How far would you go to save an innocent life?
This morning, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, who serves as the Vatican’s representative in Jerusalem, offered that he was willing to allow himself to be delivered as a hostage to Hamas in exchange for the release of the children currently being held captive by that group.
"I am ready for an exchange, anything, if this can lead to freedom, to bring the children home. No problem. There is total willingness on my part," he said during a press conference.
Nearly 200 Hostages Remain in Gaza
Israel this morning updated its count to indicate that it believes that Hamas is holding 199 people hostage in Gaza, including children and elderly civilians. It is also believed that some Americans may be among the group. The Cardinal continued his conference by explaining that his office has not been in contact with Hamas regarding his offer, stating that Hamas is “difficult” to communicate with.
Hamas, according to Iranian government officials who have communicated with them, have expressed that they are willing to release the hostages when Israeli missile attacks cease.
"The first thing to do is to try to win the release of the hostages, otherwise there will be no way of stopping (an escalation). We are willing to help, even me personally," Pizzaballa continued.
Pope Francis Weighs In
The cardinal's comments this morning come in the wake of controversial comments made by Pope Francis yesterday lamenting the violence in the region and pleading for de-escalation and the opening of humanitarian corridors.
The Israeli government was purportedly infuriated by the Pope’s statements, apparently going so far as to phone an Archbishop to protest the comments and demand that the Pope issue a new statement including a “clear and unequivocal” condemnation of Hamas and its initial attack, which killed 1,300 in Israel. Palestinian sources indicate that 2,600 individuals have been killed as the result of Israeli counter-attacks.
More Bloodshed to Come?
It is difficult to keep track of the daily developments in the region, but as of the time of this writing, there were reports that Israel was preparing to launch a ground assault into Gaza.
Cardinal Pizzaballa in his role acts as the leader of the approximately 300,000 Roman Catholics who live in Israel, Palestine, Jordan, and Cyprus. Christians, along with Jews and Muslims, have called this area home for centuries.
In recent days, tensions between the Jewish and Islamic neighbors have escalated to levels not seen in decades in the wake of an attack carried out by Hamas within Israel. Hamas, which dozens of countries have declared to be a terrorist organization, is a militant Islamist group which spun off from the Muslim Brotherhood more than thirty years ago.
The internationally recognized representative of the Palestinian people is the Palestinian Liberation Organization, led by the Fatah political party, which has long been at odds with Hamas and has rejected its call for violence against Israel. Hamas, for its part, still does assert de facto control over some regions, most notably the Gaza Strip.
As he continues to call for de-escalation, the Pope has also declared that tomorrow, the 17th of October, should be a day of prayer and fasting to “to oppose the diabolical force of hatred, terrorism and war.”
In Cardinal Pizzaballa's mind, however, it appears thoughts and prayers may not be enough.
What is your reaction?
52 comments
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Rev Ned
A good Catholic! There should be more like him.
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Arch Bishiop Rev Robert E Wright Jr
Well the Bible in revelations states there be wars in israel and all the militaries around the world will gather for Armogadion for final battle So we are now looking at the Truth And the End of time it self At this point your sins will not be forgiven And you all and i must repent your sins before it is too late
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Lionheart
Hogwash, Sir Robert, but thank you for listing your delusion that’s been inspired by a book. People said those same things as you just said prior to WW1, and then also WW2, being as it didn’t happen in WW1.
Your intellect, and comprehension of reality, (caused by the chains of your indoctrination from religion) is sadly lacking.
I seriously hope you find the help you need, and may Zeus have mercy on your soul 🤭
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Pastor George Day
Lionheart,
Those two wars were also the fulfilment of prophecy. We are at the end of the 1000 years now, where the devil is temporarily released.
The thing about viewing prophecy is like observing a landscape with high mountains. You see a nice portrait from afar, but as you walk through you will notice that the unfolding is not as smooth as their portrait.
I think you get the picture.
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Lionheart
I see there has been a reference to Religious Trauma Syndrome (RTS) here in this thread topic. If you know of anyone suffering from RTS, there is a virtual conference coming up, Oct 20-22, discussing this topic at: ReligiousTraumaConferance.org.
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Pastor George Day
Lionheart,
Being a RTS survivor myself, the very reason why I started my church online was to prevent or minimize that from happening to our members.,
They can either be members of other face-to-face churches as well or only our own online. But the bottom-line is, while we endorse mainstream teaching on human sexuality, we accept everyone and do not dictate to them how to live their lives. We encourage them to reconcile mainstream truth with their lived experience.
https://theologyofthebody.webador.co.uk
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Rev. Carol M Anaski-Figurski
God works in mysterious ways! For Cardinal Pizzabelli a high priest in exchange for all the children being held hostage. I give my blessing "Be Bold In Christ " Walk softly & Be Courages in Prayer My sacrifice.
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Colleen McAllister
Quite a lot if hatred in this thread.
Commenting on the Cardinal's offer, he is being quite selfless, if a bit innocent of what is behind this war. Read Revelations. Read the historical books of the Old Testament. Read the words of Christ. There will not be peace in the middle east, nor in the world, until history plays out and Christ returns.
This is a time to pray, not to condemn or attack. Genocide is always wrong, no matter how you try to justify it.
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Lionheart
Yep, genocide is always wrong. I bet you can find a justification though to support your gods genocide of drowning nearly everyone in earth. Thank goodness there’s no evidence to support that mythical tale in the book you revere.
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Keith Allen Steele Eash
You know Lionheart. I feel sorry for you. Someday you will stand before the Judgement Seat of God and then you'll wish you had accepted Christ as your personal Saviour. For as hateful as you are towards God I don't think praying for your salvation is worth anyone's time. For there is a chance of salvation in other faiths for all faiths teach some truth but not the ultimate truth. Hence, in God's judgrment some of other faiths may receive salvation. But, the ultimate gift of salvation is in Christ alone.
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Lionheart
Nah, I don’t think so, Sir Keith. Do you have any demonstrable evidence to support your ridiculous claim that we will all stand before a “Judgement Seat” of some kind, or are you just reading that from an old book written by a people that didn’t know where the sun went at night?
Your religious blackmail of a judgement seat doesn’t wash with me. I’ve helped too many people suffering with RTS (Religious Trauma Syndrome), a well know psychological condition by people that have been conned by that blackmailing threat of a waiting hell.
There is still no real evidence yet of the god you like to believe in, or any of the worlds gods people have created.
If you need to feel sorry for anyone, feel sorry for those suffering with RTS, that people like yourself have helped to create in people.
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Pastor George Day
Unfortunately RTS is a very real thing, a big shame on mainstream churches!
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Donald R. Wooster
As a Christian, I am told to not cast my pearls before swine. So, I don't. It's a waste of time in this thread, and it just angers the swine even more.
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Lionheart
Please stop referring to Joe Biden in your posts.🤭
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Pastor George Day
Keith Allen Steele Eash,
It is not our job to judge anyone's salvation. Our job is to share the Gospel from a personal firsthand experience.
I do not think Lionheart hates God. Why would he spend so much time here then? He is rather on his own journey, seeking his own answers.
Yeshua walked with two men towards Emmaus, and they didn't even know it was him, He helped incognito find the answers they were searching for. Only in the end did they understand who he was.
Judge not, or you shall be judged by the same measure you are using :-)
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Pastor George Day
This is a very wise comment, Colleen McAllister.
Thank you!
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Theresa C. Marquess
Aren't there enough problems in the Mid-East without Pierebattista Pizzaballa offering himself as a hostage to Hamas?
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Rev Mark D
You know I wouldn't mind to see a new Crusade, Evangelicals would keep the Catholics pointed in the right direction.
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Pastor George Day
Rev Mark D,
Yet, we would not join. LOL!
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Rev Mark D
Fine with me, great idea. For once Catholics can do something about reversing all the horrible crimes they did to the Jews for the last two thousand years including the Holocaust. Hamas will say no though, Hamas wants Jews dead, there's no way they would simply exchange Catholics and a few billion dollars to let out Israeli and American Jews. Those Jews are already dead I'm guessing, after they've been raped and slashed down and vivisected to nothing but bloody mud first, like the ones we witnessed on video in real live time, definitely they're gone already.
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Keith Allen Steele Eash
You're an anti catholic bigot. Catholics did a heck of a lot in saving as many Jewish people as possible from the jaws of the Nazi death machine. More then any other denomination. Back up your statement with proof.
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Pastor George Day
Keith Allen Steele Eash,
like their diplomatic silence under Pope Pius XII?
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Keith Allen Steele Eash
The PLO is pretty much a defunct non existent group.
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Pastor George Day
Keith Allen Steele Eash,
They are the ones at the UN, aren't they? I wonder if they have hidden dealings with Hamas. I wouldn't be surprised!
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Dr. Zerpersande, NSC
Ahhh, the old concept of “Trade something for a dog and then shoot the dog.’
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Rev Mark D
Zerp, I know these people, the dogs are already violated to the max, carved up, and now dead. They'll deal for as much as they can, get their llransom and then the world will somehow not be able to locate a molecule.
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Rev Mark D
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Daniel Gray
Ok if the PLO is against Hamas, then why dont they go into the town and retake the hostages themselves? They wont because all they are doing is lip service.
And for the ones who claim that there is a race called Palestinian how about you answer some simple questions
When was the country of Palestine founded and by whom?
What were its borders
What was its capitol
what were its major cities
Name one recognized "leader" before Arafat
What was their language
what was their religion
what was the name of their currency
choose any date in history and tell us what their exchange rate was with any other country
Since there is no such country as Palestine today or since 1945, tell us when it ended and why
Why did the so-called Palestinian race not claim to be an independent country and show its claimed borders till AFTER the major defeat of the Arab countries in the 6 day war in 1967 when the other Arab countries INVADED this mythical country
What was their major source of trade and who were their trading partners
What was their GDP
Where is the evidence that this is their land? Where is the historical documentation saying same? I mean Israel has The Tel Dan Stele which is a fragmentary stele containing a Canaanite inscription which dates to the 9th century BCE (900 years before christ) And the The Mesha Stele which clearly shows that the Jordanians were conquered by Israel 840 years BC and it clearly also shows trade between the Pharaohs of Egypt and Israel well before that time.
Now lets not use opinions, use historical fact. Want to bet you cant do it
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Michael Hunt
This comment is terribly ignorant of history and not worth breaking down point by point since some are redundant, others are irrelevant, and the whole post is just an attempt to de-legitimize the sovereignty of the Palestinian people. Shame on you.
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Daniel Gray
Nope its history and you are just upset because you cant answer even one of these questions and that destroys your rant.
And shame on you because there is no such race as Palestinian as even the Arabic nations call them BEDOUINS
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Michael Hunt
I guess I'll tell my wife's Palestinian family that they're actually Bedouins, not Palestinians, because DG said so and he's always right. Clearly you know better than they do. /s
Getting into an argument with you is pointless because even when you're presented with evidence that disputes your claims, you can't accept that you're wrong. You've been proven wrong too many times to count but you can't handle being "destroyed" like you so often claim you're doing to other people.
So whats the point of wasting my time going claim-by-claim giving answers to your asinine questions when you can't even acknowledge you're wrong?
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Pastor George Day
Michael Hunt,
I wonder how your comment made it through the moderators. You are ranting again with no evidence and being rude!
Daniel made valid points and asked you for evidence to back YOUR claim.
As for your wife's family, you should take on the Arabs, not us. They have been calling them Bedouins.
So, shame is on you for your lack of accuracy and for being rude.
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Pastor George Day
Michael Hunt,
You refer to a sovereignty they have NEVER had. They only claimed it after the formation of Israel as a state in 1948. Give evidence to the contrary.
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Pastor George Day
Daniel Gray,
Truth being factually said: the Palestinian country is a claim based on myth!
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Catherine
"Wars are always a defeat, always!" from the Catholic Church, which is among the worst of pot stirrers. Pure hypocrisy.
I think the Catholic Church wants to make another type of deal.
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Keith Allen Steele Eash
Another anti- Catholic bigot.
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Catherine
@Keith Allen Steele Eash
I've met many good people who are Catholic. It is the historical wickedness of leaders in the Catholic Church and other organized religions I abhor.
If I must be categorized, that would be an almost deist flavored by Jiddu Krishnamurti's insights with a touch of Manly P. Hall.
I don't like unnecessary conflict. I think most people don't.
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Rev Mark D
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Lionheart
Now that’s a real novel idea. I’m impressed. Please could Joel Osteen, Kenneth Copeland, Benny Hinn, and the leaders of the LDS church, JW church, Baptist churches, et al, now follow suit. It’s okay if they do, they can leave their mega mansions and sell their jets to give to the impoverished homeless. I’m sure their deities will be very pleased.
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Rev Mark D
Osteen cannot afford it, he pays himself a paltry 70 plus million dollars a year, yes every year, and that's just for him, his wife and family also draw fat compensation. So he has nothing to spare, his church is already too busy paying him and spending money for more and more endless media investments to scam Grandma out of her social security check every month, then everything he takes for himself and the rusty leaves for the church all go into US government bonds and Bitcoin.
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Rev Mark D
Copeland, Lion? I forgot how much of a sense of humor you have.
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Pastor George Day
Rev Mark D,
Kenneth Copeland is actually best friends with Pope Francis!
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Keith Allen Steele Eash
Ain't nothing novel. The Catholic Church has done this for years. Thete is a religious order "The Metcedarians" that used to always do this. But, the Pope needs to shut his freaking mouth. What Hamas did is uncalled for. What Israel does is defensive. Hamas uses people for cover. Israel is not responsible for civilians being killed. Let's face it. Half of the population is below the age of 18. That means you have about 1.5 million little terrorists being raised to hate. The Palestinians ate all backwards and crazy. They put bombs on children and blow up their own kids. Even bei.gva Christian and of Jewish background I do not feel for thrm. I do not shed one damn tear. This is one time when genocide is not a questionable solution.
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Michael Hunt
Wow what a fascist response from the hate-filled "Christian." Thinking that genocide is an acceptable solution is disgusting and completely antithetical to Christianity.
This is what happens when you consume conservative media; the constant lying and fearmongering poisons your brain. You begin to think your perceived enemies aren't human which makes it easier to hate them and, apparently, suggest "genocide is not a questionable solution."
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ServantOfJudgement
Michael,
Actually a country or person defending itself with lethal force after it's been attacked with lethal force is quite biblical. You won't find anything to the contrary in the document.
Long before there was conservative media the Palestinians were killing Israelites. This is nothing new, surely you don't think this most recent murderous rampage against Israel is fake conservative news do you? I know the dead liberal hippies at the music festival don't think so. I wonder how many of those hippies were sympathetic to the Palestinians cause as their throats were cut and bodies raped.
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Michael Hunt
Hamas does not represent all Palestinians. Hamas is a terrorist organization committing horrible atrocities against Israel but to claim that Israel is an innocent victim of senseless violence ignores decades of oppression by the state of Israel. Palestinians have had their homes stolen from them and suffered significantly more casualties over the past 2 decades. https://www.vox.com/2014/7/14/5898581/chart-israel-palestine-conflict-deaths https://www.statista.com/chart/16516/israeli-palestinian-casualties-by-in-gaza-and-the-west-bank/
To be very, very clear: Hamas does not represent all Palestinians just like the actions of the Israeli government do not necessarily represent all Israelites. Many citizens of Israel are calling for the government to end the violence just as many Palestinians are pleading for shelter and safety from relentless bombings.
Your comment is woefully ignorant of history and, I can only assume, intentionally disparaging of Palestinians.
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Pastor George Day
Michael Hunt,
You are so precise and yet misquote the correct nationality of those of the state of Israel. We are Israelites (ALL Jews). Israelis are the national of Israel and that includes all religions.
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Michael Hunt
If your neighbor was regularly encroaching on your property and expanding their fence line and taking more and more of your land every year with no signs of stopping or interest in listening to your complaints, you'd probably resort to violence too. https://www.statista.com/chart/20001/number-of-israeli-settlers-living-in-the-west-bank-by-year/
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Pastor George Day
Michael Hunt,
What about abortion and the killing of innocent animals for your pure tasting pleasure? Isn't that genocide?
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Rev Mark D
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Pastor George Day
Lionheart,
I thin that's a bit mean!
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Lionheart
It’s a tongue-in-cheek remark, Sir George. I doubt those in the church with real money bilked from their parishioners/followers to further enhance their lifestyles would do that. 🤭
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He Who Breathes
Very nice gesture. But Hamas prefer children, as they have a higher terror value than a Cardinal.
It's the opposite to chess, where strategy is in play, and terror is not a factor.
A good Catholic! There should be more like him.
Yes, I mentioned those I’d like to see in contention on the first post of this topic. 🤭
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