Soldier considering converting, but hesitant?

[eringobragh82]

In fairness, the service was on Vatican grounds and not St. Peter’s itself.

I tend to agree with you on a variety of issues, both from a historical point of view as well as a diplomatic one, but the personal diplomatic prerogatives of one Papacy doesn’t really dissuade me from my cornerstone of faith in Jesus Christ and his Catholic Church.

I know the Vatican’s diplomatic stance doesn’t affect me directly, but it seems like very little other than words is being done to help Christians in such regions.

For comparison, and in no way am I endorsing this, but if the US treated Muslims the way the Arab nations treat Christians, we’d have waves of suicide bombers and Mubai-style shooters swarming our borders with the full blessing of not only the Hierarchy in Mecca, but most every muslim head of state on earth. Meanwhile, Christians are slaughtered, tortured, and imprisoned for asking to build a church, and nothing is done. It seems wrong and unjust that the Vatican is not only unwilling to exert its influence to help these people, but is willing to rub elbows with those responsible to please the media.

 

[Spelf]

I understand your concerns and do not agree with the fraternization either, but as just or unjust as the diplomacy of the Holy See is, it has little actual impact of the Salvific power of the Church.

 

[DavidFilmer]

The Pope, or any other Christian, can’t even enter the city holding the holiest site in Islam, much less the shrine itself, yet they think they’ve got a license to march into St. Peter’s?

They don’t claim it as an inherent right, but they have been invited. By the Pope.
The really amazing thing is that they accepted.

I figure that the Pope can invite anyone he wants to Vatican City. Likewise, they could invite the Pope to Mecca, and I think he would probably accept.