Just note that the original Christians converted the Roman empire through non-violent tactics...the Roman empire was every ounce as brutal as Fundamentalism Islam (decimation, exposure of children,slavery)....

If you hang around "St. Blog's" (http://praiseofglory.com/blogs.htm) you'll find that old Joe is a bit of a nut. I wouldn't quote him as an authority on anything Catholic.

The war against dhimmitude will be won, in the end, by the priests and theologians. While I've criticized Cardinal Martino's comments on Saddam as being insufficiently charitable towards the suffering of Saddam's victims, I've found that the Church has done a fairly good job in setting itself up for the work of smashing Islam's culture of death.

Very appropriately, the Catholic attack is asymmetrical.

Bill White, I don't "hang around St. Blog's," but I was disappointed to see your posting this substanceless ad hominem attack. If there is something inaccurate in the article, please specify. Or if you disagree with it in some way, have at it. Otherwise no need to sound off. Leave your nastiness at "St. Blogs."

There are several sources for the Vatican's inability to confront the Jihad, and indeed, at times, to seem to promote it. The first is rooted in traditional Catholic doctrine, which made it impossible to view Israel, until recently, as a legitimate state. For theological reasons, the "deicidal" Jews had to be forced to wander; a return to their own homeland, and a revived Israel, did not accord with traditional doctrine.

The second problem was the desire not to do anything to harm the Christian populations held hostage in the Muslim world. But this lead to an abandonment of the Maronite Christians, perhaps those most capable, and willing, to withstand the imposition of dhimmitude. The brave remarks of Bashir Gemayal (who first coined the word "dhimmitude" in a speech given on the day he was murdered), or the remarks in 1947, so openly and warmhearedly in favor of the nascent Jewish state, by Bishop Moubarac (see Bat Ye'or, The Decline of Eastern Christiantiy Under Islam, and Islam and Dhimmitude), are symptomatic of another school. But the "Muslim" Christians, or "Christian" Muslims, such as Hanan Ashrawi, Archbishop Hilarion Cappucci, who sold icons stolen from churches, and bought weapons for the PLO, Naim Ataeek (a current PLO propagandist who appears at every possible Christian congress or convention he can, to plead for his "fellow Christians" to heed the cause of the "martyred Palestinian people," and so on and so nauseatingly forth, along with some allies in the Vatican, have not only kept it from seeing that Israel is fighting a Jihad, one aimed at wiping out the Infidel sovereign state, but also from recognizing the threat to Christianity within Europe.

Once upon a time Jesuit missionaries went as far as China and Japan, braving death. In Canada, missionaries were, it is said, burned at the stake.

Yet not only is that spirit gone -- there is no signficant effort to convert the Muslims within Europe, even in order to protect the civilization which, if post-Christian, is nonetheless tied to, because arising out of, Christianity or Judeo-Christianity, but still worse, the Vatican and those who have been its most sycophantic followers among Italian politicians, such as the crooked Giulio Andreotti, and the pious, uncrooked President Pertini, were the moving forces behind the gift of three hectares of prime Roman real estate for the building of the Rome Mosque not a mile from the Vatican.

Oriana Fallaci's indictment of the Vatican is exactly right. One hopes that La Forza della Ragione will soon be translated, but not by the author herself; she does not recognize the damage done to the reception of her work in English by her own Italianisms, and by the many local (Italian, even Tuscan) references, which will not, alas, travel well. But the book is too important not to be read, even if a few such allusions must be ignored.

I think it's time, or never, to read Leo XIII encyclical "SUPREMI APOSTOLATUS OFFICIO". You can find it at : http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/leo_xiii/encyclicals/documents/hf_l-xiii_enc_01091883_supremi-apostolatus-officio_fr.html
He remind the urge for praying rosary : "While, therefore, we endeavour in every way to preserve the rights of the Church and to obviate or repel present or contingent dangers, We constantly seek for help from Heaven - the sole means of effecting anything-that our labours and our care may obtain their wished for object. We deem that there could be no surer and more efficacious means to this end than by religion and piety to obtain the favour of the great Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, the guardian of our peace and the minister to us of heavenly grace, who is placed on the highest summit of power and glory in Heaven, in order that she may bestow the help of her patronage on men who through so many labours and dangers are striving to reach that eternal city." (...)
"It has always been the habit of Catholics in danger and in troublous times to fly for refuge to Mary, and to seek for peace in her maternal goodness" (...)
"This devotion, so great and so confident, to the august Queen of Heaven, has never shone forth with such brilliancy as when the militant Church of God has seemed to be endangered by the violence of heresy spread abroad, or by an intolerable moral corruption, or by the attacks of powerful enemies" (...)
"The efficacy and power of this devotion was also wondrously exhibited in the sixteenth century, when the vast forces of the Turks threatened to impose on nearly the whole of Europe the yoke of superstition and barbarism." (...)
"Similarly, important successes were in the last century gained over the Turks at Temeswar, in Pannonia, and at Corfu; and in both cases these engagements coincided with feasts of the Blessed Virgin and with the conclusion of public devotions of the Rosary." (...)
"May now the Christian nations, excited by Our exhortations, and inflamed by your appeals, seek the protection of Mary with an ardour growing greater day by day; let them cling more and more to the practice of the Rosary, to that devotion which our ancestors were in the habit of practicing, not only as an ever-ready remedy for their misfortunes, but as a whole badge of Christian piety. The heavenly Patroness of the human race will receive with joy these prayers and supplications, and will easily obtain that the good shall grow in virtue, and that the erring should return to salvation and repent; and that God who is the avenger of crime, moved to mercy and pity may deliver Christendom and civil society from all dangers, and restore to them peace so much desired."
It's time for every catholic to read it, and practise it.

O'Connor may have one thing right. I think on of the reasons the Jihadist have turned to terror is poverty & inequality of armed forces. Even though many muslim countries spend large portions of their GNP on the military, they are are often-not always-- bully armies ment to cowl the locals. They have found out with serveral encounters with the Israelies and Russians that open warfare is something they are not very good at. Hence a resort to terrorism.
Just a thought.

Dear Human Rights,

Shrug. Form your own opinion (where bloggers haven't deleted his offensive comments). I didn't read this missive from Mr. D'H, so I have nothing to say about it. I have read his opinions elsewhere, and, playing the odds, I haven't taken the time to read this one.

Cheers -

bw

You haven't read it and you posted this comment? You just go around smearing this poor guy? What did he do, steal your girlfriend? Sheesh. Leave him alone, or criticize this piece on its merits.

As in the case of priests that sexually abused our children in the church; the pope says nothing. just a christians are being killed by the thousands in indonesia, africa, etc. the pope says nothing. as innocent jews are killed by bombers, the pope says nothing. as saddam kills thousands of his oun people, the pope says nothing. as the jihad continues to spill the blood of innocent people, the pope says nothing. As a catholic i feel ashamed.