops' hat, or miter, Benedict urged the crowd to rejoice over the celebration of Jesus Christ's birth, which he said he hoped would bring consolation to all people "who live in the darkness of poverty, injustice and war."He mentioned in particular those living in the "tortured regions" of Darfur, Somalia, northern Congo, the Eritrea-Ethiopia border, Iraq, Lebanon, Israel and the Palestinian territories, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Balkans."May the child Jesus bring relief to those who are suffering and may he bestow upon political leaders the wisdom and courage to seek and find humane, just and lasting solutions," he said.Beyond those conflicts, Benedict said he was turning his thoughts this Christmas to victims of other injustices, citing women, children and the elderly, as well as refugees and victims of environmental disasters and religious and ethnic tensions.He said he hoped Christmas would bring consolation to "those who are still denied their legitimate aspirations for a more secure existence, for health, education, stable employment, for fuller participation in civil and political responsibilities, free from oppression and protected from conditions that offend human dignity."Such injustices and discrimination are destroying the internal fabric of many countries and souring international relations, he said.In a nod to his engagement with environmental concerns, the pontiff also noted that the number of migrants and displaced people was increasing around the globe because of "frequent natural disasters, often caused by environmental upheavals."The pontiff delivered his message just hours after celebrating Midnight Mass in St. Peter's Basilica.Benedict followed his speech with his traditional Christmas Day greetings this year delivered in 63 different languages, including Mongolian, Finnish, Arabic, Hebrew, Swahili, Burmese, and in a new entry for 2007, Guarani, a South American Indian language.As he finished, the bells of St. Peter's tolled and the Vatican's brightly outfitted Swiss Guards stood at attention as a band played and a crowd numbering in the tens of thousands waved national flags and cheered.Source: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=4049552Doesn't revelation describe the Antichrist to declare peace for 7 years (something like that?)I'm not directly calling the Pope the Antichrist, just saying that this is kind of coincidental.
 

Peacebewithyou

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Doesn't revelation describe the Antichrist to declare peace for 7 years (something like that?)I'm not directly calling the Pope the Antichrist, just saying that this is kind of coincidental.
The Pope wasn't "declaring" peace - obviously he doesn't have the power to do so. He was urging people - especially those in leadership, to seek peaceful resolutions to their problems. What message would you expect from the Chrisitan leader of over 1 Billion people on Christmas Day, other than that of Peace?After all, it is the Price of Peace whom we celebrate on this day.
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BernieEOD

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Peace for the sake of peace is not Biblical. Shall we renounce CHrists and embrace the secualr ways of the world if it leads to peace? World peace will actually be the entire world united in war against God.
 

Peacebewithyou

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Peace for the sake of peace is not Biblical. Shall we renounce CHrists and embrace the secualr ways of the world if it leads to peace? World peace will actually be the entire world united in war against God.
Where do you read the Pope encouraging us to "emrace the secular ways of the world?" Quite the opposite, he said.. "May the child Jesus bring relief to those who are suffering and may he bestow upon political leaders the wisdom and courage to seek and find humane, just and lasting solutions," he said.True peace comes only from Jesus. We are called to be his peacemakers on earth: Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.There is a song we sing at Chruch that I love.. the lyrics are "Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me..."
 

Wakka

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Yes, well, not all people who want peace are children of God. They must know God first
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.Obviously.
 

BernieEOD

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Where do you read the Pope encouraging us to "emrace the secular ways of the world?" Quite the opposite, he said.. "May the child Jesus bring relief to those who are suffering and may he bestow upon political leaders the wisdom and courage to seek and find humane, just and lasting solutions," he said.True peace comes only from Jesus. We are called to be his peacemakers on earth: Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.There is a song we sing at Chruch that I love.. the lyrics are "Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me..."
Christ NEVER called upon the world leaders to make peace. Quite to the contrary, he preached "No servant is greater than his master, the world hated me, the world will hate you." He also warned "Do not think that I have come to bring peace, I come to turn a servant against his master, a son against his father" . Christ had nothing to say to the leaders of this world other than "You would have no such power unless it were given from above".And then we have the Pope himself. He is just another man, nothing more.I do not aknowlege his power or position. The Catholic Church is nothing more than a Christian version of the Jewish Sanhedrin. Only instead of Scribes, they have Bishops, instead of Pharasees, thay have Cardinals.And shall we discuss what Christ had to say to them?
 

Sibotash

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Personally I think the Christian world shouldn't pay too much attention to someone who enrolled in Hitler's army and worked for a few months in a concentration camp as a guard.
 

Peacebewithyou

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Personally I think the Christian world shouldn't pay too much attention to someone who enrolled in Hitler's army and worked for a few months in a concentration camp as a guard.
Not quite:Joseph Ratzinger has explained that his membership in the Hitler Youth was mandatory — it wasn’t his personal choice to join and he certainly didn’t join out of any personal conviction that the Nazis were right. Despite being a member, he refused to attend any meetings. Attendance would have reduced the cost of his schooling at the seminary, yet this did not deter him. According to Joseph Ratzinger, it was impossible to resist the Nazis. Being so young, it wasn’t plausible for him to do anything against the Nazis and the atrocities they were committing. Nevertheless, the Ratzinger family did object to the Nazis and as a consequence were forced to move four times. It’s not as though they passively and quietly accepted what is going on, as many other families did. Joseph Ratzinger was a member of an anti-aircraft unit protecting a BMW factory that used slave labor from the Dachau concentration camp to make aircraft engines, but he was drafted into the military and didn’t have any choice in the matter. In fact, Ratzinger also says that he never fired a shot and never participated in any combat. Later he was transferred to a unit in Hungary where he set up tank traps and watched as Jews were rounded up for transport to death camps. Eventually he deserted and became a prisoner of war. There is absolutely no reason to think that Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, is now or has ever been secretly a Nazi. Nothing he has ever said or done even remotely suggests the slightest sympathy with any of the basic Nazi ideas or goals. Any claim that he is a Nazi is implausible at best. Ratzinger was a teenager when all of this was going on. I suppose it could be said that he should've run off sooner - or stood up to the Nazis and gotten shot - those would have been the more noble things to do. It's difficult to say what any of us would have done as very young adults during those horrible years. Hindsight is always 20/20. And from the comfort of your home in front of your computer screen without a gun pointed at your head or your mother's head - being noble comes easy doesn't it?
 

Peacebewithyou

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Christ NEVER called upon the world leaders to make peace. ?
Sorry Bernie - you are wrong. Jesus had this to say: "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God." Do you think Jesus meant that for only some people? I don't read where he said, "except for those in leadership!" I can't believe you fault the Pope for encouraging people to find peaceful solutions to their problems. What message would you prefer? Drop bombs on mothers and children? I suppose if you have a "problem" with the Pope's message of Peace, you'd also find fault with this beautiful prayer? Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.Where there is hatred, let me sow love;where there is injury, pardon;where there is doubt, faith;where there is despair, hope;where there is darkness, light;and where there is sadness, joy.O, Divine Master,grant that I may not so much seekto be consoled as to console;to be understood as to understand;to be loved as to love;for it is in giving that we receive;it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life ~St. Francis
 

Sibotash

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Well many youths felt compelled to join Hitler's army BUT many young men from his (Ratzinger's) hometown refused to do so and, guess what, nothing happened to them. He couls have been a "passive" member (like you say, he apparently didn't attend their meetings, tho I'm not aware of this). But actually choosing to work as a guard at a concentration camp says a lot more about where he stood at the time. Apparently he didn't kill any Jew, just keeping guard to make sure that none escaped. His brother was also a Hitler's soldier. To me, this is a sign of a man who never ever ever should have been allowed to become pope. When he was elected, the media in Italy were "silenced" by the Vatican, who didn't want them to mention his nazi past.
 

Peacebewithyou

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Well many youths felt compelled to join Hitler's army BUT many young men from his (Ratzinger's) hometown refused to do so and, guess what, nothing happened to them. He couls have been a "passive" member (like you say, he apparently didn't attend their meetings, tho I'm not aware of this). But actually choosing to work as a guard at a concentration camp says a lot more about where he stood at the time. Apparently he didn't kill any Jew, just keeping guard to make sure that none escaped. His brother was also a Hitler's soldier. To me, this is a sign of a man who never ever ever should have been allowed to become pope. When he was elected, the media in Italy were "silenced" by the Vatican, who didn't want them to mention his nazi past.
Where is the proof that "many men from his hometown refused and nothing happened?" That's amusing. It's not like the Nazi's took "no" for an answer.Where is your proof that the Italian media was "silenced?" His past is not hid at all. It's a part of his biography. It's all over the internet. Do you honestly think something like that could be kept a secret? How stupid do you take people for? But besides that, don't you believe that God forgives? Who are YOU to hold someone to a higher standard than God holds you?You said: To me, this is a sign of a man who never ever ever should have been allowed to become pope.Really? Paul killed Christians, yet God used him. I guess God doesn't think like YOU do.
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crooner

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God cleanesed Paul with fire before he used him! But your right Look at king david!!!
 

Peacebewithyou

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God cleanesed Paul with fire before he used him! But your right Look at king david!!!
:amen:If God only uses those who never sin - or make terrible judgements / mistakes - especially as teenagers .... who could stand? Let He who is without sin cast the first stone.
 

Sibotash

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If you ask anyone in Italy (where I'm originally from, Rome to be precise), NOBODY knows about the Pope's nazi past as it was not printed on ANY newspaper or magazine or mentioned in any news programmes etc. Growing up in Rome, I have seen how the Vatican exerts a strong influence on local and national politics, including the media. (for example, a friend of mine, once married with a Catholic ceremony, and after consuming his marriage, paid the Vatican £10,000 about twenty years ago to have his marriage nullified so he could remarry in Church. Funny how money opens a few doors at the Vatican!). As for the pope having no choice about Hitler's army, in the Sunday Times' magazine I have read interviews to his fellow citizens from his hometown who described the young Ratzinger brothers as fervent nazi fans. These same people didn't enroll in Hitler's army and they and their families were just fine. I've had enough of ex nazis saying they were just obeying orders. This, according to them and to you, justifies hystory's most shameful massacre.
 

Peacebewithyou

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This, according to them and to you, justifies hystory's most shameful massacre.
There is NOTHING that can justify what happened to those Jews. Nothing. But as I said, God can forgive even the most heinous of crimes.
 

Peacebewithyou

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Sibotash;28223] (for example said:
This makes no sense. Divorced Catholics have their marriages nullified all the time. There is a procedure for having this done, and yes.. there is a small fee for the paperwork but if anyone cannot pay, the parish foots the bill. It is no where close to 10,000 pounds. That is ridiculous. You either misunderstood your friend or he was lying.
 

Letsgofishing

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Were sorry Wacca next time we'll have the pope teach war and desruction.
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geezyour brother in christRyan Fitz
 

BernieEOD

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Sorry Bernie - you are wrong. Jesus had this to say: "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God." Do you think Jesus meant that for only some people? I don't read where he said, "except for those in leadership!" I can't believe you fault the Pope for encouraging people to find peaceful solutions to their problems. What message would you prefer? Drop bombs on mothers and children? I suppose if you have a "problem" with the Pope's message of Peace, you'd also find fault with this beautiful prayer? Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.Where there is hatred, let me sow love;where there is injury, pardon;where there is doubt, faith;where there is despair, hope;where there is darkness, light;and where there is sadness, joy.O, Divine Master,grant that I may not so much seekto be consoled as to console;to be understood as to understand;to be loved as to love;for it is in giving that we receive;it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life ~St. Francis
1) I don't consider the Pope to be anyone special, he is the leader of just another religious organization.2) "Peace" is a relative term. Should we withdraw from Iraq in order to bring peace or should the Iraqis burn their Quarans and adopt out drugs, gangs, teen sex, and abortions?All too often, our version of peacmaking consists of disarming one side in order so that the other side can kill them off quickly and cleanly. Christ will bring peace, not the Pope, neocon christians with thier gospel of bombs & bullets, nor the UN with their agenda.
 

Wakka

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The Pope isn't exactly Christian himself. Sure he proclaims himself a leader of "the one true church". There is way too much hypocrisy and blasphemy.