Pope urges Mid-East peace talks

It's amazing that someone who plays to the fact that he sees himself as a man of God seems to have so much difficulty getting on with God's representative here on Earth. President Bush's meeting today with Pope Benedict XVI was described by the Vatican as "cordial", which I presume is Vatican-speak for "it went down like a cup of cold sick".

Of course, Bush may have a hard time getting on with Pope's because God is always sending Bush contradictory signals. For instance, before the Iraq war Bush told the world that he had consulted with his "other Father", which was widely thought to be implying that he felt that by invading Iraq he was in some way "doing God's work".

Then God, ever the mischief maker, only went and told the Pope John Paul II the exact opposite and urged him to publicly call for Bush not to invade Iraq. Of course, the notion of Papal infallibility was lost on "The Decider" who decided to ignore the Pope and plough on into Iraq anyway. And, as we all know, that war went so swimmingly that God had obviously marked Bush's card in advance. One nil to "The Decider". Early bath for the Pope.

So, with that victory ringing in his ears Bush swept off to the Vatican yesterday to no doubt explain to another confused Pope why "The Decider" is actually the infallible one.

The Pope obviously hadn't read up or sufficiently prepared for his meeting because he told Bush that he would like to see a "regional and negotiated" solution to Mid-East conflicts. Oh, how Bush must have rolled his eyes when that old Turkey came back on the table. Where has the Pope been?

Negotiate with terrorists? He's obviously been talking to James Baker and that Iraq Survey Group crowd. Terrorist sympathisers to a man.

Also, had the Pope really been infallible he would have known that, under the Bush administration, there has been less negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians than at any other time in recent history. "God gave Israel the land" no doubt went through Bush's head but he probably decided it would be impolite to point out the Pope's lack of knowledge over scripture.

"The worrying situation in Iraq and the critical situation of the Christian community there" were among issues discussed along with "the Middle East, the Israeli-Palestinian question and Lebanon," the Vatican said in a statement.

Having only discovered that there were such things as Sunnis and Shi'ias in Iraq, Bush must have thought his head was going to explode when informed that there are also Christians there. "But then, the Pope didn't even know God gave Israel all that land" Bush must have pondered, before deciding that the Pope was talking rot.

Thankfully, they soon moved on to foetus' and Jesus where Bush is on much stronger, more "Pope-like" ground.

The two men also discussed "ethical and religious issues" including human rights and freedom of religion, "the defence and promotion of life, marriage and the family, the education of new generations and sustainable development," it said.

Bush will have been happy to end on a high note and drag his ass out of there.

It's so strange that both Bush and Blair, who both say they are strongly religious, find it so hard to get along with Pope's. And the last two have hardly been left wing loons, they've both been as solidly right wing as you can get.

And yet, Bush always seem to find himself on the wrong side of God's representative on Earth. Bush should ask God to have a word.

Click title for full article.

Tags: Pope Benedict XVI, John Paul II. President Bush, Iraq war