Yazidi refugees. Guardian/Reuters
In a clear departure from past policy, the Vatican is calling on Muslim leaders to condemn ISIS and their genocide of Christians, Yazidis and others. Guardian. The Vatican implied that not condemning the genocide could damage years of interfaith cooperation. The Iraq crisis is a huge crisis for Catholic and Muslim relations. Pope Francis expressed dismay and disbelief and sent a personal envoy to the region.
My Comment:
On the surface this does not seem very serious. But as someone who follows the Vatican this is a massive change from the status quo. The Vatican has been extending the olive branch to Muslim leaders for years and any criticism is very unusual. If the Guardian is correct in their interpretation of these statements and the Vatican is serious about cutting ties with Muslim leaders then this is huge news.
Also, I have been hearing rumors that the Vatican supports military intervention against ISIS. I haven't found a reliable source so I can't say that this is anything other then speculation, but if it is true it is shocking. I can't remember the modern Catholic Church ever being in favor of a war. Comparisons to the Crusades are inevitable here, but if there was ever a cause for another crusade, ISIS is it...
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