Pope Francis on Iraq visit

[weltweit]

Pope Francis on Iraq visit calls for end to violence and extremism - BBC News

Quite a brave move given the violence still going on there.

About 10,000 Iraqi Security Forces personnel are being deployed to protect the Pope, while round-the-clock curfews are also being imposed to limit the spread of Covid.

But the Pope was seen to have a pronounced limp, suggesting that his sciatica condition continues to bother him.

I thought he needed a new hip ..

He had earlier said Iraqi Christians could not be "let down for a second time", after Pope John Paul II cancelled plans for a trip in 1999 when talks with then-President Saddam Hussein's government broke down.
In the two decades since then, one of the world's oldest Christian communities has seen its numbers plummet from 1.4 million to about 250,000, less than 1% of the population.

 

[nogojones]

The fucking twat. Why the fuck is he jetting around and putting locals and others at risk. His fucking god ain't gonna do shit for them.




He's worried that that there's fewer christians in Iraq. There will likely be a few less after his visit.

 

[weltweit]

R4 News are saying this visit is a feather in the cap for Iraq's political leaders.

 

[hash tag]

With people being down and vulnerable he probably sees this as a good time to recruit more followers.

 

[weltweit]

With people being down and vulnerable he probably sees this as a good time to recruit more followers.

Possibly. Though I wonder where all his former followers are now.

I am not a believer but I am quite impressed with this trip, I mean the silly old man can't even walk properly but he has decided to visit Iraq a war torn country riven with terrorism for whom he would be a great scalp.

I think it shows courage.

 

[Kevbad the Bad]

I am not a believer but I am quite impressed with this trip, I mean the silly old man can't even walk properly but he has decided to visit Iraq a war torn country riven with terrorism for whom he would be a great scalp.

I think it shows courage.

Or should that be stupidity, arrogance and a sense of entitlement?

 

[weltweit]

Or should that be stupidity, arrogance and a sense of entitlement?

If he was a politician I would agree with you, but he is more humble than a politician.

 

[Kevbad the Bad]

If he was a politician I would agree with you, but he is more humble than a politician.

Is he fuck? All popes claim to be on speaking terms with God, ffs. On occasion, when it suits them, they pass on his words to mankind. Humble? Give me strength.

 

[weltweit]

Is he fuck? All popes claim to be on speaking terms with God, ffs. On occasion, when it suits them, they pass on his words to mankind. Humble? Give me strength.

Come on god at least heal me this flipping hip, nope nothing doing .. sorry popey no can do ..

 

[Kevbad the Bad]

Come on god at least heal me this flipping hip, nope nothing doing .. sorry popey no can do ..

And that's on a good day.

 

[two sheds]

"Forgive them, Father, for they don't know what they do."

And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.

 

[Humberto]

If he was a politician I would agree with you, but he is more humble than a politician.

I reckon he at least pays some lip service to a few decent ideas and principles. In a time of Trumps and Johnsons its something. Not a high bar though.

 

[hash tag]

I imagine he has plenty of security. Would militants be so stupid as to try and harm him? It would certainly cause a stir and polarise people's opinions resulting in a backlash. Would the militants want that?

 

[ska invita]

i like the pope
the pope smokes dope

 

[weltweit]

I imagine he has plenty of security. Would militants be so stupid as to try and harm him? It would certainly cause a stir and polarise people's opinions resulting in a backlash. Would the militants want that?

Yes, security from the bbc article

About 10,000 Iraqi Security Forces personnel are being deployed to protect the Pope,

I reckon terrorists would love to knock him off .. a high profile target no?

 

[nogojones]

If he was a politician I would agree with you, but he is more humble than a politician.

He's the head of state of the Vatican. He's a fucking politician in funky fancy dress. Nothing more or less

 

[mauvais]

Pope Francis on Iraq visit calls for end to violence and extremism - BBC News

Quite a brave move given the violence still going on there.

Pfft. He went to Glasgow in 1982 and then he died in 2005, what's the worst that Iraq can throw at him?

Shoes, probably.

 

[nogojones]

I reckon he at least pays some lip service to a few decent ideas and principles. In a time of Trumps and Johnsons its something. Not a high bar though.

Comparing him to all the other popes I recall he's a saint, but all the other popes I recall were utter cunts, so yeah, it's not a high bar

 

[nogojones]

i like the pope
the pope smokes dope

I still have my Pope on dope slipmats up the loft with my decks

 

[weltweit]

He's the head of state of the Vatican. He's a fucking politician in funky fancy dress. Nothing more or less

I suppose you have a point there.

 

[two sheds]

Pfft. He went to Glasgow in 1982 and then he died in 2005, what's the worst that Iraq can throw at him?

Shoes, probably.

He did rise again after three days though

 

[ska invita]

not relevant to this thread exactly but does anyone know if there is evidence of US involvement in getting Polish John Paul elected as Pope as a (very successful) anti communist measure?
I've heard the theory, and it makes a lot of sense, just wondering if anyone has read anything credible to back it up.
I was thinking about it this morning because of the anti-abortion laws going on in Poland....the fucked up catholic politics there are a direct result of polish pope mania, and id be quite happy to blame Raegan for it

 

[weltweit]

I never heard this ska invita - how could they have influenced?

 

[A380]

Some Swiss Guard close protection people earning their pay this week.

 

[ska invita]

I never heard this ska invita - how could they have influenced?

the theory goes:
communism is a direct threat to Christianity, and a threat to capitalism etc likewise, and so the CIA found common cause with the Vatican and pushed for a Polish pope, a Catholic pope behind the iron curtain no less. A highly strategic move. Theres some vague tuff about JP2 connections with Solidarnosc too.

The effect of JP2 becoming pope was the church became even more of a rallying point for anti-communist feeling, and of independent nationalism.
Pope mania was super high in Poland at the time and long after
The current party in control in Poland is a nationalist-anticommunist-catholic construct absolutely forged of that period.

How could the US have influenced? The Reaganites couldve had a high level talk with the Vatican, simple as that

There are some books/writing on this out there, no idea how credible - and Ive only heard this third hand

 

[not-bono-ever]

its meh, He's one of the better ones of his lot. but no camilo torres

 

[weltweit]

..
How could the US have influenced? The Reaganites couldve had a high level talk with the Vatican, simple as that
..

Surely they would have had to persuade a lot of Cardinals to have influenced the election. I have no idea, I expect stranger things have happened, possibly they tried and he was elected anyhow because he was the best candidate, I am not sure with these things that one ever gets the whole truth.

 

[nogojones]

the theory goes:
communism is a direct threat to Christianity, and a threat to capitalism etc likewise, and so the CIA found common cause with the Vatican and pushed for a Polish pope, a Catholic pope behind the iron curtain no less. Theres stuff about JP2 connections with Solidarnosc too.

The effect of JP2 becoming pope was the church became even more of a rallying point for anti-communist feeling, and of independent nationalism.
Pope mania was super high in Poland at the time and long after
The current party in control in Poland is a nationalist-anticommunist-catholic construct absolutely forged of that period.

How could the US have influenced? The Reaganites couldve had a high level talk with the Vatican, simple as that

There are some books/writing on this out there, no idea how credible - and Ive only heard this third hand

Conservative catholisism was a thing in Poland without the CIA's help, but yeah, for sure they stoked that fire. My old mans ex comrades (a bunch of fucking SS troopers) would push emigre literature to anyone who'd listen. Antibolshevik News being one I recall - The editor from the copies I still have knocking about from the early 80's was ex-CIA director, George Bush.

 

[ska invita]

Surely they would have had to persuade a lot of Cardinals to have influenced the election. I have no idea, I expect stranger things have happened, possibly they tried and he was elected anyhow because he was the best candidate, I am not sure with these things that one ever gets the whole truth.

yes thats how ive thought of it all these years as you say

quick look on wiki:

Among those cardinals who rallied behind Wojtyła were supporters of Giuseppe Siri, Stefan Wyszyński, most of the American cardinals (led by John Krol), and other moderate cardinals

americans!!!! the smoking gun

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Surely they would have had to persuade a lot of Cardinals to have influenced the election. I have no idea, I expect stranger things have happened, possibly they tried and he was elected anyhow because he was the best candidate, I am not sure with these things that one ever gets the whole truth.

Promises of money, favours, power, more kids to fuck up, scandals to cover up. The usual shit.

Any election of a pope is a highly political process.