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Article: Mixed messages on force abound during papal trip.
- Article from:
- National Catholic Reporter
- Article date:
- October 5, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 National Catholic Reporter. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The pope is not a pacifist, papal spokesperson Joaquin Navarro-Valls said, and the church recognizes a right to self defense.
As Pope John Paul II began a late September journey to central Asia, a region seemingly destined to form the front line of America's new war against terrorism, one towering question loomed: What would be said about the use of force?
Twenty-four hours into the trip, we had an answer.
Then 24 hours later, we had another.
By the time John Paul boarded an Armenia Airlines jet to go back to Rome, Catholic leaders seemed to be groping toward yet a third.
Perhaps the new kind of war American officials are now ...