Flags half-mast for the Pope - that's wrong on so many levels!

[goddess40]

Not just for a day but a business week here in wonderful, normally blue, Wisconsin. Seems our Dem gov is a catholic.
So much for separation of church and state.

[Az]

1. Technical loophole

The Pope is actually the leader of a nation. Vatican city is technically a nation all its own. The Pope is the head of state of Vatican city. Nations honor other nations by flying their flags at half mast.

Of course you can bet no politician would miss the opportunity to lap at the trough of the faithful.

[Book Lover]

4. Yeah, the lucky bastard

So when are we going to up and make the State of Reason?

http://www.angelfire.com/nv/micronations/

[Taxloss]

6. What makes you think luck has anything to do with it?

The Vatican City consists of a few city blocks, and it gets ambassadors, diplomats, immunity, the chance to make its own tax and excise regime, any number of benefits.

It may be the smallest state in the world, but it's the largest loophole.

[Book Lover]

10. Rhetorical

I wrote snarkily because the fact of Vatican City pisses me off. I've been rereading Garry Wills' "Papal Sin" this week.

[YankeyMCC]

8. Have US Flags ever flown at half-mast

For leaders of other nations?

I don't recall that happening.

[Fenris]

2. Same here at the university.

I just ignore it. :)

[BiggJawn]

3. So confusing here in Indiana...

In the last 2 months, we've had out flags ordered to 1/2 staff for:

A dead highway worker, crushed by a tool in a Sport Utitlty Phone Booth.

4 National Guardsmen, killed while enjoying their endless weekend...

And now the Pope?

[onager]

5. Does everybody know exactly HOW...

...the Vatican became that convenient legal fiction, a "sovereign state?"

Now, with all internal common enemies annihilated, the Church and Fascism undertook in earnest the task of improving their already excellent relationship...Mussolini, who had already proclaimed that religion was entitled to respect, would agree to both a Pact and a Concordat...

The negotiations which, significantly enough, were started with the dissolution of the Catholic Party in 1926 were concluded in 1929 with the signing of what has since been known as the Lateran Agreement.

...the Vatican was recognized as an independent sovereign State, and the Fascist Government undertook to pay a vast sum of money as compensation...

Catholicism was at last proclaimed the only religion of the State; religious education was made compulsory in schools; teachers had to be approved by the Church, and only those textbooks "approved by the ecclesiastical Authority" could be used; religious marriage was made obligatory, "the civil effect of the Sacrament of matrimony being regulated by Canon Law"; divorce was forbidden; the clergy and religious Orders were subventioned by the State; books, Press and films against the Church were forbidden; and criticism or insult against Catholicism was made a penal offence.

In short, the Catholic Church was reinstated as the dominant and absolute spiritual power over the whole nation.

http://www.cephas-library.com/catholic/catholic_vatican_in_world_politics_chpt_9.html

[Warpy]

7. It's that old first estate fiction

that prevented them from becoming subservient to any secular power.

[Longhorn]

9. This really pisses me off!

Were the flags at half mast when Sadat and Rabin were assassinated? I sure don't remember if that was the case. Or are they half-mast now because Prince Rainier died? Yeah, right! :(