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Vatican says pope’s Lebanon trip still a go despite violence

By editor on September 13, 2012 2:23 am in Vatican News / 5 comments

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The Vatican confirmed on Wednesday (Sept. 12) that Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Lebanon will go ahead as planned, despite growing tension in the region after the killing of the U.S. ambassador to Libya by a mob enraged by an anti-Islam film.

The Vatican’s chief spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said the Vatican was closely monitoring developments in the region but there were no signs of specific security concerns for Benedict’s trip so far.

Benedict is scheduled to leave on Friday for a three-day visit to Lebanon despite rising instability spilling over from a deadly civil war in neighboring Syria. The visit is also a signal of the Vatican’s concern for Christian minorities in the Middle East who feel under threat after the upheavals of the Arab spring revolutions.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, hailed the “Holy Father’s brave visit to Lebanon” in Washington Wednesday (Sept. 12) and lamented the “thousands upon thousands” of persecuted Christians fleeing the Middle East.

“These Christian families want to stay in the ancient lands of their birth but too often make the diffucult decision to leave as a result of harrassment or violent threats by extremists,” said Dolan. [more]

SOURCE

Washington Post

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5 Comments

Recovering Catholic says:

September 13, 2012 at 5:16 pm

I often wonder why Our Lady doesn’t appear to the terrorists and tell them how they are offending God by their brutal behavior and plead with them to stop it.

Reply
- Jim says:
  
  September 13, 2012 at 6:31 pm
  
  Good point, Recovering. But here’s the likely answer — if you look in the Old Testament, God used other peoples to dominate the Jews to teach them a lesson. Discipine, as Hebrews chapter 12 tells us, does not feel good at the time, but it is necessary for our long-term outcome. So, God very likely may be allowing the terrorists to do what they do because God’s first interest is in our salvation — and he is bringing us to our knees through the terrorists. After 09/11/2001, divorce attorneys reported many people called off their divorce, and there was an increase in births nine to 12 months later. God works in mysterious ways.
  
  Reply
joseph Francis says:

September 13, 2012 at 3:16 pm

I commend the Pope for going.If he doesn’t the muslims will win. Yes I said it, MUSLIMS! It is the Muslims that are killing Christians, distroying churchs and forcing Christians to flee their Country. Do we ever hear of any Muslims helping the Christian? My fear is that something might happen to the Pope by some Muslim that believes he is honoring God by killing or hurting the Pope. I work in a teaching hospital and meet Catholcs and Orthodox Christians from these countrys studing to be doctors daily. They tell me of the horrors that catholics and orthodox christians are suffering daily. Hilary Clinton could care less. Her first concern is to not up-set the muslims living in America. Let pray that the Pope will suceed in his mission and return safely. I pray that his presence bring hope and solidarity to the Christians there. You can be sure the Obama, clinton, and Joe Biden (who says he is Catholic) don’t.

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- Tony says:
  
  September 13, 2012 at 3:19 pm
  
  JF, I join you in your prayer
  
  Reply
- Catholic Lady says:
  
  September 13, 2012 at 10:07 pm
  
  Jospeh; I am not sure that Hilary Clinton has the power to protect Christians who are not living in America. I like you continue to pray for Crhistians throughout the world especially the persecuted church. We forget that although we live in freedom in North America and enjoy freedom of speech there are some who do not have these same freedoms- When we are foolish and say or do things that anoy others an example is the muslim world – someone is going to reap what we have sown. So I think it is time for us to think before we communicate – speak or write – remembering that we will have to give an account to our Lord for our actions while in this body. We have been warned in scripture not to provoke others…Perhaps it is time for Americans living in the U.S.A. to say to their own religious fanatics that enough is enough – stop sprewing hate-stop being disrespectful of others -
  
  Reply