Pope Benedict Says He Has "Growing Awareness" Of Need To Save Life On Earth - IHT

[hatrack]

VATICAN CITY: Pope Benedict XVI said Wednesday he has a "growing awareness" of the need to save the planet, and urged the faithful to pray and work with him for the protection of the environment.

It was the second time in four days that Benedict had launched his eco-friendly message. This weekend, the pontiff attended an environment-conscious rally that drew 500,000 people to the town of Loreto in central Italy.

"Protection of water resources and carefulness toward climate change are issues of the utmost importance for the entire human family," Benedict said during his general audience at St. Peter's Square.

"Encouraged by a growing awareness of the need to defend the environment, I invite you to pray and work with me for a better respect of the wonders of God's creation," he said.

EDIT

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/09/05/europe/EU-GEN-Vatican-Pope-Environment.php

Congratulations. Bravo. Perhaps you and the institution you lead can spend a little more time on this, and a little less time worrying about what people do with their wee-wees.

[Benhurst]

1. How about approving birth control to help cut back on the world's

population?

[NC_Nurse]

6. Every sperm is sacred, dontcha know?

What's with "growing awareness"? I thought the Pope had direct hotline to God.
Shouldn't he have been one of the first to know?
Or could he just be a regular guy in a really silly outfit?

Makes ya wonder....

[Ian David]

8. Every time a man masturbates, it sequesters nearly three tons of CO2. n/t

[happyslug]

15. The Popes have back the "Rhythm Method" of birth Control since 1939.

I know people don't like the "Rhythm Method" for it tends to be unreliable, but since 1939 the Catholic Church has said sex is for more than procreation (The ruling was made by Pius XII). Pius XII expanded on this in two letter in the 1950s.

Now Pius XI, Pius XII predecessor had been more anti-nazi than Pius XII was. Part of this is Pius XI died in 1939, before WWI began, and Pius XII was pope during the fighting and wanted to stay neutral as much as possible (More in the hope of negotiating a settlement as Pope Benedict XVI had tried during WWI). Pius XI read a book written by an American Jesuit attacking segregation in the American South. Pius XI approved of the book and asked the writer to write a similar paper on the Nazis and the Jews. Pius XI also issued a statement stating "we are all Semites" as Hitler made the life of the Jews in Germany worse.

Now both, Pius XI and pius XII had the same name, but how they viewed the Papacy was different. Pius XI was a book worm, read extensively, was the Vatican Librarian before he became pope (Through did operate in the Diplomatic Corp of the Vatican). Pius XII had almost always served in the Diplomatic Corp of the Vatican. As such Pius XII preferred to talk and discuss problems and did NOT like do anything that may offend someone (Thus when the book about German Jews was finished when Pius XII was pope, Pius XII suppressed the book let it offend Hitler, believing that he could NOT deal with Hitler if Hitler was offended by the Book, an unimportant concern to Pius XI). Just two different men with difference in how to use the papacy, but as a whole both had the same goals, an Independent Catholic Church and a rejection of the idea that one's religious belief should be kept out of sight. Thus unlike other Religious leaders they had to address the issue of Sex, and did so by backing the "Rhythm Method". You may disagree with the birth control method, but at least they addressed the issue as opposed to ignoring it.

For more on Pius Xi:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Pius_XI
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/pius_xi/index.htm

For more on Pius XII:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Pius_XII
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/pius_xii/

The 1938 letter attacking Nazism:
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/pius_xi/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xi_enc_14031937_mit-brennender-sorge_en.html

Reports on Pius XII and the Holocaust:
http://www.catholicleague.org/pius/framemain.htm
http://www.piusxii.info/

[The_Casual_Observer]

2. Overpopulation is the major cause of most of our problems.

So nothing will come of any of this.

[DS1]

3. Isn't the Pope supposed to be born with that awareness?

Or at least 'get' it when the white smoke comes out?

[Ian David]

4. "For example, when printing gay-bashing material, use BOTH sides of the paper," says Pope Ratso.

Still, giving Black Collar DoGoodery credit where it is due, even to Popenfuhrer Maledict.

http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2006/09/16/knPOPE_wideweb__470x367,0.jpg
"Also, I think it is important to wash our hands after we poop. Even if it's not the hand we wiped with."

[NC_Nurse]

7. Bwahahaha!

:yourock:

[valerief]

5. God, while we still have water, will someone drown this albatross around humanity's neck? nt

[cliss]

9. Guess what brought about this sudden "revelation"

The Pope lives in Italy. Italy is frying right now. The Pope's air conditioner is on full-blast 24/7.

Why?

Because of weather changes. The countries around the equator are frying right now. The cloud layers have pulled back to the poles and are causing huge weather disturbances. Greece was in flames last week.

Cause? Overpopulation.

Just goes to show ya. Nobody's interested until it affects THEM personally. Good luck, Ratzinger.

[kestrel91316]

10. I'm sure he thinks God will provide plenty of natural resources

for all the people he wants to see born, given his aversion to birth control.

Hey, Ratso, maybe it would be better if God would just whisk all those souls straight up to heaven, rather than forcing them to be born into certain poverty and suffering here, and then die some tragic, miserable death in order to get to heaven.

[graywarrior]

11. Who does Jesus talk to more, the Pope or Bush?

Hmmmmm.

[NC_Nurse]

12. Makes you wonder about his standards...

[graywarrior]

13. He can't be that hard up.

[phantom power]

14. Great. The biosphere is on their prayer list.

I feel safer already.
:eyes: