Vatican: 100,000 answer pope’s call, fill St. Peter’s Square for Syria peace vigil

[Jesus Malverde]

Source: Washington Post

Tens of thousands of people filled St. Peter’s Square for a four-hour Syria peace vigil late Saturday, answering Pope Francis’ call for a grassroots cry for peace that was echoed by Christians and non-Christians alike in Syria and in vigils around the world.

The Vatican estimated about 100,000 took part, making it one of the largest rallies in the West against proposed U.S.-led military action against the Syrian regime following the Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack near Damascus.

Francis spent most of the vigil in silent prayer, but during his speech he issued a heartfelt plea for peace, denouncing those who are “captivated by the idols of dominion and power” and destroy God’s creation through war.

“This evening, I ask the Lord that we Christians, and our brothers and sisters of other religions and every man and woman of good will, cry out forcefully: Violence and war are never the way to peace!” he said.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/tens-of-thousands-answer-popes-call-fill-st-peters-for-syria-peace-vigil/2013/09/07/03d0accc-17e3-11e3-961c-f22d3aaf19ab_story.html

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Pope Francis Leads Vigil Calling For Peace In Syrian Crisis

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/09/07/220037027/pope-francis-leads-vigil-calling-for-peace-in-syrian-crisis

[Rebellious Republican]

1. So what business is it to thousands, no millions that do not want...

a Unilateral decision by the POTUS or Congress to bomb the fuck out of anybody it chooses. The gaul of some non corporate people.

[DissidentVoice]

8. John Kerry and Joe Biden are Catholic

Do they give a shit about what the Holy Father says?

[Jesus Malverde]

2. 62% of Evangelical Pastors Oppose Syria Strike, NAE Says

The National Association of Evangelicals conducted a poll of its member pastors and found that 62.5 percent oppose U.S. military intervention in the Syrian civil war.

"Should Congress authorize direct U.S. military intervention in Syria?" the survey asked. Only 37.5 percent answered "yes," NAE President Leith Anderson announced in a statement to Jonathan Merritt at Religion News Service.

The National Association of Evangelicals represents 40 evangelical Christian denominations and over 45,000 local churches. Not all evangelical denominations are NAE members, though.

The largest evangelical denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention, for instance, is not a member. So, the views of Southern Baptist pastors would not be included in the results. (Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, does not support a military strike against Syria.)

http://www.christianpost.com/news/62-of-evangelical-pastors-oppose-syria-strike-nae-says-103853/

[Rebellious Republican]

3. Well those damn baptist traitors, hell they are brown why not bomb the shit out of them.

After all those muslim bastards did nail Jesus to a cross didn't they.

[tavalon]

19. I know you were using it for a joke, but

I was raised Southern Baptist, and I'm white as a lily. Now, the churches that were black and the ones that were white, did not mix, but even Jimmy Carter was a Southern Baptist until he realized they were pretty awful about women. I realized that when I was 19 and left the SBs so I've had about 30 years to wash them out of my hair.

Strange bedfellows though, it seems that so many usually warring factions are coming out against this war.

[Rebellious Republican]

28. It was a bad joke and in poor taste. I stand corrected!

I do mean that!

[tavalon]

4. I really, really, really hated the last Pope

This guy, I'm warming up to rather quickly.

Not that it matters. I'm not a Catholic but as a Pagan, we don't really have a central character to look up to except maybe Mother Earth and she's so damned pissed at us, I'm a little scared to lift my head her way.

[Jesus Malverde]

5. He's organized and pulled off the largest anti-war demo yet, this time around, credit for that...nt

[Dems to Win]

18. +1 Credit where credit is due.

As a nonCatholic, I'm also liking this pope much better than the last one.

[rurallib]

23. I fear he may not be around long

[DissidentVoice]

6. This is not a "just war"

According to the Augustinian criteria, this would NOT be a "just war."

Much of Christendom would agree on that.

As a Lutheran (Martin Luther was originally an Augustinian monk) I firmly agree.

The Holy Father is very correct with his assertion about violence never being the way to peace...but what does the MIC care?

[Mysterysouppe]

15. What part of the Just War Doctrine is not met?

I am against attacking Syria, but it's not clear to me that the Just War Doctrine would prohibit it.

[rug]

21. Here: "The Catholic Case Against Strikes on Syria"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/fr-edward-l-beck/catholic-against-syria-war_b_3867624.html

[Mysterysouppe]

22. Thanks! The link is a nice try.

But I think Obama's sophists could probably wriggle their way under the cover the JWD, as described at the link, i.e., that (1) War must be waged by a properly instituted authority, such as the State; 2) War must occur for a good and just purpose rather than for self-gain; 3) Peace must be a central motive, even in the midst of violence.

It gives me no pleasure to say this.

[rug]

24. It looks to me like he's batting 0 for 3.

1) I don't think even a Congressional declaration of war against Syria, let alone what is proposed, justifies the military action.

2) Dead babies aside, his oft articulated rationale is that Iran and North Korea must be sent a message;\

3) What is proposed neither intends, nor can attain, a peaceful resolution of the killings in Syria.

[Mysterysouppe]

25. Not to be tedious, but....

(1) JWD says "waged" not "declared," which is what the authors of the US Constitution should have said.

(2) The goal is to hold the line against the use of an indiscriminate weapon of war by any nation, which is a good end.

(3) Banning indiscriminate weapons is a step toward peace.

(I'm fucking with you.

[rug]

26. Welcome to DU! You fit right in.

[felix_numinous]

7. Pope Frances is the real deal.

[tavalon]

9. I think he is, actually

But my track record isn't great. I thought the same thing about Obama.

[Posteritatis]

30. I certainly feel less uncomfortable about him than Pope Palpatine

It feels nice to at least feel like I can give someone the benefit of the doubt in this day and age.

(It feels less nice that that is where my bar is set for world leaders..)

[Mysterysouppe]

16. He sure is better than the other guy.

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

10. There is nothing the people can do to stop an attack on Syria,

if our leaders choose to attack.

Didn't we learn that from Iraq?

The people don't speak, they follow.

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

14. Yes we do "need a serious revolution".

But it needs to be a peaceful one that is embraced by a huge majority of the populace, more on the order of a general strike.

Welcome to DU.

[progressoid]

13. But the Pope doesn't have his finger on the launch button.

Can we wrangle up a few hundred thousand to do that here?

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

17. We could fill the streets from coast to coast,

But I fear that the plans have already been set in motion.

But if you want to push back, try this.

Here's how you do it.
Make a large sign that states,

HONK
NO WAR
ON SYRIA

and stand at a busy corner in your town or city, if this was done right now all over the country, the message would be heard loud and clear.

It would be reported by the press because the sound would be deafening.

BTW this actually works.

[LittleGirl]

20. +1 n/t

[David__77]

27. Thank you, Pope Francis.

And thank you to everyone who took action, silently or not, to oppose the proposed war today.

[quadrature]

29. are any pro-war rallies scheduled for WashingtonDC ?

if nor
why not.

[tokenlib]

31. tomorrow,12 noon at the White House

there was one yesterday also..

[proverbialwisdom]

32. As White House War Call Floods Airwaves, 100,000 Rally for Peace

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/09/08-0

Published on Sunday, September 8, 2013 by Common Dreams

As White House War Call Floods Airwaves, 100,000 Rally for Peace
Obama's 'common sense' war not resonating with US, global public

- Jacob Chamberlain, staff writer

[img][/img]
Vatican peace vigil for Syria, Saturday (Tony Gentile/Reuters)

Up to 100,000 peopled rallied in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican for a four-hour peace vigil late Saturday, urging U.S. and world leaders to choose a path of peace rather than war to resolve the current conflict in Syria.

"May the noise of weapons cease!" Pope Francis told the massive crowd. "War always marks the failure of peace. It is always a defeat for humanity."

"Violence and war are never the way to peace!" he said.

Meanwhile, in Washington the Obama administration began distributing video of what they say shows the chemical weapons attack on August 21st in Syria, of which the administration has accused the Assad regime in an ongoing bid to convince a skeptical and war-weary American public, as well as a largely undecided Congress, that yet another U.S. military intervention is necessary.

However, as the Associated Press points out on Sunday ( http://news.yahoo.com/doubts-linger-over-syria-gas-attack-evidence-141902612.html ), the public has "yet to see a single piece of concrete evidence produced by U.S. intelligence — no satellite imagery, no transcripts of Syrian military communications — connecting the government of President Bashar Assad to the alleged chemical weapons attack" beyond the grainy footage that was circulated to major media outlets and shown to members of Congress over the weekend.

Additionally, yet another report questioning the legitimacy, or at least accuracy, of the White House's narrative was released in a German newspaper on Saturday ( http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/08/us-syria-crisis-germany-idUSBRE98707B20130908 ), suggesting a chemical weapons attack did happen but not by the orders of Assad himself and perhaps against his wishes.

<>

http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2013/9/7/tens-of-thousandsattendpopespeacevigilforsyria.html

SLIDESHOW
PHOTOS: VATICAN PEACE VIGIL FOR SYRIA

[devils chaplain]

33. I'm a very lapsed Catholic (an atheist, even), but that picture makes me vaguely sort of proud. n/t