OPINION:
The Moors (Muslims) raided St. Peter’s Basilica in 846 A.D. Pope Leo IV subsequently repaired Roman churches that had been damaged during the Moors’ raid against the Romans.
Leo IV is especially noted for building the Leonine Wall around Vatican Hill to protect the city and ensure that the invasion didn’t happen again. He further organized a league of Italian cities, which fought and won the sea Battle of Ostia against the Saracens (also Muslims).
Pope Leo XIV has condemned the U.S.-Israel war against Iran. It appears that he does not see radical Islam quite the same way that Pope Leo IV did.
Iran has been the key exporter of terrorism throughout the world for 47 years now. Many Americans have been killed or wounded by the Iranian regime’s actions, direct or indirect, during this time.
On Oct. 23, 1983, suicide truck bombings in Beirut killed 241 U.S. Marines and 58 French soldiers, marking one of the deadliest attacks on American forces since World War II. I wonder what Pope Leo XIV would say if that happened at that Vatican.
The U.S. and Israel attacked Iran because intelligence indicated that Iran was exceptionally close to making nuclear bombs. Perhaps it would be a good time to bring back Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran pastor in Nazi Germany, to ask his opinion on America’s actions.
One of his famous quotes was, “Silence in the face of evil is evil itself.” Bonhoeffer repeatedly spoke up against the Nazi regime and tried to stir up an apathetic church.
What happened? Nothing. Hitler’s progress went unchecked and millions upon were murdered.
I think Bonhoeffer would agree with America’s actions against Iran. The radical Islamic regime, guided by many teachings from the Quran, would have brought catastrophic results upon the United States, Israel and the world had we not acted.
Pope Leo XIV, please learn a lesson from Pope Leo IV.
MICHAEL IMHOF
Aurora, Illinois
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