[Mb-civic] The Anti War Pope

[Michael Butler]

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    The Anti-War Pope
    By John Nichols
    The Nation/Editorial

    Thursday 07 April 2005

    Expect to see a lot of George W. Bush over the next day or so, as he
attends the funeral of Pope John Paul II. The White House is going out of
its way to hype the fact that Bush is the first U.S. president ever to
attend the funeral of a pope. And don't be so naive as to think that White
House political czar Karl Rove and his minions - all of whom are deeply
concerned about the president's declining poll numbers - have failed to
calculate the political advantage that might be gained by associating the
president with a pontiff whose passing has drawn unprecedented attention in
the U.S. and around the world.

    As Bush and other global leaders pay their final respects to John Paul
II on Friday, however, it is important to remember that the Catholic pontiff
was not a fan of this American president's warmaking.

    John Paul II was an early, consistent, passionate and always outspoken
critic of the president's scheming to invade Iraq. The Pope went so far as
to meet with world leaders who were close to Bush, including British Prime
Minister Tony Blair and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, in a
high-profile attempt to prevent the war. Finally, the Pope sent a special
envoy to Washington - Cardinal Pio Laghi, who has long been close to the
Bush family - to try and derail the administration's rush to war.

    When the war began, aides said that the Pope was "very disappointed and
very sad" that Bush had ignored appeals to give peace a chance.

    The Pope remained a critic of U.S. actions in Iraq, especially after it
was revealed in May, 2004, Iraqi prisoners had been abused by US soldiers at
the Abu Ghraib prison.

    "From all continents come endless, disturbing information about the
human rights situation, revealing that men, women and children are being
tortured and their dignity being made a mockery of.... It is all of humanity
which has been wounded and ridiculed," John Paul II said.

    Those who are honoring the Pope's memory this week frequently refer to
him as a man of peace. They would do well to recall that this is more than
just a phrase. While the Pope was not a pacifist, he was an ardent foe of
unjust and unwise wars. And his opposition to the war in Iraq - and to all
forms of preemptive war - is at the very heart of the legacy he has left
with regard to international relations.