The Pope

Through the wounds of the Risen Christ we can see the evils which afflict humanity with the eyes of hope," Pope Benedict XVI said yesterday in a message that spoke of how "We may all be tempted by the disbelief of Thomas." In his comments on Iraq, however, the pope seemed himself to have succumbed to the temptation of disbelief, and the eyes of hope of which he spoke seemed to be squeezed shut, at least in respect of the current war. Said the pontiff: "Nothing positive comes from Iraq, torn apart by continual slaughter as the civil population flees."
Benedict's commentary, made to thousands gathered at the Vatican on Easter, is a reminder that while the pope may be infallible in matters of Catholic doctrine, even our greatest figures can falter in the complexities of temporal events. For this is a moment when it's important to note that much of the news from Iraq is positive, beginning with the ferment of freedom. Our columnist Nibras Kazimi, who participated in the country's liberation, wrote in these pages recently, "Bringing down Saddam gave Iraq and the Iraqi people a fighting chance at a better life … flawed freedom is far better than slavery in whatever form."