Vatican: Pope thanks Bush for defending 'fundamental moral values'

[emad]

Source: adnkronos

Vatican City, 13 June (AKI) - Pope Benedict XVI personally thanked US President George W. Bush on Friday for his defence of "fundamental moral values".

The pontiff expressed his gratitude "for the warm and exceptional welcome he had received in the United States of America and at the White House during his visit there in April, and for the president's commitment in defence of fundamental moral values".

Details of Benedict's meeting with Bush were included in a statement released by the Vatican after the meeting on Friday morning.

The pontiff greeted Bush, who was accompanied by his wife Laura and by Mary Ann Glendon, the US Ambassador to the Holy See, at the Medieval St. John's Tower located in the Vatican Gardens

Read more: http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Religion/?id=1.0.2251234575

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"fundamental moral values".....

Detention without trial
Obstruction of justice
Violation of constitutional civil liberties
Lying to the people

etc

[Solly Mack]

1. torture...hello?

[Joe Bacon]

39. Bu$h and Pope Egg$ both follow $upply $ide Je$u$

And we know what old $$J says in his Go$pel According to $t Ayn Rand, don't we???

I was hungry and you told me that it was in my economic self interest to find opportunities to work.

I was thirsty and you said the "invisible hand" of the free market would stimulate an entrepreneur to invest in a beverage company that would relieve my thirst.

I was a stranger and you despised me because of the color of my skin or I was gay or lesbian.

I was naked and you had me arrested for lewdness.

I was ill and you told me that I should have bought a better health insurance policy.

I was in prison and you cheered because it was my third strike.

Bush and Pope Eggs can take $upply $ide Je$u$ and shove him up Milton Friedman's ass

[Amonester]

2. Since when is torture a "fundamental moral value" ...

Since the Inquisition?

hmmmm... :mad:

[lovuian]

3. the Vatican is such a sad place

very sad

[ixion]

4. that's to be expected, coming from a Nazi pope...

no big shocker, imo.

[hlthe2b]

5. this laugahable excuse for the "Holy Father" (eyeroll) just....

keeps getting better and better....

I appeciate those who sincerely try to live the faith, but geebus-- is it not way past time to dismantle some of the hierarchical and institutionalized hypocrisy?

[Vidar]

6. From one Nazi to another.

[sinkingfeeling]

7. Murder, torture, lies, and stealing are '"fundamental moral values"? Sure aren't mine.

[BrklynLib at work]

8. These two guys were great pals, too. Weren't they?

[emad]

9. "this is an evangelical president who has always defended the Christian message"

Bush 'honoured' by Pope's welcome
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7452166.stm

[Lionel Mandrake]

16. What the Pope probably had in mind

"the BBC's Christian Fraser in Rome says ...
Mr Bush's conservative line on abortion and stem cell research are strongly supported by the Vatican"

This Pope is no different from any other on these issues. His Hitlerjugend background has nothing to do with it. The Roman Church is trapped by its own traditions into maintaining a ridiculous position on these issues: we all gotta be fruitful and multiply, condoms are sinful, food production can grow exponentially, etc.

The Roman Church will never acknowledge that 6,000,000,000 people is too many.

[madeline_con]

18. The AIDS epidemic in Africa...

has nothing to do with the condemnation of condoms. :sarcasm:

[TheDebbieDee]

10. Bennie OneSix is a pig...........

[DCKit]

11. What would Jesus say?

Ratzo has just proved, again, that the legitimate Catholic church never returned to Rome from Constantinople.

[LibDemAlways]

12. I thought Ratzinger was smarter than that. Guess his

mind is going.

[Raineyb]

13. Pope Benedict XVI gives me the creeps

This certainly doesn't help any.

Next thing you know he'll be saying that what happened during the inquisition was in "defense of fundamental moral values." Because water boarding isn't torture right?

Blech!

Regards

[Indenturedebtor]

23. Um it was. The inquisition wasn't by any stretch an isolated incident

That was par for the course, and now Bush and his supporters have taken up the torch.

His Nazi youth didn't have to have anything to do with his comments. He's the pope FFS, and sadly on the balance of history, torturing and killing infidels seems to be the favored x-tian pasttime.

[Raineyb]

28. Yeah I know.

It's called sarcasm.

Regards

[lark]

14. Hateful old man

Since when did committing murder on hundreds of thousands of innocent men, women and children just to enrich yourself, your family, and friends count as a moral value?

I knew I hated this pope and was totally disgusted when the old Nazi got chosen. He's almost as much of a disgrace to his office and chimpie is to his.

:puke:

[VP505]

15. Let's see, um,

what was that old saying, something about Birds of a feather, flock....

[AngryOldDem]

17. He's opposed to abortion. That's where it begins and ends.

I am so SICK of that being the be-all, end-all for most of the Roman Catholic Church.

How can ANYONE see Bush as being a defender of life and moral values? By doing so the Pope has just made a sad joke of almost every tenet of Catholic social teaching.

[otohara]

19. Pope Playing Nice With Known War Criminal

I just don't get it. What a hypocrite.

[anonymous171]

20. I am ashamed of the head of my church. Since when are war, torture, and death "fundamental values"?

[meow2u3]

21. Bush on the Pope: he don't know me vewy well, do he?

Sorry, Your Holiness. You have been conned by the Antichrist :evilfrown:

[Hekate]

30. Best response yet. nt

[Mike Daniels]

22. Mocking a condemned women's plea for clemency is a moral value?

Given the Vatican's opposition to the death penalty you'd think that a man mocking someone asking for clemency would be looked down on not held up as a moral individual.

[Kelvin Mace]

24. Murder, torture

corruption, genocide, and deceit?

[FloridaJudy]

25. Both of those men

Are a disgrace to the Messiah they profess to follow.

Jesus is probably spinning in his grave....oh wait....never mind.

[happyslug]

26. The Vatican report being reported is as follows:

http://212.77.1.245/news_services/press/vis/dinamiche/d0_en.htm

VATICAN CITY, 13 JUN 2008 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office today published the following communique:

"This morning, Friday 13 June, George W. Bush, President of the United States of America was received in audience by His Holiness Benedict XVI.

"In order to respond to the cordiality of the welcome received by the Supreme Pontiff during his recent visit to the United States of America, the audience followed a special protocol. The Holy Father greeted President Bush - who was accompanied by his wife Laura and by Mary Ann Glendon, the U.S. ambassador to the Holy See - at the entrance to the Tower of St. John located in the Vatican Gardens. His Holiness and the President of the United States then went to the study on the upper floor of the tower for a private meeting, while Laura Bush and Ambassador Glendon remained with Archbishop James Michael Harvey, prefect of the Pontifical Household. Subsequently they were joined by Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B.

"During the cordial talks, the Holy Father firstly reiterated his gratitude for the warm and exceptional welcome he had received in the United States of America and at the White House during his visit there in April, and for the president's commitment in defence of fundamental moral values. The discussions them turned to the main themes of international politics: relations between the United States of America and Europe, the Middle East and efforts for peace in the Holy Land, globalisation, the food crisis and international trade, and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

"At the end of the meeting, and following the exchange of gifts, Benedict XVI and President Bush took a brief stroll in the Vatican Gardens to the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes where they were joined by Mrs Bush and the entourage. There, the Choir of the Sistine Chapel sang two hymns".

[happyslug]

33. Further Reading, it was a standard "You are a good person" greeting

Nothing more. i.e. Not a comment on Bush's policies or anything else, just a typical greeting.

The real issues discussed appears to be "The discussions them turned to the main themes of international politics: relations between the United States of America and Europe, the Middle East and efforts for peace in the Holy Land, globalisation, the food crisis and international trade, and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals."

[superconnected]

27. EEEEEWWWWWWWW. Now THAT WAS SICKENING!

He lost me. I'm not even catholic but I was still keeping an open mind on him. He lost me.

God bless the Dali Lama, he speaks against this crap. Or more formally, may the emanate light beings bless the Dali Lama. (he speaks of obtaining light being status in his book _An Open Heart_, p. 166.)

[Endangered Specie]

29. Ironic considering how many Bush loving evangelicals think Catholics are...

the spawn of satan.

[Runcible Spoon]

31. says one man with Nazi family roots to another

:puke: :grr:

[jazzjunkysue]

32. Dictators have always enjoyed the support of corrupt religous leaders.

Only Ratsy's got tenure. George is fired.

[Raster]

34. "fundamental moral values"...lying, cheating, stealing, torture, murder, warmongering

These are NOT fundamental moral values. These are republican moral values. There is a difference.:rofl:

[99th_Monkey]

35. But the last Pope was convinced Bush is "The AntiChrist" ? Go figure. ~nt~

[FarrenH]

36. As an ex-Catholic I still nurtured an

affection for JPII, while at the same time being saddened by the fact that his faith trapped him in a ridiculous position on birth control. At least he made a sincere effort at interfaith dialog and had a healthy respect for science in most areas, declaring the theory of evolution compatable with Catholic faith and telling his flock they should not take the old testament literally.

But I can find no affection in my heart for Ratzinger. He wants to drag the church back to the 13th century.

[bullwinkle428]

37. Yet his pathetic flunkies still deny communion to those

who have expressed publicly, their support for a candidate willing to stand up for women's rights to control their own bodies!

[olddad56]

38. What is moral about initiating a genocide in Iraq that will last forever?..

What is the half life of depleted uranium? 4.5 billion years.

[LeftishBrit]

40. What fundamental moral values?

Does he just mean opposition to abortion?

The late Pope strongly condemned the Iraq war, as did the Archbishop of Canterbury and the World Council of Churches.

I would consider Bush as one of the most IMmoral people around!

[ohio2007]

41. Pope Benedict XVI sets up anti-terrorist squad ( coincidence ? )

The Vatican has created an anti-terrorist unit in order to guard the Holy See and the pope from a possible attack.
Vatican security forces now include an anti-bomb squad and a rapid response team, according to Domenico Giani, the head of the Holy See's 130-man gendarmerie.

The Vatican will also work more closely with Interpol to gather information on any threats, he said.

The deal with Europol, the pan-European police agency, will give the Vatican access to a large data bank of suspects and information on the latest anti-terrorism techniques.

snip

Earlier this year, Osama bin Laden repeated threats against Pope Benedict, who he accused of "leading a crusade against Islam".

The pope has been the subject of a series of attacks since 2006, when he used a quotation in a speech at Regensburg University that said Islam was an "evil and inhuman" religion.

Pope John Paul II was shot and wounded in St Peter's Square in 1983 by a Turkish gunman, Mehmet Ali Agca.

snip

Pope death threats put Turkey on high alert
Muslim scholars send peace message

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/2111117/Pope--Benedict-XVI-sets-up-%20anti-terrorist-%20squad.html
As long as he stays inside his 'crusader' compound and gives up pilgrimages, he should be ok.