Don't foment war, hatred, Pope tells media

[emad]

24 Jan 2005 13:26:50 GMT

Source: Reuters

By Philip Pullella

VATICAN CITY, Jan 24 (Reuters) - The media has to be careful not to "demonise" entire cultures, countries or ethnic groups, otherwise it runs the risk of fomenting violence, war and even genocide, Pope John Paul said on Monday.

In his message for the Roman Catholic Church's World Day of Social Communications, to be celebrated this year on May 8, the Pope said that today more than ever the media had to be aware of its enormous power to either unite or divide people.

"When others are portrayed in hostile terms, seeds of conflict are sown which can all too easily escalate into violence, war, or even genocide," he said in the written message.

"Instead of building unity and understanding, the media can be used to demonise other social, ethnic and religious groups, fomenting fear and hatred," he said.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L24681495.htm

[w4rma]

1. This is a good Pope, imho.

I hope that this Pope has taken steps to make sure that the Opus Dei don't get anywhere near a chance to install one of their xenophobic, hate-promoting, warmongering, crusading nutjobs. They are power hungry and they *will* try to take the opportunity to do this if he allows it.

[Orsino]

2. Don't foment Pope, Jesus tells media

film at 11

[Zenlitened]

3. Perhaps the pope could stop fomenting hatred of gays and lesbians

Standing in the balcony above St. Peter's square and declaring gays and lesbians to be immoral deviants... if that's not demonising an entire group, I don't know what is.

Such hypocrisy.

[MADem]

4. Ya think he could have piped up earlier

...but no, he was too busy installing Cardinal "Above The" Law as pastor of the Maria Maggiore church in Rome, getting him safely away from US law for his role in assisting paedophile priests to evade prosecution by authorities. That fat pig has a Vatican passport, he's enjoying suppers at the finest trattorias, a caffe and a biscotto when he pleases, a hit of grappa on those chilly mornings. He is living large, safe from any consequences, and his accomplice was "good" Pope JP2. Good, my ass--suffer the little children, and all that.

I am not impressed with this Pope. He's behind the times, does not understand what living in the real world is all about, and he is a day late and a euro short with his profound pronouncements. He should have said this LAST OCTOBER, not now.

He needs to retire to that sweet little summer castle overlooking the city and let a younger person take the job. If the Catholic Church does not change, and soon, they won't have anyone left. Historically "Catholic" countries are losing market share at an alarming rate, and his backward, draconian policies, mostly with regard to sexual issues, are costing them parishoners.

[AngryOldDem]

6. The Pope has spoken out...

...the Church was one of the first to raise deep concerns about the U.S. action in Iraq.

To wit: A news story and a Vatican statementthat precede the invasion in March 2003:

http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/03/05/sprj.irq.pope/

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/special_features/peace/documents/peace_20030306_card-laghi-usa-meeting_en.html

(An aside: Why is it that every thread about the Church, no matter what it is, ALWAYS comes back to sex? Either in the form of bashing it for its doctrines on the issue, or the sex scandal? It seems people here are just as fixated on this subject as they claim the Church to be, and it sounds to me like the Pope is one of the few world leaders who are saying the things that need to be said concerning this war.)

[MADem]

8. From my perspective (to respond seriously to your question)

...it was VERY apparent in Massachusetts that Cardinal Law was a major part of the problem. And in Massachusetts, the numbers of children affected was MASSIVE.

When Voice of the Faithful, a coalition of parishoners demanding that the church respond to concerns, formed, the church did EVERYTHING short of lining those people up and shooting them to try to get them to shut up and get in line. They refused them meeting space, threatened them with excommunication, got hugely nasty in the press, calling them all sorts of names (the religious equivalent of being unpatriotic, I reckon). Many young lives were ruined by these priests, and the church got angry at parishoners for simply asking questions!

The only reason that VOF got any traction is because the membership was comprised of some very bright, very articulate and activist people who found the church's conduct appalling, and knew how to work the media better than the church. The church then had to backtrack, but the unfairness and draconian measures resonated with the people of the state.

Cardinal Law snuck out of town in the dead of night. And I'd be surprised to see him around these parts ever again. He is decidedly a persona non grata, and he should be tried in a MA court as an accessory after the fact.

It's as much an question of JUSTICE as it is an issue of child molestation. That's what bothers me the most.

The foolishness about contraception is just a case of church denial of life today, and everyone knows it. Back in the fifties and sixties, it was the rare Catholic family with one or two kids. Now, it is the rare family with the usual four to six or seven kids. We KNOW that some, if not most of these families must be finding a way to avoid pregnancy, the church knows it, but they are hypocritical about it. They willingly accept these "cafeteria Catholics" who show up with their 1.2 kids, and the cafeteria Catholics happily ignore the rules, lie to the priest, and go along merrily.

It's just lame--the heirarchy aren't living in the real world, yet they preach profoundly about how others should live their real world lives. And if they are willing to nudge and wink over contraception (and they are) so long as you show up and put a check in the box, but excoriate people who challenge the way things are and are pushing for change, it is sort of hard to take their pronouncements seriously. Messages of world peace, alternated with parental "Father (and do I mean Father) knows best" scolding...it just doesn't go over well with me. My attitude is that they tend to feed their flock buckets of crap and then expect them to be thrilled because they occasionally dole out a mint for dessert! I think they need to do a lot more walking the walk before they can convincingly talk the talk.

That's sort of the way I see it, anyway.

[Lorien]

12. I agree, AngryOldDem

before I clicked on this thread, I wondered "how many posts will include attacks on the Pope, the church, etc"? If the messenger isn't someone we agree with 100%, we attack. I'm not Catholic, I'm not a fan of the Pope, but I'm not about to x-ray this gift horse's mouth.

[jazzjunkysue]

5. when even the Pope gets it, and Bush doesn't, what reality are we in?

[MADem]

9. Of course, he doesn't NEED the pope anymore

The weecowboy got his photo op with the guy, he made sure all of the braindead people in the church saw the picture, and he swayed a few of the more simple ones. He played those wedge issues like a violin, and actually persuaded some Catholics to vote against what would have been only the second Catholic president in history. Gotta hand it to the weecowboy's team, they surely will do anything to win.

But the weecowboy will blow off the pope. And what are those idiots who voted for him, and who are also Catholic, going to do now? They can't take back their vote, all they can do is feel guilty about it (there's a good Catholic emotion for ya!). If the pope had piped up in August or October at this same volume, he might have mitigated some of that nonsensical photo-op spin that Bush generated (and as I recall, he was LATE to see the pope by ten or fifteen minutes...they should have had his number back then!). But he is, as I said above, a day late and a euro short!

[primavera]

7. Hear that, Faux News?

Listen up, because he's talking about you.

[Massachusetts]

10. Come out of your "ivory tower" John Paul

The people don't need lip service from a balcony. You can't tend a flock from the next town, you have to be in the field WITH THE FLOCK.IMO (a Catholic).:evilgrin: O8) :evilfrown:

[proudbluestater]

11. Reuters is the BEST MSM there is. n/t

[dave29]

13. Don't shoot the messenger

especially when he has this message, regardless of past consistency. I think the only thing to say in response to this is:

right on.

[Wilms]

14. Sometimes I want to poop on the pope, but...

He's seems credentialed as a war protester.

He gets down on greed and consumption.

He's asked people to be nice to their Mother (Earth, that is.)

So I try to appreciate the ones he gets right.

BTW, why doesn't the G/L Community go and make churches of their own? It would be a refuge for G/L people in a number of circumstances, it'll cool the political debate, and forgive me but... it'll free them of the "repetition compulsion" of trying to get their parents/authority figures to accept their orientation.

It would be great if "my" church didn't subtlely preach hate, but they do. So I left.

[SnowBack]

16. If the pope would shut up about Gays and Lesbians...

then maybe we wouldn't have to complain all the time...

None of us give a damn if our "parents/authority figures" accept our orientation...

We'd actually just like to get on with our lives without people working AGAINST us...

And there are lots of churches who accept Gays and Lesbians... We don't need to complain about them.... they're TRULY Christian...

[FlemingsGhost]

15. I simply cannot take this man seriously.

Nor can I stomach the folks who cheer this fool, while conveniently looking past the blinding hypocrisy that is the Catholic Church.

[VegasWolf]

17. This pope isn't the brightest bulb, at least he's not insane like a

few of them. Small comfort, huh.

[Psephos]

18. I didn't have a problem cheering him when he took up Solidarity's cause

There's worse guys than the pope. A lot worse.