Assalam-u-Alaikum! I am a Shia Muslim my name is Ch.Arafat Afzal living in Lahore Pakistan and want to know the postal address of Pop John Paul II for correspondance.I want to write him letter.Please send me the address i will b very thankfull to u. Allah Hafiz.

-- Ch.Arafat Afzal (ulfat_y2k@hotmail.com), November 21, 2001

Answers

Response to Postal address of Pope John II

Try this:

His Holiness Pope John Paul II
The Apostolic Palace
00120 Vatican City
Europe

-- (_@_._), November 21, 2001.

Response to Postal address of Pope John II

Dear Muslim Friend,

I am a Catholic and I have a question for you. Why is there so much hatred and intolerance within your religion in this point in history? Everyone seems to ask the Pope for apologies, however I never hear Muslims apologizing for their sins. We have seen much evil from the hands of Muslims all in the name of Allah. This is a shame and a great offense to God. I know you cannot change things you are only one person. However maybe you can take the Pope's example of humility and ask for forgivness and repent and change. This is the only hope for all of us. I bid you peace. Sincerely, dan

-- Dan Finaldi (finaldi@earthlink.net), January 14, 2002.

Response to Postal address of Pope John II

If you are a good man, and wish to write to John Paul II, we have respect for your wishes. We have no potal information, however.

It might seem insulting to say this; please disregard it if I am mistaken. But even if I had the address to give, I wouldn't give it to a Pkistani Muslim. Our Pope is a holy man, Sir. He loves God, as you probably do. But how can a person be sure you or some terrorist cell in Pakistan would not mail an explosive device to Our Holy Father? It would be unwise, you see.
God give you peace, and save you from all misfortune and harm. Amen.

-- eugene c. chavez (chavezec@pacbell.net), January 15, 2002.

Response to Postal address of Pope John II

I should've read the fast answer some do-gooder gave Mr. Afzal in November. I scrolled down right away to the January posts. He must have not tried any funny business; nothing has blown up yet at the Vatican. --{{{Gives me the Willies!}}}

-- eugene c. chavez (chavezec@pacbell.net), January 15, 2002.

Response to Postal address of Pope John II

I don't understand any religion which professes a belief in God, the source of all love, justice and truth, and yet whose adherents will not at least tolerate other religions, will accept killing of innocent women and children by suicide bombings, and cannot be relied upon to keep their promises or tell the truth about their perceived enemies.

Nor do I understand the following, if the report is to be believed. The Vatican is criticizing the Israelis for surrounding the Church in Bethlehem where Palestinians are holding hostage priests and nuns who serve there. Not a word about the actions of the Palestinian murderers and thugs who have taken over that church. Perhaps the Church really does have a bias against Jews. As a Catholic, trying to live with my disgust over the Church allowing homosexuals to serve as priests, and my dismay at the Church's anticapitalist, pro socialist tendencies, I wonder, does religion have to take the place of common sense?

-- Annette Kay (proofprograms@aol.com), April 03, 2002.

Response to Postal address of Pope John II

Annette Kay,

Let me share with you a fact: Palestinians are both Muslim and Christian. Israelis believe that their race is above non-Israelis. They believe non-Jews should be second-class citizens--this includes both Muslims and Christians. Ironically, many nominal Jews don't believe in God--it's a racial issue.

Israel will never be a democracy until it makes its laws (immigrations, etc) religion-neutral.

Now I'm speaking in an idealist's world, because the Israelis are trying to defend their right to live. The Muslim countries around them are more intolerant and prejudiced against non-Muslims. Democracy and freedom of religion would go a long way to help all of the Middle East.

As an aside, it's interesting that a country like Iraq was (in the 80s) the most secular and progressive in the Arab world. If I remember correctly Tariq Aziz (Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister) is a Christian. Also, woman are not subject to the extremist Islamic repression. In contrast, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait don't hide the fact that they are monarchies, repressive towards women, dissedents, and non-Muslim religion. Just some funny facts...

Mateo el Feo

-- (MattElFeo@netscape.net), April 03, 2002.

Response to Postal address of Pope John II

Dear Kay,
Are you not aware of the fact that our Church has many enemies and unfair detractors? Please do not add your voice to theirs. Please be patient, thoughtful, and fair, not reacting rashly or emotionally. You wrote: "The Vatican is criticizing the Israelis for surrounding the Church in Bethlehem where Palestinians are holding hostage priests and nuns who serve there. Not a word about the actions of the Palestinian murderers and thugs who have taken over that church. Perhaps the Church really does have a bias against Jews."

Please read the following recent press release, which I found at the Vatican's Internet site. It shows the sense of justice and fairness that comes from nearly 2,000 years of the Church's experience in diplomacy. Both sides' evil deeds are condemned, and good acts are encouraged:

"In various meetings, the position of the Holy See, authoritatively expressed by the Holy Father, John Paul II and reiterated in the public interventions of recent days, was reaffirmed:
1. unequivocal condemnation of terrorism, from whatever side it may come. [Clearly, this mainly condemns Palestinian actions. JFG]
2. disapproval of the conditions of injustice and humiliation imposed on the Palestinian people, as well as reprisals and retaliation, which only make the sense of frustration and hatred grow. [Clearly, this condemns Israeli actions. JFG]
3. respect for the United Nations resolutions, by all sides.
4. proportionality in the use of legitimate means of defense.
5. the duty for the parties in conflict to protect the sacred places, (which are) very significant for the three monotheistic religions and the patrimony of all of humanity."

"At the same time, this morning, April 3, Msgr. Celestino Migliore, under- secretary for Relations of States, received Mohamad Ali Mohamad, director of the Delegation of the League of Arab States to the Holy See, to whom he has explained the position of the Holy See, insisting, in particular, on the necessity to put an end to indiscriminate acts of terrorism. [This is pro-Israeli, condemning suicide bombings, etc. JFG]"

"Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Secretary of State, and the substitute, Archbishop Leonardo Sandri, have been in close contact with the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the religious communities of Bethlehem, conveying to them the Holy Father's complete solidarity in this painful moment."

Yes, Kay, you may have seen the Vatican speak out against the siege of the Church of the Nativity. This speaking out can have a positive effect, causing pressure to be brought to bear on Israel to back off. You call for the Vatican loudly to condemn the "Palestinian murderers and thugs who have taken over that church." First of all, you have no idea whether or not those people are "murderers and thugs," rather than ordinary, frightened people who don't want to be shot dead. [You unwisely wondered if the "Church really does have a bias against Jews." By your overly strong words, you may make people wonder if Kay "really does have a bias against" Palestinians!] But let us suppose that you are right -- that the guys are thugs and murderers. The Vatican then -- though it surely rejects the abuse of Nativity Church by gunmen -- is prudent not to express that condemnation loudly. Why scream at the gunmen, who may then abuse Catholic hostages? Would condemning them result in the men leaving the church? Of course not! Please, let us analyze this coolly and with common sense.

God bless you.
John

-- (jfgecik@hotmail.com), April 05, 2002.

Response to Postal address of Pope John II

My Friends-

While I understand the feelings -- fear, anger, confusion -- which have promted many of you to respond somewhat negatively to the poster from Pakistan, I am concerned nonetheless. Much as the regrettable situation in the middle east can be solved only through understanding, compromise, love and the spirit of compassion -- virtues embodied by our Lord -- so must we strive to practice these same virtues.

Messages which greet our friends of Islamic faith with distrust and disdain, I believe, should be avoided. Instead, I urge those who are -- understandably -- tempted to post such comments to instead try to understand what would posses a person to commit the acts of terror with which we have all become familiar. Why would an Islamic person living in the desert of Pakistan develop such feelings of hatred? Poverty and hopelessness are likely culprits. And why would an Islamic person living in Saudi Arabia be convinced that Jews are evil and not to be trusted? Because such hatred is often presented as fact in many Saudi schools. Of course, many other factors contribute to the problem.

I belive that it is important, to the extent to which it is possible, to seperate religeon from world events and human nature. Because Islamic terrorists claim that they act in the name of God does not mean that the religeon to which they subscribe condones such acts. The problem is not with the religeon, but with the people. Remember that Christians, Jews and Muslims revere the same God. Those who prey to Jehovah or Allah are our brothers and sisters.

I should point out that I do not mean to excuse dispicable acts of terror (such as those currently being commited in Israel and Palestine), but to remind Christians of their duty to embrace and forgive those who commit even the most evil and heinous of acts. Perhaps understaning the motivation for such acts is one mean to this end. It is incumbant on all of us to do so.

God bless, and peace be with you all.

Adam

"Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that persecute you and calumniate you ... that ye may become like your Father who is in Heaven." (Matt. 5:44)

-- Adam Clark (aclark@eudoramail.com), April 12, 2002.

Response to Postal address of Pope John II

You are very kind-hearted, Adam, and we can learn some things from what you have written.

Unfortunately, you are also very naive, as evidenced by this statement: "The problem is not with the religion, but with the people."

You are mistaken. In the present case, the problem is with BOTH the religion AND the people. Specifically, the problem arises from two things:
(1) The existence of bad factions of a man-made, fatally flawed "religion." The factions' interpretation of the religion's doctrine permits or demands the commission of evil acts.
(2) People who rebel against the Natural Law written on their hearts by God, choosing instead to follow a bad faction of the flawed religion and to commit the sinful acts taught by their faction.
JFG

-- (jfgecik@hotmail.com), April 13, 2002.

Response to Postal address of Pope John II

Allah Hafiz are you a radical and what do you plan to say to the holy roman pope.

-- EDwarDo (5carrote@students.nudgee.com), September 16, 2002.

Response to Postal address of Pope John II

dear ch arafat afzal

Im very sorry for some of these very rude answers that you have gotten from people. Yes Im a catholic and love the holy father very much but for people to say or think that you want to harm the pope is wrong. I know as well as many other people that not all muslims are bad. you see after 911 people have be come very judgemental of muslims, but that is not god way . God way is to love everybody as you love your self. Who are we to judge people the only person to judge is God and we are not God.

-- sara villa (gar_villa@hotmail.com), October 19, 2002.

Response to Postal address of Pope John II

Hey there

Look this is a question directed to the muslims. Look i am a devout catholic. There is not a single dought in my mind that the faith is true becuase i have seen the miracles. Yes the miracales of guadalupe in Mexico in Fatima and Lourds. All incredible and scienctifically inprovabale. I have also seen one of the many places where the body and blood of christ has actually transfomred from normal bread and wine to actual flesh and blood. It still remains here hundreds of years later as well as in Brazil where the same thing happened only 3 yeasr ago. Lokk my question is what is the muslim oppinion of these miravcles. In my own expereice no one can refute them. Like take Guadalupe, anti ctaholics blased a bomb next to the image and everything exploded except the image of our lady which miraculously appeared 400 years ago and still rremains perfect today.

Please i would be most interested to hear your response thanks

-- Greg Morgan (morgang24@hotmail.com), June 08, 2003.

Good will towards all is true religion. Expounding dogma, and preaching hatred due to our differences is not The Way.Let us instead speak on our similarities, and love for all living things.

-- John Bach (datadrainz@yahoo.com), January 08, 2004.

In other words, as long as we are nice to people it really doesn't matter if everything we believe is objectively false? Sorry, but God said that the TRUTH would set us free, not touchy-feely sentiments. He also commanded that we are to preach that truth to the whole world. I wouldn't want to face him and have to explain why I concentrated on smelling the roses and smiling at rainbows instead of letting others know that Jesus Christ is Lord, and the only means by which men may be saved.

-- Paul M. (PaulCyp@cox.net), January 08, 2004.