Pope Leo Striking Out in Lebanon
Growing up in Chicago as a White Sox fan, it’s safe to assume that Robert Francis Prevost was very much part of the baseball culture. It’s also safe to assume that he knows the term “swing and miss.” As the Pope, it’s astounding to see him swing and miss, not once but three times, in the context of his brief visit to Lebanon.
Arriving in the war-torn and Hezbollah-dominated country, Pope Leo delivered public remarks ranging on a variety of topics – peace, religious coexistence, the country’s economic crisis, political divisions, and lingering effects of the Israel-Hezbollah war. He even delved into international diplomatic issues that would otherwise be far afield from his theological role as head of the Catholic church, seen by many as a foul ball.
His first strike was not saying anything to ensure the protection and well-being of Christians in Lebanon, long threatened and attacked by Islamists. His best attempt, but definitely a swing and a miss, was to make a passive statement urging native Christians to remain in Lebanon and be part of the country’s pluralistic past.
Leo did not, however, explicitly address the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, Lebanon’s requirement to disarm Hezbollah by the end of 2025, or the sectarian threats and violence of Islamists that created the Christian exodus from the country, where Christians once represented more than half the population. Rather than doing so, he tepidly waited until his airport departure press conference, boldly stating, “The Church has put forward a proposal urging Hezbollah to lay down arms and prioritize dialogue,” adding, “Armed struggle brings no benefit: renounce violence and engage in constructive talks.”
Leo placed himself in the center of a month-old ceasefire that is weeks away from failure. Had it not been for the roar of his jet, Hezbollah’s leaders’ hysterical laughter would have been audible in Rome.
Urging Christians to remain without addressing the threats to them and the obligation to protect the Christian population is analogous to telling an abused wife to remain in her abusive home without ensuring her protection. Essentially, he threw his faithful under the wheels of his own Popemobile.
Pope Leo’s second strike was his comments en route to Lebanon, calling for a “two-state solution” regarding Israel and the Palestinian Arabs. He was mute on protecting Lebanese Christians but put Israel in the crosshairs, suggesting that creating another Islamist Arab state, narrowing Israel’s borders, and threatening the Jewish state is the “only path” to peace and justice for Israel and Palestinian Arabs.
1 comment:
The revelation of 666 and the False Prophet grows near.
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