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Pope Praying For US Tornado Victims

Pope Tornadoes

05/25/11 09:17 AM ET   AP

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VATICAN CITY -- Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday assured survivors of the deadliest tornado in the United States since 1950 that he was close to them spiritually and praying for hope and strength for the homeless.

"The Holy Father has followed with deep concern the aftermath of the catastrophic tornado which struck Joplin on Sunday," read a text of a telegram of solidarity sent to the local bishop in Missouri and made public by the Vatican.

In the telegram, Benedict asks Springfield-Cape Giradeau Bishop James Johnston to "convey to the entire community the assurance of his closeness in prayer, conscious of the tragic loss of life and the immensity of the work of rebuilding that lies head."

At least 122 people were killed and some 750 wounded by the deadliest single twister since 1950, when the U.S. National Weather Service started keeping official records. Some 80,000 buildings were destroyed. Joplin has a population of some 50,000.

Benedict said he was asking God to grant "eternal rest to the departed, consolation to the grieving and strength and hope to the homeless and the injured."

(This version corrects deadliest since 1950 instead of 1955.)

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VATICAN CITY -- Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday assured survivors of the deadliest tornado in the United States since 1950 that he was close to them spiritually and praying for hope and strength for th...
VATICAN CITY -- Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday assured survivors of the deadliest tornado in the United States since 1950 that he was close to them spiritually and praying for hope and strength for th...
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POPE INNOCENT
2 hours ago (7:25 PM)
Like Father Guido Sarducci said "UNDERSTAN­D THE JESUITS!"

Fascist Roman Catholic List;

Bill O Reilly most watched most popular Catholic.
Sean Hannity
Karl Rove
Laura Ingraham
Nancy Pelosi
Newt Gingrich
Antonin “Nino” Scalia
Anthony M. Kennedy
Sonia Sotomayor
Clarence Thomas
Samuel Alito
Rick Santorumn
Darryl Issa
Thaddeus McCotter
Donald Trump
John A. Boehner
Joe Biden
Tony Blair
Tom Coburn
John Ensign
Ken Blackman

Is the pope the anti-chris­t? Kytekutter

http://www­.youtube.c­om/watch?v­=ck02k6d-_­nI
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A-Superstitionist
02:43 PM on 5/26/2011
Instead of praying to something not supported by any verifiable­/falsifiab­le evidence whatsoever­, Benny Hex should give some of the wealth his bastion of superstiti­on and crime has accumulate­d from the gullible (mostly the poor) to the victims of this natural disaster.
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ParadoxHarbinger
10:17 AM on 5/26/2011
so, as per usual, doing nothing useful. he could use some of that gargantuan pile of money the church is sitting on to do something that is actually meaningful­.
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mcmutter
09:49 AM on 5/26/2011
I always pray for the pedo victims of the catholic church .... when will it finally stop ..... when will the bishops start going to jail for their illegal and immoral cover-ups ....
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
elaygee
08:42 AM on 5/26/2011
Has he offered to look after their pre-pubesc­ent teenage boys while they rebuild?
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Uncle Bob
Darwin loves you.
11:09 PM on 5/25/2011
it is the least he could do.
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buggeroffyou666
11:48 PM on 5/25/2011
And he will do the least he can do.
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freethinker-52
10:25 PM on 5/25/2011
that is funny considerin­g that god wanted the tornados to hit a city. if god id all powerful and all knowing he wanted the tornado to rip apart that town.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
sharmaine73
Writes about Entertainment and Political News.
12:15 AM on 5/26/2011
Read a biblem, especially the new testament that lays out the teachings of Christ. If that's too much for you, try the Jefferson Bible: The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth (no magic, miracles or mysteries included) Talk to a person who has studied religous texts. Not somebody like Terry Jones. Most people agree he is a dumb a. Try someone like Rabi Schmuley, or Pastor Rob Bell (he wrote a book called 'Love Wins'), or the Dalai Lama, or the books, 'Why Do bad Things Happen to Good People', and How Good Do We Have To Be? both by Harold Kushner,

There is also, Autobiogra­phy of a Yogi by Paramahans­a Yogananda, and Mere Christiani­ty by C.S. Lewis. Finally, there is 'Strength to Love', by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

All available on amazon or at your local library.
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buggeroffyou666
12:34 AM on 5/26/2011
Jefferson was a deist not a Christian. And most Atheist do read and understand the bible old and new. That's part of why we are atheist. C.S. Lewis is a joke....no­w the biblical scholar. Expert in biblical text ,member of the Jesus seminar prolific writer of such books as The case against the case For Christ...a­nd atheist...­Robert M Price. He is someone to read, go to his site or listen to his show. Oh yah. He was a pastor till understand­ing the bible made him quit. He can also be seen in the movie THE GOD THAT WASNT THERE.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
QuarkGluonSoup
12:56 AM on 5/26/2011
The Jefferson Bible is a piece of work. He arbitraril­y cut out whatever he thought was "unreasona­ble", and this is suppose to be a work of value? Imagine taking a biography of Jefferson and cutting out stuff you don't like....yo­u could create the biography of an entirely different person.
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sunshine14
05:27 PM on 5/26/2011
Thank You F
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
sharmaine73
Writes about Entertainment and Political News.
10:07 PM on 5/25/2011
Hey Atheists! Nobody asked you.
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Uncle Bob
Darwin loves you.
11:10 PM on 5/25/2011
I'll pray for you.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
sharmaine73
Writes about Entertainment and Political News.
11:22 PM on 5/25/2011
Thanks!
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Gail Dodona
08:33 AM on 5/26/2011
Comments are submitted Free Will, no matter the belief of the individual­. If you want to assure an atheist remains an atheist, keep this attitude. There is a Christiani­ty based on Jesus, and a Churchiani­ty based on religion and always being right. Everyone is already 'right' in their own mind. Judge not that ye be not judged - and who asked you likewise? "Hey Atheists! Nobody asked you" was and is controllin­g, passive-ag­gressive, and just plain immature - playground talk of the egotist.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
sharmaine73
Writes about Entertainment and Political News.
11:06 AM on 5/26/2011
"Comments are submitted Free Will, no matter the belief of the individual­­."
That wasn't the point dear.
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ParadoxHarbinger
10:21 AM on 5/26/2011
hey, sharmaine! nobody asked you.

he's doing nothing useful, whether you like it or not. he could actually help, monetarily­, or by asking congregant­s to give aid. wouldn't that be like prayer ? and why not? but no, he asks god to help instead. pathetic.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
sharmaine73
Writes about Entertainment and Political News.
11:10 AM on 5/26/2011
Your opinion. He's the Pope. My issue is with people who automatica­lly jump to, "I don't believe in God! It's a myth! Me, me, me, me,me!" I see you don't like it when someone jumps right in and starts an irrelevant conversati­on. Imagine that.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
sharmaine73
Writes about Entertainment and Political News.
09:42 PM on 5/25/2011
History  | Permalink  |
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MathIsTruth
08:38 PM on 5/25/2011
If you are a person who believes prayer works, then you should be doing the praying before the bad things happen.

Then, when bad things DO happen, you don't need to pray because you know nobody listens to your prayers.
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buggeroffyou666
10:09 PM on 5/25/2011
Now THATS some spot on math....F/­F
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buggeroffyou666
08:09 PM on 5/25/2011
Prayer the way of doing nothing even as you tell yourself you're doing something. Me? I'm sending money. Money is real
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
sharmaine73
Writes about Entertainment and Political News.
09:52 PM on 5/25/2011
I don't have any money to send and I can't get there so I guess my words of encouragem­ent and my litghting a candle in memory of those who died and out of respect for those who survived doesn't mean squat. Persoanlly if i was buried under a rock after a tornado, I'd appreciate knowing that even people who coudln't get to me, took the time out of their day to think of me and ask WHOEVER to come save my behind. Whether it be you, God, or your money. Shoot, maybe God moved you to send me a check. You never know and frankly it doesn't matter to me. This is earth. Stuff happens. Both the religous and non know (or should know) that tomorrow isn't guarenteed for anyone, you included. Let people grieve and worship the way they want to. Nobody needs you coming in declaring you don't believe in God. Nobody asked you.
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buggeroffyou666
10:08 PM on 5/25/2011
I do think of people in need and when I can help. what I dont do is pretending that some words to an imaginary man will help. And if you think the poop is doing it for more then image then you are kidding yourself. HE HAS BILLIONS, but he will keep his money....a­nd pray. BTW I will not be insulted even the idea that I need a myth to do what is right. You keep your myth and I'll keep my ethics. And yes you so vary much DO need lots of people telling you the facts.
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Pyrrhus
08:06 PM on 5/25/2011
Too bad he can't sell one of his pectoral crosses and give the surviviors some money instead. I think that might help a tad more.
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Felixio
07:07 PM on 5/25/2011
Praying doesn't help, if they want to do something, they should pull up their sleeves and go for it.
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David McGlasson
06:21 PM on 5/25/2011
Has anyone heard the recording that is going around the internet right now about how Pope Benedict has kept a prophecy secret (the 3rd Secret of Fatima) about him being executed by his own followers? Here is the link to it:

http://www­.merkaba.o­rg/audio/b­enedict.ht­ml
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
HawaiianLady
07:59 PM on 5/25/2011
This "third secret silence" is nonsense. The visionary who received it (Lucia) said it had all been revealed by Pope John Paul II. She only died a couple of years ago and had plenty of time to verify that it was all out there.
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busterggi
04:47 PM on 5/25/2011
You have to wonder how many more centuries of praying for relief from natural disasters it will take before believers see that no one is listening.
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Pyrrhus
08:08 PM on 5/25/2011
Regretably­, it will take a few centuries more.

You gotta admit, the idea of eternity being given bjs from virgins is attractive for some of the populace. To say nothing of watching others siuffer eternally while they laugh,
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