(CWNews.com) - The government of Iran is preparing to ask for Vatican mediation to stave off a possible crisis in relations with the United States, Time magazine reports.
According to Time, Iranian diplomats are ready to ask the Holy See to serve as intermediary in talks if relations with the US-- already tense-- escalate further toward a possible military conflict.
The Time report does not say whether or not the Vatican has indicated a willingness to act as a mediator. But Pope Benedict-- like his predecessor Pope John Paul II -- has consistently raised his voice in opposition to military confrontations.
In May the Holy Father received Iran's former president, Seyyed Mohammad Khatami, in an unusual private audience. (The meeting was unusual in that Khatami, who remains highly influential although he no longer holds a top government post, was accorded the diplomatic courtesies ordinarily reserved for major political leader.) After that meeting the Vatican issued a statement saying that the two had discussed their shared commitment to "overcoming the severe tensions that mark our time."
According to Time, Iranian diplomats are ready to ask the Holy See to serve as intermediary in talks if relations with the US-- already tense-- escalate further toward a possible military conflict.
The Time report does not say whether or not the Vatican has indicated a willingness to act as a mediator. But Pope Benedict-- like his predecessor Pope John Paul II -- has consistently raised his voice in opposition to military confrontations.
In May the Holy Father received Iran's former president, Seyyed Mohammad Khatami, in an unusual private audience. (The meeting was unusual in that Khatami, who remains highly influential although he no longer holds a top government post, was accorded the diplomatic courtesies ordinarily reserved for major political leader.) After that meeting the Vatican issued a statement saying that the two had discussed their shared commitment to "overcoming the severe tensions that mark our time."
2 comments:
The Holy Father should tell Khatami to take his foot off the neck of the non-Muslims in his country, then he'll consider his request.
Interesting that Khatami sees the Holy Father as the person to go to in this situation; no one else has the integrity or authority for this.
I pray this will meet with better success than the efforts of Pope Benedict XV; If he had been listened to WWI could have been a lot shorter and maybe WWII may never have happened. Now let's avoid another massive war.
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