The BBC reports that the Pope refused an audience request from Condi Rice.
There are at least two reasons why Pope Benedict may have decided peremptorily against a private meeting with Ms Rice.
First, it was Ms Rice who just before the outbreak of the Iraq war in March 2003 made it clear to a special papal envoy sent from Rome, Cardinal Pio Laghi, that the Bush administration was not interested in the views of the late Pope on the immorality of launching its planned military offensive.
Secondly, the US has responded in a manner considered unacceptable at the Vatican to the protection of the rights of Iraqi Christians under the new Iraqi constitution. …
… Instead of meeting the Pope, Ms Rice had to make do with a telephone conversation with the Vatican’s number two, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who was visiting the US during August on other business.
My respect for the Pope just went up a couple of notches. SOMEBODY has to stand up to these bozos and tell them that what they’re doing is morally repugnant. Not that they’ll listen, mind, but it will make me feel better, anyway.
Brace yourselves for the extreme-right rage. If the pope isn’t with Junior, he’s with the terrorists.
Perhaps Rice was unwilling to provide the Pope with a list of the conditions she would have to meet before he would deign to meet with her. Perhaps the Pope was unwilling to be used as a photo-op, Perhaps the Pope was unwilling to be used as a tool to further the agenda/cause of the United States.
Sound familiar? To put a certain twist on it, today’s standard American treatment of other ‘lesser beings’ may have come back to bite her in the ass.
Did the Pope really say to Condi, “vaffanculo, putanna”? Wow, he must be angry with her or Bush.
Wow Swami, them’s fightin’ words!
Somebody give me a translation. I don’t speak Latin or Italian.
Literally, it means: “Take it up the a**, whore.”
No, I think it’s Latin for “Piss off!”
While I think the Pople is too conservative, I thank him for standing up. I wish the Deomcrat’s would do the same…
A Canadian Reader is right in the literal translation but in common usage it’s closer to “take a hike, bitch”. It’s not that nasty a comment. As a matter of fact, Justice Scalia has used the word vaffanculo in public..although I don’t think he’s called anyone a puta to my knowledge.
What goes around….comes around
Wonder how uber Catholic Bill O will handle this one. I might just have to tune in to see if he handles it at all.