Pope Francis is really bold. Upon receiving Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Saturday, May 16 at the Vatican, he called him an “angel of peace.” He underscored it by giving him a medallion that he said represented the “angel of peace destroying the bad spirit of war.” The gift was appropriate he said because “you are an angel of peace.”
This was not the first time he has complimented the leader of the PLO, a terrorist organization. During his visit to Israel and the West Bank in 2014, Francis called both Abbas and Israeli President Shimon Peres, men of peace.
The pope’s public statements are probably political. Perhaps he is trying to maneuver both men into a position where he can mediate between the PLO and Israel.
Abbas was attending the canonization of two 19th-century nuns and present Francis with some relics of the new saints. The Catholic Church canonized the nuns and touted them as a sign of hope and encouragement for Christians in the Middle East. The Catholic Church always tries to show solidarity with the oppressed and persecuted, but she uses that solidarity to strengthen her political ties.
The PLO leader’s visit came just days after the Vatican finalized a bilateral treaty with the PLO recognizing its statehood.
“To this end, the wish was reiterated that with the support of the international community, Israelis and Palestinians may take with determination courageous decisions to promote peace,” a Vatican statement said, adding that interreligious dialogue was needed to combat terrorism.
“All the word wondered…” Revelation 13:3
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Comments
Sean Taylor
Sunday July 5th, 2015 at 09:12 PMThese people know not God or His law. They don’t acknowledge him at all, so how can they expect to have peace. Ellen White says,
“In every generation and in every land the true foundation 83 and pattern for character building have been the same. The divine law, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, . . . and thy neighbor as thyself,” the great principle made manifest in the character and life of our Saviour, is the only secure foundation, the only sure guide. Luke 10:27. “Wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation,” the wisdom and knowledge which God’s word alone can impart. Isaiah 33:6. {PK 82.3}
It is as true now as when the words were spoken to Israel of obedience to His commandments: “This is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations.” Deuteronomy 4:6. Here is the only safeguard for individual integrity, for the purity of the home, the well-being of society, or the stability of the nation. Amidst all life’s perplexities and dangers and conflicting claims, the one safe and sure rule is to do what God says. “The statutes of the Lord are right,” and “he that doeth these things shall never be moved.” Psalm 19:8; 15:5. {PK 83.1}
conservativevoice
Monday July 6th, 2015 at 03:31 AMIt seems to me that pope Francis was misquoted in several papers. In reality the pope asked Abbas to act as an Angel of peace.
Here is the original version:
“As is tradition with heads of State or of government, Francis presented a gift to the Palestinian leader, commenting: “May the angel of peace destroy the evil spirit of war. I thought of you: May you be an angel of peace.” Pope Francis had called Abu Mazen a “man of peace” when he visited Bethlehem in May 2014, just as he called the then Israeli prime minister, Shimon Peres, a “man of peace” during his subsequent visit to Jerusalem. The Argentinian pope had then invited both leaders to a prayer vigil for peace in the Vatican Gardens which took place on 8 June that year and was also attended by the ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew.”
Read more at: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/418508/ope-francis-did-not-call-abbas-angel-peace-ellen-carmichael
admin
Wednesday July 8th, 2015 at 02:54 PMPopes often call on various world leaders involved in conflicts to be men or women of peace, sometimes assigning them such a characteristic, sometimes urging them to take on the characteristic. This is typical papal speak. The religio-political nature of the Vatican is the underlying reason why the papacy has such geo-political stature. Without it the pope could not play the “man of peace” himself. Assigning the characteristic to others would certainly draw attention to the pope in that capacity.
Pr. Mayer