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At Large
From the Ranch to the Vatican
A ride with Ronald Reagan and his first ambassador to the Holy See, Bill Wilson.
If you ever find yourself in Ronald Reagan’s bathroom, you may notice something peculiar about it. There’s nothing all that unusual about the facilities themselves. It’s a plain old bathroom. But one decoration stands out.
Hanging on the wall above a towel rack is an icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Christ child. I suppose a bathroom wall isn’t a typical place to hang such an icon, but it is rather curious that it would be hanging in a so-called Protestant bathroom (not that I have any clue what a “Protestant bathroom” ought to look like).
The icon was a gift from the Reagans’ longtime friends William and Betty Wilson. Bill, himself a convert to Roman Catholicism, presented the icon to President Reagan while serving as the country’s first Ambassador to the Holy See. On this week’s 28th anniversary of his nomination to the post, it might be suitable to commemorate the late Ambassador’s enduring relationship with our 40th President.
Ronald met his friend Bill through Nancy, who was a close friend of Bill’s wife, Betty. From dinner parties to buying houses, the couples did nearly everything together. The latter activity helped change the world.
Edmund Morris, Reagan’s official, controversial biographer had this to say about his subject in Dutch: “Go to the Ranch. That’s where you’ll find his soul.”
Rancho del Cielo, as Reagan would never hesitate to say, was found by Bill Wilson. The Wilsons had lived on an avocado ranch just down the mountainside north of Santa Barbara, California, and knew that Ronald would fall in love with the property.
Indeed he did. Reagan would often refer to it as his “open Cathedral.” It was where he retreated from the Washington gridlock and where he gathered his strength. It represented his vision of America: its vastness, fertility, potential, and life.
Wilson was Reagan’s ranch sidekick. They both found solace in riding the boundless horse trails. It was a deeply personal and spiritual activity the two men did together. One that seemed to steel their backbones in the war against the Evil Empire. Without the Ranch, Reagan’s son Michael once said, “the [Berlin] Wall still stands.”
And without Bill Wilson, the United States would still be stuck in 1867, the year Congress repealed funds for diplomatic relations with the Vatican. That didn’t stop Reagan from appointing his friend Bill as a Personal Representative of the President to the Holy See in February of 1981. He even complained in his diary that the State Department was too slow in processing the appointment and suggested that someone ought to “get off his ass” and get this done.
Reagan then maneuvered his way through a Democratic Congress to establish full diplomatic relations with the Holy See and elevated Wilson to Ambassador.
Reagan was anxious to meet the newly elected Pope John Paul II and wanted Wilson to help develop a historical relationship. In June of 1982, Reagan and the Pope sat alone in the Vatican Library for almost an hour discussing their “divine mission.” Reagan said to the Pope of their surviving assassination attempts: “Look how the evil forces were put in our way and how Providence intervened.”
As Paul Kengor explains in his spiritual biography God and Ronald Reagan, “Reagan and the Pope translated their divine mission into a practical mission to maintain Solidarity.” A close Cardinal to the Pope admitted that “the Holy Father and the President committed themselves and the institutions of the church and America to such a goal.” Reagan and Wilson sought, and received, the Vatican’s invaluable participation in assigning the Soviet Union to the ash heap of history.
Even though Wilson resigned from his post in 1986 amid some controversy, he remained close to his old friend. As compiled in Reagan: A Life in Letters, Wilson wrote Reagan in February of 1987 to tell of a troubling meeting he had with William Cardinal Baum. The Cardinal expressed concern that Europe is “beginning to experience a spiritual fatigue leading to a moral fatigue.”
Reagan wrote back agreeing that secularism “is so prevalent today,” especially in public education. He concluded by reminding his friend that churches that “stick closely to the Bible are showing an increase in followers. Maybe there is a clue there for all of us” — Catholic and Protestant alike.
About the Author
Nicholas G. Hahn III is deputy editor of RealClearReligion.org. Follow him on Twitter @NGHahn3.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (61) | Leave a comment
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Appleby| 1.12.12 @ 7:31AM
Tim Tebow and Carl Edwards may do more to steer people back to church and God than Joel Osteen and Chuck Colson ever will.
W| 1.12.12 @ 8:34AM
Disagree about Colson. He has done great work in the prisons. Why do you criticize him?
Chalkdust| 1.13.12 @ 6:14AM
Agreed...that was thoughtless, cheap shot on Chuck Colson.
Margie| 1.13.12 @ 2:05PM
Catholicism teaches hatred of Bible believing Christians. It always has, and it always will.
It isn't Christianity.
Mimi| 1.12.12 @ 7:51AM
The good God has been trying to get our attention for a long time now....Looks like a new venture...he's NOW trying FOOTBALL! Why not ?
Mimi| 1.12.12 @ 7:52AM
Good article about Reagan and Pope John Paul...Two GREAT souls!!!
Vern Crisler| 1.12.12 @ 9:31AM
I think our Protestant founders would be aghast at any official recognition of the Vatican, one of Reagan's great mistakes. Why not official delegations to Protestant churches?
RCV| 1.12.12 @ 11:07AM
Vatican City is a city-state, that's why. A sovereign entity, and one that worked closely with our President Reagan in the efforts that led to the fall of the Soviet empire.
Vern Crisler| 1.12.12 @ 12:29PM
It's still government favoritism toward one religion.
Vern Crisler| 1.12.12 @ 12:40PM
From Wikipedia:
The Holy See (Latin: Sancta Sedes, "holy chair") is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church, in which its Bishop is the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, the Holy See acts and speaks for the whole Catholic Church. It is also recognized by other subjects of international law as a sovereign entity, headed by the Pope, with which diplomatic relations can be maintained."[1][2]
Although it is often referred to as "the Vatican", the Holy See is not the same entity as the Vatican City State, which came into existence only in 1929; the Holy See, the episcopal see of Rome, dates back to early Christian times. Ambassadors are officially accredited not to the Vatican City State but to "the Holy See", and papal representatives to states and international organizations are recognized as representing the Holy See, not the Vatican City State.
Mike McLaren| 1.12.12 @ 1:00PM
Vern, you've pointed out a distinction without a difference.
W| 1.12.12 @ 3:19PM
Vern,
Why are you concerned about this?
Petronius| 1.12.12 @ 1:10PM
I'm sure the Israelis agree.
pellet mill | 3.12.12 @ 6:16AM
Vern,
Why are you concerned about this?
Al Adab| 1.12.12 @ 1:17PM
Vern:
As distinct from any other nation with a staet church?
RCV| 1.12.12 @ 6:58PM
Doesn't matter to which entity they are accredited. The Vatican is a diplomatic player of enormous influence, as we found out in the cold war. It was helpful then to have official contacts, which is why Reagan did it (Lord knows he wasn't trying to favor Catholics, of which he was not one), and it may be helpful again in the future.
Mike McLaren| 1.12.12 @ 12:37PM
Vern Crisler...the "Protestant churches" do not have one authoritative voice as the Roman Catholic Church does. One side note...the Protestant churches (denominations) that our founding fathers belonged to are all dying away.
Vern Crisler| 1.12.12 @ 12:40PM
The Catholic churches are pretty much dead, too.
Mike McLaren| 1.12.12 @ 12:53PM
I guess thats why there are more Catholics in this country than any other Christian religion and approx. a billion world wide.
Margie| 1.13.12 @ 2:44PM
Religion always HAS been dead. At least ever since the New Covenant which Christ shed His blood
Christ Himself is the Way to God, not Religion.. is it any wonder that they go astray and fail and become perverse??
"I am the Way and the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father, but by Me." Jn. 14:6.
The church is not a building, nor is it a Religion.
God's definition of church is this:
"For where two or three are gathered in My Name, there am I in the midst of them." Mt. 18:20
And our bodies have become the Temple of the living God. (To all who have received Him):
"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own.." 1 Cor. 6:19.
And Christians are all over this world in the millions. They work quietly as missionaries spreading the Gospel and feeding the poor and caring for orphans and widows.
"Pure and undefiled religion before God
and the Father is this: to visit orphans and
widows in their afflictions, and to keep
oneself without blemish from the world." James 1:27.
Religions aren't Christ's way. Christ Himself is the Way, as He says, and the believers are His Body, and His Body can never die.
nathan| 1.12.12 @ 11:17AM
One of the ongoing problems for the Catholic church, and this plagued it during the time of the Holocaust under Pius XII was the difficulty in managing the joint ventures of being a "church" and being a government entity. Attempting to be a "country" leads inevitably to compromises regarding your mission as the moral authority as a church. We saw this during the Holocaust. Pius focussed too much on his "princely" duties as millions died. His 1943 "denunciation" of the Holocaust, incoherent even today, was driven in part by his desire to play diplomat and try to broker a peace between the warring factions when his primary goal should have been to be the moral authority in a war torn land even if his outright denunciation of the Holocaust and Germany itself would have lead to the destruction of the Vatican and the treasures inside. We can only wonder what would have happened if the pope had threatened to excommunicate all participants in the Holocaust, what impact that would have had in countries like Catholic France which deported all its Jews to Auschwitz making virtually no effort to save any of them unlike Protestant Denmark which arranged safe haven for most of them in Sweden.
The "rat lines" run by Catholic authorities which helped Nazi war criminals escape Europe to South America and could only have been done with the the knowledge and permission of the Pople was truly incomprehensible.
Understanding that the "we are a country" aspect of the Vatican is a hold over from the middle ages, it is perhaps time for Catholic church to focus exclusively on being a church only and cease worring about its princely duties.
Clint| 1.12.12 @ 11:35AM
"It was the Israeli diplomat and scholar Pinchas Lapide who said that "The Catholic Church under the pontificate of Pius XII was instrumental in saving the lives of as many as 860,000 Jews from certain death at Nazi hands." And Jeno Levai, the foremost scholar of the Holocaust in Hungary, said that Pius XII "did more than anyone else to halt the dreadful crime [the Holocaust] and alleviate its consequences."
The chief rabbi in Rome during the German occupation, Emilio Zolli, once said that "no hero in all of history was more militant, more fought against, none more heroic, than Pius XII." In fact, Zolli was so moved by Pius XII’s work that he became a Catholic after the war and took the Pope’s name as his baptismal name."
SeymourGlass| 1.12.12 @ 11:36AM
Nathan: those who've studied the matter feel the Pope was unaware of the "ratlines", or at least, that they were being used to funnel Nazis. You're free to disagree with that, of course, and to feel the Pope knew of every action performed by every priest, much as Jimmy Carter read every piece of paper which came through his White House.
Richard M| 1.12.12 @ 11:59AM
Pius may not have known of all the "ratlines" but there's sufficient evidence that he had some knowledge of the efforts underway - and approved of them.
Evidence emerged just a few months ago - from Jewish sources - that Pius apparently went in disguise to oversee efforts to smuggle Jews into the Vatican: http://www.catholicnewsagency......save-jews/
SeymourGlass| 1.12.12 @ 12:07PM
RM: agreed. He knew of their existence, but not necessarily that they were being used for, shall we say, "other purposes".
Richard M| 1.12.12 @ 11:55AM
"Pius focussed too much on his "princely" duties as millions died. "
Pope Pius also had tens of thousands of Jews hiding under Church protection throughout Europe, and that was just as big a consideration in his mind. A Nazi seizure of the Vatican and Church properties where they were being hidden would have rendered their lives forfeit.
To say nothing what might happen to the over 100 million Catholics in his flock that were currently under Nazi rule.
Mike McLaren| 1.12.12 @ 12:44PM
Pope Pius also allowed many Jews to have phoney birth certificates stating that they were Catholics so they could avoid persecution.
JP| 1.12.12 @ 3:28PM
"We can only wonder what would have happened if the pope had threatened to excommunicate all participants in the Holocaust, what impact that would have had in countries like Catholic France which deported all its Jews to Auschwitz making virtually no effort to save any of them unlike Protestant Denmark which arranged safe haven for most of them in Sweden."
I seriously doubt being excommunicated would have made a difference to such catholics as Hitler, Goebbels, or the thousands of Poles, French, Hungarians or Ukrainians who assisted Hitler.
And since you attempt to raise the red-herring about religion (Catholics were implicit), I would like to remind you that there were thousands if not millions of Prussians (Lutherans, Calvinists, Church of the Bretheren, and Anabaptists), not to mention French Calvinists, Dutch Protestants, and of course the Swedes exported iron ore, steel, tugnstein, and gun powder to Nazis Germany right up to 1945. The Swedes are mainly Lutheran and Evangelicals.
MikeG| 1.12.12 @ 6:06PM
Hitler wasn't a catholic, the Nazis were atheists.
After the French Revolution, there was a separation of Church and State in France. If you read a history of it you would have learned that priests, nuns, and catholics were slaughtered during the French Revolution.
Clint| 1.12.12 @ 11:24AM
"The United States maintained consular relations with the Papal States from 1797 under President Washington and Pope Pius VI to 1867 and President Grant and Pope Pius IX. Diplomatic relations existed with the Pope, in his capacity as head of the Papal States, from 1848 under President Polk to 1867 under President Andrew Johnson, though not at the ambassadorial level.
These relations lapsed when on February 28, 1867 Congress passed legislation that prohibited any future funding to United States diplomatic missions to the Holy See. This decision was based on mounting anti-Catholic sentiment in the United States,fueled by persistent and unfounded rumors, such as the alleged involvement of the Vatican in the conspiracy to murder President Lincoln.
The United States and the Holy See announced the establishment of diplomatic relations on January 10, 1984."
Richard M| 1.12.12 @ 11:52AM
The mid-19th century actually saw the rise of a significant political party dedicated chiefly to anti-Catholic sentiment - the Know Nothing Party. That's part of the context in which Congress acted as it did in 1867.
It probably did not help that Pope Pius IX had sent a small gesture of sympathy to Confederate President Jefferson Davis - a woven crown of thorns. The Vatican never established formal relations with the Confederacy, but some Yankees did not forget the gesture.
albert constantine jr.| 1.12.12 @ 8:18PM
It also probably didn’t help that Spangler, Booth’s co-conspirator in the Lincoln kidnapping plot and charged also in the assassination conspiracy (and later acquitted in a civilian trial) escaped after Lincoln’s death and made his way to Europe. When eventually captured, it was learned that he had been working at the Vatican as a member of the Swiss Guard.
Jacob| 1.13.12 @ 3:58PM
You guys display the kind of hillbilly/redneck/white trash stupidity that led to those persecutions.
The guy who pulled the trigger was a Protestant but you suggest those people were somehow justified to vilify all Catholics for the action of one?
I think it's so sad and pathetic how the last dying members of the dying old Protestant churches have nothing left but to still try to instigate against Catholics as if we are the proper enemies.
You really pervert your minds into believing that we're more of a danger to the world than people who support abortion? (There are leftist "Christians" of all stripes who support abortion.)
You'll notice that the thriving descendant churches of those Oldline Protestant churches have ditched the anti-Catholic obsession and started to work with Catholics on shared interests.
Just as it should be it seems to me! The churches, including the Catholic Church, which reflect the mercy of Christ continue while the ones who create their own hatred die away!
Richard M| 1.12.12 @ 11:49AM
You're undoubtedly correct Vern. All I can suggest is that a lot has changed over the last century. Catholics and Protestants not only engage in regular ecumenical discussions, but increasingly see each other as allies (even if not common communicants) in the growing cultural battle with secularists. It doesn't mean that our theological disagreements are dissolved.
But Reagan pushed through recognition of the Vatican chiefly because of Cold War politics. Pope John Paul II was a crucial ally in undermining communist rule in Eastern Europe. That relationship finally paid huge dividends in 1989.
Mike McLaren| 1.12.12 @ 12:49PM
As I'm sure you know Richard M, it was John Paul's visit to Poland in 1979 that helped inspire the Polish people to "be not afraid".
nathan| 1.12.12 @ 12:19PM
I knew I would generate more than a litte discussion on the subject of Pius. This is not totally academic since the Church is now considering him for sainthood. I would refer you all to the book "Under His Very Walls." No one says he did nothing. The question is did he do enough? Did he do all that he could? As the head of THE Church in the occupied terrorities, what truly was his priorities? To put his adherents first? To care about the members of his church first? Or, seeing this ghastly horrible action unfolding in front of him, one that was going to start consuming members of that very church sooner or later (a lot of catholics died at Auschwitz too) was he obligated to make a forthright absolute denunciation of that action consequences be damned, even if it meant St. Peters being blown up, the Sistine Chapel being destroyed. Did the buildings matter? Or did the principles matter? Did his obligation as the foremost moral authority in Europe matter even if it meant he could end up in one of those camps?
I again refer you to his 1943 "denunciation" of the Holocaust if you can call it that. Read it today even with the benefit of hindsight. By now he knew what was happening. And yet it says nothing, condemns no one. The Germans reading it had no cause to be concerned.
Again consider what would have happened if in 1942 fully aware of Babi Yar, fully aware of Warsaw in a Catholic country he had said, I know what is going on, this is not tolerable, I am forthrightly condemning it, and ordering the excommunication of any and all people who assist in it.
What is the impact on the people in France who were all to willing to assist in putting those Jews on the trains to Auschwitz? And in Poland? And elsewhere?
We know everyone looks bad here, him, us. We know the allied excuse for not bombing Auschwitz was an excuse, that Ninth Airforce planes could have made the round trip.
With regards to the ratlines. The idea that this was a rogue operation by a handful of rogue priests won't do it. Too many war criminals, too many people involved. Sorry.
But again, we know now that we captured the head of the Gestapo, Heinrich Mueller, and instead of putting him on trial at Nuremburg, put him to work for us.
The lessons learned here, and we must all learn this, is that we must not compromise our principles. That "good intentions" don't matter. Actions are everything, intentions are nothing. The Church ultimate missed that point. Notice that with the doctrine of "deicide" the foundation for so many of the atttacks on the Jews for centuries including the war years, the Church did not revoke it even during the Holocaust, not until what 1948 did it finally officially end it.
Again, actions ultimately are the only thing that matters. Not the buildings not intentions but actions. And too often those actions were lacking. By literally everyone.
SeymourGlass| 1.12.12 @ 12:39PM
Nathan: as I mentioned earlier, you're free to believe as you do. I'm not an expert in the specifics of Pius XII and his actions or non-actions during the period. It is, however, highly believable he knew nothing of the "misuse" of the rat lines. Have you ever been part of a large organization?
You mention "Under His Very Walls". Is this the only work you've read on the subject, or has your scholarship been, shall we say, "balanced"?
Clint| 1.12.12 @ 2:53PM
That Kind Of Logic Presents This Problem.
" 51 Documents: Zionist Collaboration With the Nazis
By Lenni Brenner, ed. Barricade Books, 2002, 342 pp. List: $22; AET: $15.
Reviewed by Sara Powell
It’s no secret that Zionism embraced political expediency to advance the cause of carving Eretz-Israel from the land of its native inhabitants. In his 1983 book, Zionism in the Age of the Dictators, Lenni Brenner shows that 20th century Zionists observed shockingly few limits to that expediency. Not surprisingly, the book received little coverage in the American media. Now, in 51 Documents, Brenner has compiled a wide variety of letters, statements, articles, and judgements—some of which appeared in his earlier book—by a broad array of activists and authors, that documents Zionist cooperation with the Nazis. On the face of it, the notion seems absurd. However, Brenner presents the case—made in many Zionists’ own words—that the Nazi agenda of expelling the Jews from Germany fit nicely with the Zionist plan for enticing those Jews into settling in Palestine and creating a new Jewish nation. "
SeymourGlass| 1.12.12 @ 2:55PM
Clint, just out of curiousity, what's your point?
Clint| 1.12.12 @ 3:17PM
I was addressing Nathan.
However, I appreciate the fact that you recognize that Pope Pius XII's Catholic Church did more than any other religious group to save jewish lives.
My dad's troopers came across one of the satellite Nazi death camps and dad cut out a half track filled with medical supplies and sent his doctor with some troopers to help until the Spearhead arrived behind them. Dad & his troopers were busy chasing krauts and he didn't have time to hold up his Cavalry column.( we have photos at home that the doctor took of the body piles and I believe their were oven pictures there,as well. I'll have to look at them again.)
The point is that Nathan appears to have an ax to grind & axes can cut ax wielders, as well.
SeymourGlass| 1.12.12 @ 3:25PM
Thanks for the explanation.
Margie| 1.13.12 @ 2:53PM
The Pope's Catholic "church" served to make Martyrs of millions of Christians AND Jews for six centuries.
OF THE UNGODLY AND FALSE CHURCH, WHICH IS THE OPPOSITE OF THE CHURCH OF GOD, AND THE ORIGIN, PROGRESS AND SUCCESSION OF THE SAME THROUGH ALL TIMES
http://www.homecomers.org/mirror/martyrs007.htm
Margie| 1.13.12 @ 7:18PM
http://one-evil.org/people/people_20c_Pius_XII.htm
Margie| 1.13.12 @ 2:55PM
Want to learn the truth about this ungodly Pope?
Read this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Hitlers-.....0670886939
Richard Baker| 1.12.12 @ 12:39PM
When I hear all the criticism of Pope Pius XII my first question to his detractors is: How would you react/operate when totally surrounded by Fascist Italy and its ally Nazi Germany knowing that they could overrun you in, oh, about 10 minutes and knowing that this option is always on the table? His critics seem to ignore the precarious state of the Vatican in such a situation. I am glad that President Reagan made the effort to re-establish our formal relationship with the Holy See.
Eugene| 3.9.12 @ 7:46AM
Pope Pius XII and the Catholic Church supported Hitler and Mussoloni. One can say all you want of how the Catholic Church had to be careful in dealing with Hitler and Mussolini. All of the concentration camps Germany built proves they had no intention of gassing Jews. It has even been told of how the Germans moved prisoners towrds Germany from other camps as the Soviets moved towards Germany . I believe it was Peter Jennings or Tom Brokaw who on the news one evening used the word death camps or murder camps. And one could sense he knew what he was saying and doing so deliberately. No longer were they concentration camps, but murder camps. The Catholic Church would not have cared if jews suffered during WWII as if Hitler could have defeated Russia, they would be able to get back into Russia again and just as they lust to do so today, if they haven't already.
And under Hitler and Mussolini , if they had won all the territory , the Catholic Church would have enlarged its influence , power , wealth, and religion. And its intention is world domination .
JP| 1.12.12 @ 3:52PM
It's funny that the very people who adored Stalin, Trotsky, Mao, and Chou en Lai, deplored the "actions" of Pope Pious XII. This was a non-issue until the 1960s. And it is no surprise that part of the controversey was ginned up by the KGB and thier fellow travellers.
POST American| 1.12.12 @ 10:09PM
--------------------FINAL WORD------------------------
NOT the time for '80's Show' NEO-Con-job
necro-mancy.
As far as things religious ---CLEAN OUT
the 'eck--you--men--ick--ALL' Rockefeller
degradation ops from your churches.
---------------------------------Then get back to us.
Vlady| 1.13.12 @ 10:41AM
Wow... An article that talks about the Vatican/Catholic Church.... And there's no post by Dr. Das Reich and Mullah Margie telling us about how they are the devil's spawn. G-d must have found something else for them to do.
As a Jew, I appreciate what the Catholic Church did for my family. Several were hidden in convents in Italy during the war.
Vlady| 1.13.12 @ 7:03PM
Well, I guess I spoke to soon. The resident Mullah Margie did in fact enter the building. I suppose you have to wonder about her pyschological frame of mind. She only does this when the Catholic Church comes up. On political matters she's rather endearing.
Will| 1.13.12 @ 11:16AM
Also, while RWR was not a Catholic, he was very close to Catholics. His father was Catholic and even a Knight of Columbus. His brother also was Catholic...
Gary B| 1.13.12 @ 12:41PM
William Wilson died peacefully in his sleep in his home in Carmel Valley, near Monterey, CA. in December 2009. He was 95. He was lucid until very close to the end and, like Reagan, he had a terrific sense of humor.
He was the perfect choice to help upgrade our relationship with the Vatican. His personal relationship with Reagan was an advantage, as there were those in Reagan's administration who were against it. The rest, as they say, is history.
Richard Baker| 1.14.12 @ 1:45AM
Vlady:
Dear old Margie. The one thing she knows well is how to insult everyone's religion whether Jew or Gentile, Protestant or Catholic. She is similar to the Islamic crazies in her unwillingness to accept anyone else's consideration of faith in God. She probably thinks the Jews, as an example, are Christ-killers. Even the Catholic Church no longer believes in that but I'll bet Old Margie would beg to disagree. Sad. Her constant refrain, my interpretation is correct and the rest of you will rot in Hell, sure would convince someone to even consider Christianity, sure. Can you imagine her at the Council of Nicea?
Margie| 1.14.12 @ 7:46PM
Richard Baker is a man who cannot post once without lying, typical Papist.
He's a sorry soul who has forasken the Word of God and is another sold-out Reprobate.
He cares nothing for the truth and has to make things up about Christians who stand FIRM and KNOW their God.
And his father is well pleased:
"You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies." Jn. 8:44.
May you burn in Hell, liar.
Eugene| 3.9.12 @ 7:19AM
As I understand it, it was pressure from the Jews that caused the Catholic church to claim the Jews bore no blame for Christ's cruicifixtion and to put the blame on the Romans. Maybe that is why it is said in the 1960's, I believe, that the Jews control the Catholic Church.
Eugene| 3.9.12 @ 7:22AM
I clicked too many times trying to get this message to post.
Eugene| 3.9.12 @ 7:19AM
As I understand it, it was pressure from the Jews that caused the Catholic church to claim the Jews bore no blame for Christ's cruicifixtion and to put the blame on the Romans. Maybe that is why it is said in the 1960's, I believe, that the Jews control the Catholic Church.
Eugene| 3.9.12 @ 7:19AM
As I understand it, it was pressure from the Jews that caused the Catholic church to claim the Jews bore no blame for Christ's cruicifixtion and to put the blame on the Romans. Maybe that is why it is said in the 1960's, I believe, that the Jews control the Catholic Church.
Eugene| 3.9.12 @ 7:06AM
An other article I read giving Ronald Reagan credit for recognizing the V atican shows why the conservatives worship Reagan as a god-man and why the world is in the mess it is in today.and the arrogance of Rick Santorum in promoting his religion as a campaign assett shows that he also knows the influence of the Catholic Church on our government. And he wants to be a part of it.
History tells of his church and its behavior toward mankind and governmmary.And Shawn Hannity's remark that the conservatives knew they had to get control of a political party and the republican party suited their puposes shows the influence the Catholic Church t has on America and our way of life. It used to be the Protestants who called this a Christian country founded on Christian principles. Now it is the conservatives.