Pope Francis proudly prompted a girl and boy to release two doves of peace for the Ukraine on Sunday at the Vatican in front of thousands, who saw them rapidly being brutally attacked by a crow and a seagull looking for a good meal.
Prior to giving the doves to the children to free them, he prayed for peace in the Ukraine.
We don’t want to make fun of the Holy See’s prayers. After all, it could happen to Jews, also.
But Jews are supposed to back up their prayers with deeds to change their actions and improve themselves to be merited with God’s help to save them from enemies rather than simply carrying on as usual and praying that the enemies should change their ways.
The Vatican’s annual Caravan of Peace festival seems to be something with as much substance as the Obama administration, or that of Bush, Reagan Blair or any other world leader, condemning terrorism.
Al Qaeda does not shiver in its boots every time U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon appeals for terrorists today down their weapons, and the U.S. State Dept. routine condemnations of terror have about as much effect as the pope’s doves.
For the record, Pope Francis stated, “I am close to Ukraine in prayer, in particular to those who have lost their lives in recent days and to their families. I hope that a constructive dialogue between the institutions and civil society can take place, that any resort to violence is avoided and that the spirit of peace and a search for the common good is in the hearts of all.”
He gave the boy and girl the two doves and then patted their little heads after they released them.
The annual peace gesture has been as effective as the peace process. Last year a sea gull pounced one of the doves.In 2012, the doves had enough sense to simply fly back into the Vatican’s apartments.
Perhaps it is not by accident that doves are one of the birds that Jews sacrificed in the times of the Holy Temples.
In today’s terms, that could be called a true sacrifice for peace.