PopeWatch: Letter
- Donald R. McClarey
Donald R. McClarey
Cradle Catholic. Active in the pro-life movement since 1973. Father of three, one in Heaven, and happily married for 43 years. Small town lawyer and amateur historian. Former president of the board of directors of the local crisis pregnancy center for a decade.
Good advice to pray, but missing are the usual admonitions against borders (Ukraine’s) and that Communist caused war is certainly heating up the climate without the usual Vatican comment as to that danger.
“..bringing international law into disrepute.” He’s kidding, right? Kind of like he’s brought the papacy into disrepute?
Amen. Also: may God help the Ukrainian forces to kill Russians and prevail.
Yes and I’m sure Putin read the letter and sat down for some deep personal self-reflection. He might even become a Catholic.
Meanwhile, Pope Francis visits Russian Embassy.
https://abcnews.go.com/International/pope-makes-surprise-visit-russian-embassy-vatican/story?id=83115722
It’s fine, although I’d be inclined to go harder against the Orthodox religious leaders. I’d probably just be making things worse though.
It’s not fine.
What would you want changed about the letter?
Let’s see:
Pope Francis said:
“I would like to appeal with those with political responsibility to examine their conscience seriously before God”.
When he should have said:
“I would like the Russian leadership, led by Putin, to examine their conscience seriously before God regarding the ungodly act to invade a sovereign country and bring about unprovoked senseless violence and death to many innocent people.”
Pope Francis also said:
“I pray that all parties involved refrain from any action that would cause even more suffering to the people, destabilising coexistence between nations and bringing international law into disrepute”
When he should have had the guts to say:
“ I pray and urge Russia to refrain from any action that would cause suffering to the innocent people of Ukraine, which is a direct violation of International law and above all, an act of evil and in complete defiance of the very essence of Christian peace”.
Let’s compare and contrast:
“I call upon all people of good will to not ignore the suffering of the Ukrainian people brought on by Russian military aggression,” he said. “We are a people who love peace. And precisely for that reason we are ready to defend it and fight for it.”
Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of Kyiv-Halych, head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church
If Pope Francis decides to stick his nose into Russia’s unprovoked and unlawful declaration of war on the innocent people of Ukraine, then it serves no purpose to sit on the fence and pretend to play the role of diplomat. With emphasis on the word pretend.
Besides we all know he has it in him to fire directly between the eyes when it comes to his own Catholic faithful.
St PJP2 said it how it was.
“If Russia stops fighting, there will be no war.
If Ukraine stops fighting, there will be no more Ukraine.”
https://twitter.com/nerinni/status/1498297735090475018
Absolutely Quotermeister.
They’re surely not fighting on Russian soil. Ukraine did not go into Russia.
To think that anyone would believe that Putin is defending Russia from Ukraine, which what he wants the world to believe, is utterly absurd.
There seems to be only one military aggressor here, Pope Francis.
There was nothing going on that warranted an invasion of an independent and peaceful neighbor by Putin/Russia, nothing. Mother Mary help us.