Inaccurate and extreme

By Cheshire ( articles - email ) | May 15, 2003

Hoping against hope, the National Catholic Register (May 11-17) says apropos the bizarre statements on Iraq by authoritative Vatican sources: "...readers will have noted that they stopped several weeks ago. Only a few now speak for the Vatican on war questions, and we expect you will find them more circumspect."

Not so. The latest essay in Civilta Cattolica is in fact more inaccurate and extreme, and unrepentant about its previous mistaken commentary. This lush polemicism will further hurt the Vatican's credibility when it exercises legitimate authority in speaking on matters of faith and morals. Something seems oddly amiss in the Curia whose behavior is unfairly making the Vatican resemble the Magic Kingdom.