In the circumstances, it is not possible to quote what he said, nor am I at liberty to give hints to his identity, except to say he is close to Pope John Paul. While some of his comments represented the official Vatican position, some were personal opinions. In either case, what follows is the essence of his remarks.
Some people think that Pope John Paul is an extreme pacifist who is opposed to any use of military force. Others imagine that the pope is committed to the pursuit of justice above all else. Neither view of him is correct.
In the present case, John Paul has made it clear to people around him that he thinks the Americans have a right to use military force in self-defense. While it would hardly be reasonable to expect the pope to cheer on the bombing of the Taliban, this fundamental sympathy is reflected in statements emanating from Vatican sources in recent weeks.
To some extent, these comments have been made in reaction to European newspaper accounts which erroneously suggested that the pope opposed a military response to Sept. 11. Part of the intention also has been to reassure American Catholics that the pope is with them.
Still, granted all that, it would be a happy thing if it were conclusively established that Saddam Hussein and Iraq were not behind the spread of anthrax in the U.S., since American bombing of Baghdad would not be helpful right now. If Saddam were shown to be involved, however, the American right of self-defense would come into play.
It should be clear to everyone by now that Osama bin Laden is a clever propagandist. His widely distributed taped message after Sept. 11 pushed all the right buttons in the Islamic world. The United States needs a sophisticated communications strategy of its own in order to counter this.
And, looking to the future, it is crucial that there be an Israeli-Palestinian settlement. The United States should push hard for that, even though, publicly at least, it should refrain from putting too much muscle on Israel, lest people say Osama bin Laden had won.
With the exception, apparently, of Great Britain, the U.S. should not consider European support for military action reliable. The Europeans may turn wobbly, and more voices urging peace at virtually any price are likely soon to be raised. Considering that, it would be smart for the Americans to accept offers of military assistance already made by various European governments and then find something for them to do, just to keep them involved.
The official also spoke about Pope John Paul’s health.
He is in substantially better shape than he looks on television. His mind is sharp, his memory is excellent. He continues to plan for the future, and remains very much the engine driving the Vatican machinery. An example of that was his October overture to the Chinese government regarding the possible re-establishment of diplomatic relations.
So, how much longer long does he have? The only sensible answer is: Who knows? John Paul himself may once have been interested in the question, but as his spirituality has evolved, it no longer seems to engage his attention.
(This article courtesy of the Arlington Catholic Herald.)