Article

2008-03-14 Iraq

Holy See condemns killing of Mosul archbishop, mobilizes Swiss Guard

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Posted by Seafarious 2008-03-14 00:00|| || Front Page|| [4 views ] Top

#1 "This is an act of inhuman violence that offends the dignity of the human being,"

I think he's stumbled on to the definition of Muslim.

Posted by Besoeker 2008-03-14 02:25|| 2008-03-14 02:25|| Front Page Top

#2 Great... I hope that B-XVI (B-16, get it?? Sorry...)
has the good sense to appoint a 'secret-archbishop.
They do (or did it) for Chinese Catholics. Why not for the Chaldeans?

Posted by Free Radical">Free Radical 2008-03-14 03:22|| 2008-03-14 03:22|| Front Page Top

#3 Openly appoint a replacement, and give him a number of Swiss Guards as a bodyguard and mark of the popes personal concern.

Posted by trailing wife ">trailing wife 2008-03-14 09:27|| 2008-03-14 09:27|| Front Page Top

#4 Or perhaps hire Blackwater. ;-)

Posted by trailing wife ">trailing wife 2008-03-14 09:27|| 2008-03-14 09:27|| Front Page Top

#5 Blackwater guards would look nifty in silver helmets with red crests.

So, for that matter, would former Israeli commandos.

Posted by Seafarious 2008-03-14 10:30|| 2008-03-14 10:30|| Front Page Top

#6 "The Pope? How many divisions does he have?"
-- Napoleon Buonaparte

Posted by Chief Running Gag">Chief Running Gag 2008-03-14 11:27|| 2008-03-14 11:27|| Front Page Top

#7 The compulsory two-year service in the Swiss Guards is too short for an exhaustive basic training to be acquired. This is why Guards must already be in possession of the military skills which they can acquire in the Swiss Army. We use the same military language as the Swiss Army and we share its concept of discipline.

And they do have and use the Swiss Army's assault rifle.

So don't let the showcase uniforms fool you. Cream of the crop of the Swiss Army for generations.

Just very few in numbers. And sadly, too few to deploy as safety for the Clergy other than the Pope.

Posted by OldSpook 2008-03-14 11:43|| 2008-03-14 11:43|| Front Page Top

#8 Magnificent sculpture - larger than it looks here: The Lion of Lucerne. What is hard to see in that picture is an arrow/bolt into the chest of the lion. A little tidbit missing from the link is 'although they had a chance to flee the violence being mercenaries, but chose to stay and fight according to their honor.'

And those guys at the Vatican can look right through you...had to double check to make sure I didn't have shorts on (dress code requirement).

Posted by swksvolFF 2008-03-14 12:52|| 2008-03-14 12:52|| Front Page Top

#9 There are two Vatican security units:

1) The Swiss Guards
2) Vatican Gendarmerie

IIRC, the Vatican can also call upon Italian military-paramilitary support in an emergency.

Earlier this month, the security arrangements at the Vatican made the newspapers, as reported in the Washington Times

Posted by mrp 2008-03-14 17:25|| 2008-03-14 17:25|| Front Page Top

#10 I made a special trip to Lucerne when I was stationed in Heidelberg to see the Lion.

You have no place in humanity if you do not choke up looking at the sculpture.

The only place that has moved me more was my first trip to Dachau.

Posted by Grand Proconsul Sock Puppet 2008-03-14 21:31|| 2008-03-14 21:31|| Front Page Top

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