Friday, September 6, 2013

Papal Notes - Papal Global Bully Pulpit

"Pope Francis on Thursday (Sept. 5) told world leaders gathered in Russia for the G-20 summit that a military intervention in Syria would be “futile,” urging them to focus instead on dialogue and reconciliation to bring peace to the war-torn country.
For Francis, just six months on the job, the Syria question will test his ability to summon the power of his global bully pulpit....

Francis took the unusual step of penning a letter to world leaders ahead of a global day of fasting and prayer for peace in Syria that Catholics will observe on Saturday (Sept. 7).
Francis will preside a marathon five-hour vigil in St. Peter’s Square, and the Vatican has invited believers of all faiths and even nonbelievers to join in in whichever way they see fit.
To reinforce the pope’s peace effort, on Thursday the Vatican also briefed ambassadors from some 70 countries on its position on the Syrian conflict.
The pope’s forceful stance on Syria marks the Holy See’s return as an actor on the international stage. Despite being the world’s smallest state, the Vatican has one of the oldest and largest diplomatic networks in the world. It enjoys the status of permanent observer at the United Nations."
ReligionNewsService
And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death;
and his deadly wound was healed:
and all the world wondered after the beast.
Revelation 13:3