Pope makes Easter pleas for Mideast peace

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

By FRANCES D'EMILIO

VATICAN CITY (AP) - Pope Francis delivered a plea for peace in his first Easter Sunday message to the world, decrying seemingly endless conflicts in the Middle East and on the Korean peninsula after celebrating Mass along with more than 250,000 people in flower-bedecked St. Peter's Square.

Francis shared in his flock's exuberance as they celebrated Christianity's core belief that Jesus Christ rose from the dead following crucifixion. After Mass, he stepped aboard an open-topped white popemobile for a cheerful spin through the joyous crowd, kissing babies and patting children on the head.

One admirer of both the pope and of the pope's favorite soccer team, Argentina's Saints of San Lorenzo, insisted that Francis take a team jersey he was waving at the pontiff. A delighted Francis obliged, briefly holding up the shirt, and the crowd roared in approval.

Francis has repeatedly put concern for the poor and suffering at the center of his messages, and he pursued his promotion of the causes of peace and social justice in the Easter speech delivered from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, the same place from where he was introduced to the world as the first Latin American pope on March 13, shortly after his election.

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20130331/DA5C3NQO1.html

---

Pope Francis, holding the pastoral staff, celebrates the Easter mass in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Sunday, March 31, 2013. "Our daily problems and worries can wrap us up in ourselves, in sadness and bitterness, and that is where death is," he said. "Let the risen Jesus enter your life, welcome him as a friend, with trust: he is life!" said Pope Francis during the Easter vigil. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

[DavidDvorkin]

1. Well, that should solve the problem

All those Jews and Moslems will instantly make peace with each other.

[Katashi_itto]

2. So he shouldn't say anything? or how about:

"Hey guys it's cool, go ahead and keep killing each other?"

Would that make you happier?

[DavidDvorkin]

3. He's irrelevant

No, he shouldn't say anything. He's adopting an unwarranted pose of moral authority.

[Katashi_itto]

4. He's the spiritual leader of over a billion people. Yep very irrelevant...

If he suddenly came out in favor of something like gay marriage, would you say the same thing?

[DavidDvorkin]

5. He is irrelevant to Jews and Moslems and their Middle East conflict

I alluded to that in my post.

He is, unfortunately, relevant to gay marriage because of the political impact such a statement would have in the US and some other countries.

[Katashi_itto]

7. Again, I refer back to my original response...

[ucrdem]

6. So the pope has a favorite soccer team:

"One admirer of both the pope and of the pope's favorite soccer team, Argentina's Saints of San Lorenzo, insisted that Francis take a team jersey he was waving at the pontiff.

"A delighted Francis obliged, briefly holding up the shirt, and the crowd roared in approval. "

I'm thinking Francis may have picked up a few pointers from Joe.