THEIST_WATCH
  Msg  : 136                                        Written : 10/11/94 07:05pm
  From : ROBIN MURRAY-O'HAIR                        Status  :                 
  To   : ALL                                                                  
  Subj : Jean Bertrand Aristide                                               

                     Jean-Bertrand Aristide

     Of course, the Vatican can't stand either him or the
"liberation theology" which he preaches. The pope is, in fact,
distressed with the invasion of Protestant proselytizers in what
he considers his domain in Central, South America and the
Caribbean nations. So, in a gesture of goodwill and reconcilia-
tion, Artistide, a Roman Catholic priest, went to Philadelphia on
Sunday (October 9) to preach in a Baptist Church. It turns out
that the U. S. Haiti envoy, the "reverend"  William Gray, is
pastor there. Gray, a former Pennsylvania congressman, is to be a
part of the official party accompanying Aristide on his return to
the Caribbean island on October 15, the end of this week.

     So far what have the Roman Catholic bishops of Haiti to say
about Aristide's projected return?

     Nothing.

     What! Nothing?

     That's right. Not one word.

     In the immediate past, the Roman Catholic hierarchy on the
island tried to prevent him for running for office, condemned his
presidency before he could even be sworn in, supported the
military leaders who overthrew him, and opposed American efforts
to restore him to power.

     When Clinton was proposing an invasion of the island, the
Roman Catholic bishops there said that "any military interven-
tion" by the United States was "scandalous and immoral." The
Vatican is still the only government in the world that not alone
recognized the recent military government but established
diplomatic relations with that government. In the United States,
John Cardinal O'Connor spoke against any invasion at Saint
Patrick's Cathedral in New York city as well as on television, on
September 19.

     The question, to the Roman Catholic bishops, appears to be:
if "Father" Aristides can give amnesty to General Cedras, why
cannot he give amnesty to the bishops? We need to wait and see.

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