This is pretty much common knowledge at this point, but it is a tale still worth telling. Before Bush’s Iraq war, a Vatican delegation led (I believe) by Cardinal Pio Laghi came to America to try and dissuade the administration from invading and occupying Iraq. They made two main points. First, there was no way the just war theory applied, especially as the threat was not imminent. Second, the Vatican’s sources stated that Saddam Hussein possessed no weapons of mass destruction, and they were pretty confident that this was the truth.
The response? The Bushies totally ignored the point on weapons of mass destruction, and instead proceeded to lecture the Vatican delegation on Michael Novak’s heterodox just war theory. The Vatican delegation left in a state of shock and disbelief. I believe, but am not certain, that Condi Rice was in the room. Kind of adds a new twist on Benedict’s refusal to meet with her this summer, no?
(This information comes from an impeccable source, who spoke to somebody on the Vatican delegation who was in the room at the time.)
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