THE VATICAN, ISRAEL AND ISLAM

THE VATICAN, ISRAEL AND ISLAM IN THE HEADLINES:

Vatican Denounces Saddam's Execution as 'Tragic'
Associated Press December 30, 2006

Walk in harmony with Muslims, pope urges Christians at pilgrimage end
Catholic News Service December 1, 2006 John Thavis

Pope hailed for praying toward Mecca like Muslims
Reuters December 1, 2006 Philip Pullella and Tom Heneghan

Turkey: Pope Visit To Ephesus Highlights Mary's Interfaith Role
Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty November 29, 2006 Jeffrey Donovan

Vatican, Patriarchate both Seek Dialogue with Islam
Zaman November 26, 2006 Erkan Acar

Holy Land churches, and The Vatican's envoy, attack Christian Zionism
Reuters - Wash. Post August 31, 2006 Matthew Tostevin

Pontificating Against Israel (Why isn’t the Vatican allowing self-defense against terrorism?)
Frontpagemag.com July 25, 2006 Joseph D'Hippolito

Lebanon Turns to the Vatican to Halt Israeli Offensive
Arutz Sheva/(IsraelNN.com) July 20, 2006 (24 Tammuz 5766)

Vatican Condemns Israel for Attacks on Lebanon
Reuters July 14, 2006
(suggested alternate headline - " Vatican: 'At least Hezbollah doesn't use artificial contraception!' " - AT)

Jerusalem Church leaders urge int’l community not to boycott Palestinians
Catholic News Agency April 13, 2006

Vatican Says Jerusalem "Issue" is Too Important to Leave to Israel, PA
www.arutzsheva.net January 3, 2006 (3 Tevet 5766)

Papal Official Wants to Divide Jerusalem
Arutz Sheva December 24, 2005 (23 Kislev 5766)

Vatican: Parts of David’s Tomb to Be Under Papal Control
Israel National News Oct. 20, 2005 Naomi Grossman

The Vatican's Terrorism Omission
FrontPageMagazine.com August 1, 2005 Alan M. Dershowitz

Israel protests Papal silence on terror
Jerusalem Post July 26, 2005

Vatican criticises Israel over pope's anti-terror message
Agence France-Presse July 25, 2005

Vatican relocating Jerusalem institute for Jewish studies to Rome
Associated Press January 24, 2003

Vatican Condemns Israel’s Ban on Arafat’s Travels to Bethlehem
IsraelNationalNews.com December 24, 2001 (9 Tevet 5762)

Israel Protests Vatican-PA Agreement on Jerusalem
CNSNews.com February 15, 2000

Israel says Vatican making baseless accusations in Nazareth dispute
Associated Press November 24, 1999

Vatican condemns 'divisive' Israel
Sunday Times (UK) November 24, 1999 Sam Kiley

Pope Kisses the Islamic Koran
FIDES News Service June 1, 1999

THE CATHOLIC OPINION OF ISRAEL:

"It implied the claim that this society now constituted the true people of God that the Old Covenant was passing away, and that He, the promised Messias, was inaugurating a New Covenant with a New Israel."

"They [the Catholic Church] are the new congregation of Israel -- the theocratic polity: they are the people (laos) of God."
- New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia

THE TRADITIONALIST CATHOLIC (TO THE FAR RIGHT OF THE VATICAN) VIEW OF ISRAEL:

"Regarding religion, I am against the Jews and Muslims. Regarding politics, I think that the only solution for the Holy Land is to be a Catholic Kingdom, as established and held by the Crusaders for 200 years.... Is God behind the confusion of the interminable Arab-Israeli mutual destruction? If He is, it would explain how He is punishing those who pretend to be the owners of His Holy Land: Jews and Arabs."

- Atila Sinke Guimarães, Tradition In Action editorial, August 9, 2006

THE TRADITIONALIST CATHOLIC VIEW OF PROTESTANT CHRISTIANS:
"There is no salvation for those outside the [Catholic] Church ... I believe it ... Put it this way. My wife is a saint. She’s a much better person than I am. Honestly. She’s, like, Episcopalian, Church of England. She prays, she believes in God, she knows Jesus, she believes in that stuff. And it’s just not fair if she doesn’t make it, she’s better than I am. But that is a pronouncement from the chair. I go with it."

- Mel Gibson in a September 2003 interview with Peter Boyer for the New Yorker, on the very audience who made his film a success (the ADL should've jumped on this one and publicized it to the Evangelical Christian community).