Has the Pope gone wacko, willing to let Iran have a nuclear weapon?

[blackbird]

The Pope's comments prove he is willing to let Iran build a nuclear weapon.  Such a thing would lead to major destruction as Iran has promised to destroy Israel.  That kind of attack would clearly lead to an all-out nuclear war in the middle east and cost millions of lives.  What is this Pope thinking.  He should stay out of this kind of politics.  He obviously doesn't know what he is talking about.  He claims Trump is manipulating religion, but the fact is the Pope is the world's biggest political religious figure with probably more influence that any other religious figure.  He has about 1.4 billion followers or members.  He is the one the using religion as a tool for politics if anyone is.

'Tyrants.' Pope blasts those who manipulate religion as Trump feud escalates

[herbie]

Why the hell would you even insinuate that the Pope wants Iran to have nukes?
You gonna swallow every drop of Trump BS just because you hate Catholics, or because you're a Maple MAGA?

[Legato]

2 minutes ago, herbie said:

Why the hell would you even insinuate that the Pope wants Iran to have nukes?
You gonna swallow every drop of Trump BS just because you hate Catholics, or because you're a Maple MAGA?

 

[herbie]

WTF does that have to do with the Pope?

[SpankyMcFarland]

After what they’ve just been through, the Iranians would be unwise to give up their uranium. Israel’s demands of Iran, and every other neighbour, will not stop with the end of Iran’s nuclear program. 

[blackbird]

1 hour ago, SpankyMcFarland said:

After what they’ve just been through, the Iranians would be unwise to give up their uranium. Israel’s demands of Iran, and every other neighbour, will not stop with the end of Iran’s nuclear program. 

Not sure what you're trying to say.   Do you seriously think Iran should be allowed to enrich uranium and work toward building a nuclear weapon?  That's what it sounds like.  They cannot be allowed to do that in any way, shape or form.   It would lead to a holocaust in the middle east.

Israel is an ally of the west.  It is the only democracy in the middle east and is surrounded by Islamic regimes who would like to eliminate Israel.  Iran is an Islamic republic controlled by Islamic Ayatollahs who want to destroy Israel and consider the U.S. the great Satan.  Their aim is to build a nuclear weapon that they can use to destroy Israel.  It's all part of the jihad against Israel and the west.  Not sure you understand that.

Edited April 17 by blackbird

[blackbird]

4 hours ago, herbie said:

Why the hell would you even insinuate that the Pope wants Iran to have nukes?

The Pope has been making statements to the world that are critical of the U.S. for using force to try to stop Iran from building a nuclear weapon.  Where have you been?  The Pope condemns the U.S. for waging war against Iran and claims there should be peaceful negotiation with them, even though Iran has rejected any attempts to negotiate to stop it from getting nuclear weapons for many years.  The U.S. has had no choice but to use force to stop Iran from that goal.  That is the central issue which the Pope does not understand or he does not care.  You need to read the news more closely instead of being obsessed with defending your false god.

Edited April 17 by blackbird

[suds]

He's the Pope for goodness sakes, and with all the death and destruction and possible escalation what do you want him to say?  Iran is the world's number one state sponsor of terrorism, and allowing them to ever possess nuclear weapons is a big mistake. You can say North Korea is also a state sponsor of terrorism, but in no way is it as ideologically driven or suicidal as the religeous nutjobs who control Iran. The threat of mutual destruction means nothing to them. And what if Iran allows nukes to fall into the hands of those terrorist groups they sponsor?  That's when the world as we know it..... ends. The big fear now is (even with a number of other Muslim countries) is the U.S. not finishing the job. Another fear is if Iran gets nukes then it could spark a nuclear escalation/proliferation  in the region beginning with the Saudis.

Edited April 17 by suds

[herbie]

2 hours ago, blackbird said:

The Pope has been making statements to the world that are critical of the U.S. for using force to try to stop Iran from building a nuclear weapon

He's criticsizing them for an il;legal war, bombing civilians and civilian innfrastructure (war crimes) and in going so has shown more guts than the entire GOP caucus.

Pretty unclear to you who is the Pope and who is the AntiChrist.

[blackbird]

6 hours ago, herbie said:

He's criticsizing them for an il;legal war, bombing civilians and civilian innfrastructure (war crimes) and in going so has shown more guts than the entire GOP caucus.

Pretty unclear to you who is the Pope and who is the AntiChrist.

I read a book about the history of the Popes. Long history of many scandals.  Easy to make fine sounding statements about peace when he doesn't have to stop terrorist regimes from getting nuclear weapons.

He doesn't have to worry about stopping nuclear attacks.  He is taken care of and in control of the richest corporation in the world.  Read the book "The Vatican Billions" by Avro Manhattan, available online at the archive website.  If the Vatican is so wealthy, why don't they do more spending on foreign aid or do they do any?

Get the book "Vicars of Christ, the Dark Side of the Papacy" by Peter de Rosa.

What did the Pope do during WW2 about the Holocaust of six million jews?  Not much.

Do you think he cares if Israel is wiped out by nuclear bombs from Iran? 

The real question is why is he taking the side of Iran now, a terrorist regime that recently reportedly killed 42,000 of its unarmed citizens for protesting.

 

Edited April 17 by blackbird

[herbie]

How many logical mistakes can you make in one argument?

The history of Popes is irrelevant, we're dealing with the current one.
You don't judge King Charles on the actions of Henry VIII

The fact that the Christian faith condemns war and promotes peaceful existence seems to be lost to you. That is exactly what the Pope is doing.

You're also sticking with a stubborn either or mindset that if one does not support your side, they must support the other. The Pope did not pick sides, he condemns war and the civilian slaughter, just like he's supposed to do. Any person of faith would do the same.

His latest statement condemning the world being in the hands of a few tyrants is right on point and politically correct. He did not name them, regardless of the fact we know Trump is among them. So go ahead and push the same logic to claim he supports Putin, Kimmie and the Ayatollahs because he's not actively supporting your tyrant.

[blackbird]

4 hours ago, herbie said:

The fact that the Christian faith condemns war and promotes peaceful existence seems to be lost to you. That is exactly what the Pope is doing.

You are missing the most important point.  How can you condemn America and Israel for defending themselves from a tyrannical regime like Iran?  How does the Pope justify condemning all sides when one side is trying to get a nuclear weapon to destroy Israel?  This is where the Pope has failed.

The RC Church has a 1,500 year history of being anti-Semitic throughout Europe.  We know that is a fact because it is well documented in history.  So why would they care about defending Israel from the Islamic terrorists like Iran and others?

The Pope is pontificating about an imaginary world.  That is not the real world.

What would he say about the Allies defending the west from Hitler and the Nazis in WW2?  

 

Edited April 17 by blackbird

[herbie]

I condemn all nuclear weapons. But I don't claim theiirght to pick and choose who gets them. That's something only the UN can claim the right o.

You also forget Israel has had nukes for decades. As a defensive weapon. Are you going to claim, without any evidence, only the word of The World's Biggest Liar that Iran seeks them for offensive use? We heard that WMD BS before from Bush Jr.

[blackbird]

1 hour ago, herbie said:

You also forget Israel has had nukes for decades. As a defensive weapon. Are you going to claim, without any evidence, only the word of The World's Biggest Liar that Iran seeks them for offensive use? We heard that WMD BS before from Bush Jr.

The fact Iran seeks to destroy Israel is a well established fact.  It has nothing to do with Trump.  

quote

Key Facts

1.Iran's calls for Israel's destruction are officially documented policy, not misinterpretation—Supreme Leaders have repeatedly used terms like "cancerous tumor" and called for elimination.

2.These threats constitute incitement to genocide under international law, violating fundamental principles of state conduct and human rights.

3.Iran funds and arms proxy groups like Hamas and Hezbollah specifically to carry out attacks against Israeli civilians, as documented by intelligence agencies.

4.Holocaust denial by Iranian leadership serves to delegitimize Israel's existence and normalize antisemitic conspiracy theories worldwide.

5.Iran's nuclear program is viewed by experts as potentially aimed at acquiring capabilities to threaten Israel's existence.

6.These policies destabilize the entire Middle East, threatening millions of civilians across the region regardless of nationality or religion.

7.Iran's rhetoric often conflates Judaism with Zionism, promoting antisemitic stereotypes that endanger Jewish communities globally.

8.Many Iranian dissidents oppose these policies, showing this extremism doesn't represent the Iranian people's will.

unquote

From Rhetoric to Action: Iran Calls for Israel's Destruction - Israel Fact Check

It is also a fact that the U.N. is loaded with anti-Semitic countries.  They are useless as far as conflicts concerning Israel and Iran.   The U.N. has been passing anti-Israel motions ever since Israel became a state in 1948.  They would be useless.

 

[Venandi]

1 hour ago, herbie said:

Are you going to claim, without any evidence, only the word of The World's Biggest Liar that Iran seeks them for offensive use?

This could be a book.

There is only a limited list of weapons (they possess) that haven't been used offensively, such things as prototypes, submarine launched cruise missiles come to mind and there are a few others that I don't think were very practical anyway.

Unfortunately, previous misadventure suggests they're a fan of proxy enabled attacks, maybe because it provides a level of deniability to the regime but regardless, it still fits with their rhetoric and it remains a concern because of that.

Many analysts share your opinion about defensive intentions and deterrence... they'll suggest that the risk of existential retaliation is sufficient to keep them in check or that political and religious constrains inside Iran would prevail. Personally, I can't get there without choking... you would have to present a clear and compelling case that my fears of premeditated offensive use (by the regime or proxies) are groundless. At best (and I mean best) I would see the deterrent effect of a nuclear arsenal as a green light for orders of magnitude worse behaviour on their part and particularly on the part of aligned proxies. 

If nothing else, the price they've already paid in developing the capability seems (to me) at odds with a purely defensive ideology.... it's arguably been their undoing.

How difficult would it have been for them to be the shining example of a peaceful, moderate and wealthy Islamic state. I think even I could have managed that on their behalf.

Never mind Trump, forget about time machines, and simply deal with the present.... how do you square their aggressive rhetoric and litany of past sins with a "peaceful quest" for defensive nuclear weapons and what makes you think the deterrence you say they seek isn't a bridge to even greater mischief on their part. 

Since you're asking people to accept your opinion on this maybe an explanation of "why the hell would I" is in order... 

  

[herbie]

57 minutes ago, blackbird said:

The fact Iran seeks to destroy Israel

With nukes? And kill tens of thousands of fellow Muslims and suffer the fallout blowing back?
If they're smart enough to develop nukes they're not stupid enough to do that and risk the condemnation of the Arab world as well.
Destroy them politically and as a nation, not an atomic Holocasy. Just like our supposed ally to the south, economic means or otherwise.  An empty desert of fused glass is not a benefit.

[blackbird]

24 minutes ago, herbie said:

With nukes? And kill tens of thousands of fellow Muslims and suffer the fallout blowing back?
If they're smart enough to develop nukes they're not stupid enough to do that and risk the condemnation of the Arab world as well.
Destroy them politically and as a nation, not an atomic Holocasy. Just like our supposed ally to the south, economic means or otherwise.  An empty desert of fused glass is not a benefit.

You haven't been listening to what Iran has been sayingfor 40 years.  Of course they would use nukes to destroy Israel.  This is common knowledge.  This is what the Americans are determined to stop.

[Goober National]

Iran cannot have nukes, not just because they might use them against Israel but also because the terrorist groups they support and fund would gain access to the nuclear material. Iran's nuclear program is not transparent, does not comply with IAEA controls, which is called being a rogue nation.

[Barquentine]

On 4/16/2026 at 4:17 PM, blackbird said:

The Pope's comments prove he is willing to let Iran build a nuclear weapon.

Can you quote where he said that? And what do you mean 'let' them? He doesn't have the power to let them or stop them.

And it's more likely that Iran having nukes would lead to the kind of standoff that exist between other nations.

I'd be more concerned about North Korea or that Putin's using the nuke threat re Ukraine.

[I am Groot]

On 4/16/2026 at 6:48 PM, SpankyMcFarland said:

After what they’ve just been through, the Iranians would be unwise to give up their uranium. Israel’s demands of Iran, and every other neighbour, will not stop with the end of Iran’s nuclear program. 

Really? How often does Israel attack Jordan and Egypt, who are its main neighbors? Never. Why not? Gee. Maybe it's because neither country attacks Israel nor allows their territory to be used by groups that attack Israel? Could that POSSIBLY be it?!

Israel has no interest in Iran other than the fact Iran has been sponsoring, guiding, arming and directing terrorist attacks on it for forty years and has repeatedly vowed to destroy it.

Edited April 18 by I am Groot

[I am Groot]

On 4/16/2026 at 10:21 PM, herbie said:

He's criticsizing them for an il;legal war, bombing civilians and civilian innfrastructure (war crimes) and in going so has shown more guts than the entire GOP caucus.

The war against Iran is entirely legal under international law. Killing civilians by accident or incidental to an attack on a legitimate target is also not a war crime.

11 hours ago, herbie said:

With nukes? And kill tens of thousands of fellow Muslims and suffer the fallout blowing back?

Iran's former president said that as soon as Iran gets nuclear weapons it must use them against Israel. He said that while milliosn of Muslims may die in the retaliation, they will go to heaven as martyrs, and Islam will easily survive because it is spread out so far, but Israel, a small country, will die. By his calculation, that made it a big win for Islam.

[John Stone]

When Joe Stalin was advised that, 'el-Popo' might be a problem he responded, 'how many Divisions does the Pope have"

Somewhat akin to Trump's mindset.

[I am Groot]

19 hours ago, herbie said:

The fact that the Christian faith condemns war and promotes peaceful existence seems to be lost to you. That is exactly what the Pope is doing.

The problem is that the Muslim faith does neither of those things. And has been trying to annihilate every other religion for the last fourteen hundred years. The pope ought to be aware of that. The walls around the Vatican were built to stop Muslims, after all. 

19 hours ago, herbie said:

You're also sticking with a stubborn either or mindset that if one does not support your side, they must support the other. The Pope did not pick sides, he condemns war and the civilian slaughter, just like he's supposed to do. Any person of faith would do the same.

He did not say a thing to condemn Iran. In fact, he went to Algeria to talk about peaceful coexistence with Muslims and how Muslims and Christians can be friends - in a land where Christians have been genocided or ethnically cleansed. Then he went on to suggest Lebanon (!) was a good example of coexistence, ignoring that Lebanon was a peaceful Christian nation until the importation of more and more Muslims, who then attacked the Christians and sought to make Lebanon an Islamic state. Both sides remain heavily armed, and Lebanon's deteriorating economic circumstances come because they can't agree on anything, much less proper governance.

[John Stone]

The 'why' Trump would pick a feud with the POPE is beyond understanding.

Arguably Trump is jealous of el-Popo's popularity and by extension God himself???

A recent poll gave el-Popo a +34 net favorability rating, compared to Trump's -12 net favorability rating. 

This is the guy (nod to Pentagon Pete) that's leading the nation into battle ..........er, excursion? 

[John Johnston]

On 4/16/2026 at 2:17 PM, blackbird said:

The Pope's comments prove he is willing to let Iran build a nuclear weapon.  Such a thing would lead to major destruction as Iran has promised to destroy Israel.  That kind of attack would clearly lead to an all-out nuclear war in the middle east and cost millions of lives.  What is this Pope thinking.  He should stay out of this kind of politics.  He obviously doesn't know what he is talking about.  He claims Trump is manipulating religion, but the fact is the Pope is the world's biggest political religious figure with probably more influence that any other religious figure.  He has about 1.4 billion followers or members.  He is the one the using religion as a tool for politics if anyone is.

'Tyrants.' Pope blasts those who manipulate religion as Trump feud escalates

This has nothing to do with the Pope at all. It has everything to do with Trumps inferiority complex coupled with his insanity. The fool started a fight he can not win on any point. It's funny.