Obama’s call to close Vatican embassy is ‘slap in the face’ to Roman Catholics

[Ptarmigan]

Obama’s call to close Vatican embassy is ‘slap in the face’ to Roman Catholics
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/nov/26/obamas-call-close-holy-see-embassy-slap-face-catho/

The Obama administration, in what’s been called an egregious slap in the face to the Vatican, has moved to shut down the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See — a free-standing facility — and relocate offices onto the grounds of the larger American Embassy in Italy.

The new offices will be in a separate building on the property, Breitbart reported.

And while U.S. officials are touting the relocation as a security measure that’s a cautionary reaction to last year’s attacks on America's facility in Benghazi, several former American envoys are raising the red flag.

Yet, many Catholics voted for Obama. Vatican is no Libya for one.

[Dori]

Obama proves every day just how much he is NOT a Christian 

Lying sack of crap. 

[DumbAss Tanker]

Because security at and around the US embassy in Italy is better than security in the Vatican?  Seriously?

 

[Freeper]

Yeah we all know Benghazi and Vatican City are two peas in a pod.

Some nut job might release a YouTube video making fun of Jesus and violence could happen.

[JohnnyReb]

Obama is a Sunni Muslim....but hates Shiite Muslims less than he hates jooooooos.....so he wants Iran to blow away the joooooos and then we and the Saudis will blow away the Shiites.

[Eupher]

Because security at and around the US embassy in Italy is better than security in the Vatican?  Seriously?

 

Well, the Swiss Guards do look kinda goofy in that clown costume they wear. 

[DumbAss Tanker]

Well, the Swiss Guards do look kinda goofy in that clown costume they wear.  

Yeah, the ones on ceremonial duty.  Except there are quite a few more than that, and they are also modern soldiers who are considerably better trained for that particular kind of defense/protection mission than are our embassy Marines.  There's more of them than an embassy Marine det, too, and unlike the Carabinieri support for the main embassy, the Swiss guards are right there when they are needed instead of on the other side of Rome.

[marv]

I think this is in response to a recent statement by Pope Francis.

Pope Francis Rejects 'Progressive' Views on Abortion

Pope Francis said Tuesday in his first apostolic exhortation that no matter how much the Catholic Church modernizes and changes, it would not be "progressive" to abandon its views about the morality of abortion.

(snip)

In his communication, Pope Francis added that the practice of abortion violates the principle of human rights and the Church, therefore, cannot change its position on the matter.

(snip)

"This defense of unborn life is closely linked to the defense of each and every other human right. It involves the conviction that a human being is always sacred and inviolable, in any situation and at every stage of development.

"Human beings are ends in themselves and never a means of resolving other problems. Once this conviction disappears, so do solid and lasting foundations for the defense of human rights, which would always be subject to the passing whims of the powers that be."

The Pope is correct.

[obumazombie]

The Pope also spoke out against gay marriage. Cafeteria catholics won't stand for it.

[J P Sousa]

I would say this is similar to "pulling" the ambassador from a country, and moving them to another country.

  “The Lateran Treaty [...] settled the ‘Roman Question’, the conflict between the papacy and the kingdom of Italy (1861-1929).

The treaty recognized the Holy See’s absolute, visible independence and sovereignty with the right of international and diplomatic relations with other states.” — Msgr. Pedro Lopez-Gallo*

http://www.concordatwatch.eu/showtopic.php?org_id=878&kb_header_id=39211

The Holy See has Diplomatic Relations with the following States; 

(too many to list........cross out the USA ?)

http://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/documentazione/documents/corpo-diplomatico/corpo-diplomatico_stati_elenco_en.html
 

[marv]

It's another petty, juvenile schoolyard act by Obama.

[thundley4]

Yeah, the ones on ceremonial duty.  Except there are quite a few more than that, and they are also modern soldiers who are considerably better trained for that particular kind of defense/protection mission than are our embassy Marines.  There's more of them than an embassy Marine det, too, and unlike the Carabinieri support for the main embassy, the Swiss guards are right there when they are needed instead of on the other side of Rome.

I had read somewhere that the Swiss Guards are some of the most highly trained anywhere.

[freedumb2003b]

I had read somewhere that the Swiss Guards are some of the most highly trained anywhere.

And they have chocolate to die for!  ;)

[Eupher]

Well, unless I'm missing something, Barry isn't actually closing the embassy at the Vatican. He's simply moving the office elsewhere. There is a difference. Diplomatic relations will remain.

Yeah, I know that's the official explanation/spin. And that Barry and his henchmen couldn't tell the truth from a golf ball. Barry and his thugs have a defined antagonism toward religion of all types - Catholic, Jewish, Christian, pretty much everything but Islam. Further, I definitely see the point in "downgrading" the embassy at the Vatican City and turning it into a subset of the Rome embassy.

But the way I'm seeing the Washington Times article, it's a little disingenuous to state that the embassy is closing, when it's really not being closed. Just being moved.

[DumbAss Tanker]

Well, unless I'm missing something, Barry isn't actually closing the embassy at the Vatican. He's simply moving the office elsewhere. There is a difference. Diplomatic relations will remain.

Yeah, I know that's the official explanation/spin. And that Barry and his henchmen couldn't tell the truth from a golf ball. Barry and his thugs have a defined antagonism toward religion of all types - Catholic, Jewish, Christian, pretty much everything but Islam. Further, I definitely see the point in "downgrading" the embassy at the Vatican City and turning it into a subset of the Rome embassy.

But the way I'm seeing the Washington Times article, it's a little disingenuous to state that the embassy is closing, when it's really not being closed. Just being moved.

It's a word game, really.  If the ambassador and most of his operation get moved to an adjacent sovereign country but you keep the building open with a liaison staff in place, it's still pretty much the same thing as closing the embassy in all but a purely technical sense, and would be taken as a diplomatic snub just about anywhere in the world. 

[Eupher]

It's a word game, really.  If the ambassador and most of his operation get moved to an adjacent sovereign country but you keep the building open with a liaison staff in place, it's still pretty much the same thing as closing the embassy in all but a purely technical sense, and would be taken as a diplomatic snub just about anywhere in the world. 

Absolutely yes to the diplomatic snub. And word games notwithstanding, the embassy is not being closed.

I wonder how much further Barry and his thugs will take this. Close the Monaco embassy? Currently, the ambassador to France serves double duty by also being ambassador to Monaco.

http://france.usembassy.gov/monaco.html