Need info about Vatican's statements RE: Iraq war

I thought I had some archived from back before the war started, but I can't seem to find them now. Can anybody point me in the direction where I can find statements the Vatican made prior to the war's starting? I thought L'Observatore Romano would be a logical place to look, but I found no way to access its archives.

I did a general Google search but came up with nothing definitive -- I'd like to have the statements come directly from the Vatican, not spun through this publication or that, if that makes any sense...

Thanks in advance.

Click on this link:
http://www.google.com/search?as_q=Pope+2003&num=100&hl=en&c2coff=1&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=Ash+Wednesday&as_oq=&as_eq=&lr=lang_en&as_ft=i&as_filetype=&as_qdr=all&as_nlo=&as_nhi=&as_occt=any&as_dt=i&as_sitesearch=&safe=off

If it doesn't work,

Go to Google Search Advanced
http://www.google.com/advanced_search?

Put 'Pope 2003' in the 'all the words' line (w/o quotes)

Put 'Ash Wednesday' in the 'exact phrase line' (w/o quotes)
On Language, ask for just English pages

That pulls up 11,000 english pages. The first from a CNN article says:

"VATICAN CITY -- Pope John Paul II has called on the world's one billion Catholics to observe Ash Wednesday with fasting and prayer to avert a "dramatic conflict" in Iraq.

At the same time, the leader of the Catholic community has sent a peace envoy to Washington to urge U.S. President George W. Bush to step back from the brink of war.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a 40-day period before Easter during which the faithful fast and seek penitence.

This year the pontiff is asking Catholics to dedicate the Ash Wednesday fast for the cause of peace. The Anglican Church is also observing a day of fasting and prayer for peace in Iraq."........

http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/03/05/sprj.irq.pope/

And from USA Today:

Papal emissary questions Bush on Iraq

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pleading for peace, an emissary from Pope John Paul II questioned President Bush Wednesday on whether he was doing all he could to avert what the envoy called an "unjust" war with Iraq.

Bush said removing Saddam Hussein would make the world more peaceful.

The president met with Cardinal Pio Laghi, a former Vatican ambassador to the United States and a Bush family friend, on Ash Wednesday, the start of the Christian Lenten season of penance and spiritual renewal leading up to Easter.

Bush told the envoy in a 40-minute meeting that "if it comes to the use of force, he believes it will make the world better," said White House spokesman Ari Fleischer, who attended the private meeting. "Removing the threat to the region will lead to a better, more peaceful world in which innocent Iraqis will have a better life."

Laghi came bearing the pope's message: A war would be a "defeat for humanity" and would be neither morally nor legally justified.

In Rome, the pope called for "common efforts to spare humanity another dramatic conflict."

The Vatican stands by its view that a pre-emptive strike on Iraq is immoral unless backed by the United Nations, Laghi said.

"It's illegal, it's unjust," Laghi told reporters after the session with Bush.

(more in article:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2003-03-05-bush-catholic_x.htm


If this gets you what you want, I'll send you the address to which you can send me a bottle of Jim Beam! Or you can acknowledge that I'm a genius. :P

Frankly, having a paper like USA Today report this might be just as useful. There are however links to quite a few Catholic and peace organizations on the search results. The problem with the Holy See is that it's extensive website is mostly in Italian.

PT

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/special_features/peace/documents/peace_20030306_card-laghi-usa-meeting_en.html

STATEMENT OF CARDINAL PIO LAGHI,
SPECIAL ENVOY OF JOHN PAUL II
TO PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH

Washington D.C., United States of America
Wednesday, 5 March 2003



I was privileged to have been sent by the Holy Father as his Special Envoy to President George Bush. I assured him of the Holy Father’s great esteem and affection for the American people and the United States of America.

The purpose of my visit was to deliver a personal message of the Holy Father to the President regarding the Iraqi crisis, to expound upon the Holy See's position and to report on the various initiatives undertaken by the Holy See to contribute to disarmament and peace in the Middle East.

Out of respect for the President and because of the importance of this moment, I am not in a position to discuss the substance of our conversation, nor am I able to release the text of the personal letter of the Holy Father to the President.

The Holy See is urging those in positions of civil authority to take fully into account all aspects of this crisis. In that regard, the Holy See’s position has been two-fold. First, the Iraqi government is obliged to fulfill completely and fully its international obligations regarding human rights and disarmament under the UN resolutions with respect for international norms. Second, these obligations and their fulfillment must continue to be pursued within the framework of the United Nations.

The Holy See maintains that there are still peaceful avenues within the context of the vast patrimony of international law and institutions which exist for that purpose. A decision regarding the use of military force can only be taken within the framework of the United Nations, but always taking into account the grave consequences of such an armed conflict: the suffering of the people of Iraq and those involved in the military operation, a further instability in the region and a new gulf between Islam and Christianity.

I want to emphasize that there is great unity on this grave matter on the part of the Holy See, the Bishops in the United States, and the Church throughout the world.

I told the President that today, on Ash Wednesday, Catholics around the world are following the Pope’s request to pray and fast for peace this day. The Holy Father himself continues to pray and hope that all leaders who face difficult decisions will be inspired in their search for peace."


Try googling this:


http://www.google.com/search?as_q=Iraq&num=100&hl=en&c2coff=1&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=Cardinal+Pio+Laghi&as_oq=&as_eq=&lr=lang_en&as_ft=i&as_filetype=&as_qdr=all&as_nlo=&as_nhi=&as_occt=any&as_dt=i&as_sitesearch=&safe=off

phrase: Cardinal Pio Laghi
word: Iraq

Thanks, Princess!

:hi: