Vatican seeking to calm cartoon conflict

I'll link to the article (link)

As a nation Vatican city has an advantage that other nations have, but refuse to pursue in the Muslim world. They have diplomats. A quote:

Vatican diplomats have launched a world-wide campaign to reduce the tension over the Mohammed cartoons using the Holy See's extensive but little known diplomatic network. As an independent sovereign state the Vatican has diplomatic relations with 174 countries -- including most of the Arab nations and Iran -- with ambassadors (usually known as papal nuncios) in the capitals of most of them.

The nuncios are usually good diplomats. If no western power will take a stand, it is at least good that the Vatican will try and do what it can.

Vatican sources said diplomatic representatives in Islamic countries, including Pakistan, Indonesia, Syria, Iraq, and Algeria have been pressing Islamic governments to take decisive steps to halt the violence that has swept the Middle East to protest the publication of 12 cartoons lampooning the Prophet Mohammed, with some of them depicting him as a terrorist. In the Islamic faith it is considered blasphemy to show images of the Prophet in a hagiographic way, let alone in satiric cartoons.

The sad reality is that it is likely that the Muslim nations, at least the ones that are theocracies, will not listen. The Pope said today:

"It is necessary and important that religions and their respective symbols be treated with respect, and that believers are not provoked (with acts) that wound their religious sentiments," Pope Benedict declared. But the "responses to such offenses" must not be "intolerance and violence." He said the protests that had erupted across the Islamic world causing willful damage and even death was "a deliberate exploitation of the offense to religious sentiments to foment acts of violence."

look at that last line:

He said the protests that had erupted across the Islamic world causing willful damage and even death was "a deliberate exploitation of the offense to religious sentiments to foment acts of violence."

This is spot on. This situation is being exploited for maximum damage by individuals and governments.

the main role of Vatican diplomacy is generally to spread the church's message on morality and social justice, to defend Catholic minorities, particularly in the Arab world, and to protect the holy places, especially in the Middle East. Its vast collection of information through the network of the local clergy is legendary, and nuncios are reputed to be among the best informed diplomats in the business.

This role (the one in red) is becoming a high priority for the Vatican. It is also changing from Catholic minorities to all Christian minorities. All I have to say is, It is about time. I'm not sure what the Vatican can do. But what they can not do is sit by and watch. We remember the silence of our friends.

I pray that all Christians work toward unity and aid each other. Let us not remember each other for our silence. Let the aid and love we freely give each other, mirror the greatness of the salvation we have been freely given by God.