I think it was Stalin who once asked how many troops does the Pope have? The correct answer is many more than you think. The Pope is making a large continuing mistake by trying to mobilize nations instead of Roman Catholics worldwide. Here is the great power of the Roman Catholic Church. Borders should be unimportant to the RCC. The faithful are the important base. Democracy has meant little to the RCC in the past, why bother with it now?

Roger Rickards, Port Alberni, BC Canada

5 years ago he wasn't pope.

Ed, London, England

If international concensus was the standard, where would Bosnio and Kosovo be today? In addittion, lets look at the genocide in Rawanda, or some of the other places on trhe African continent today. Did Europe ask for a world consensus when the Serbs were rapeing and killing? Oh, I know, only when the U.s. decides to go it alone that its bad.

Reed, PHOENIX, USA

[Corrected error!]
Benedict 16, Alka, John Correia, and others, are a tad confused?

The instigators of the deposing of Saddam Hussein made great effort to obtain U. N. resolutions which gave Coalition 'bailiffs' leave to enter Iraq and compensate for the impotence of the preceding attempts to hunt down the materials which were used against the Kurds and the Iranian army!

When does a "collective action to confront international issues" qualify for classification as a "collective action to confront international issues"?

John, Kent, Britain

Appropriate that he should advise against unilateral action such as the U.S. invasion of Iraq and subsequent war. The war was ill-advised, based on phony intelligence, immoral and probably unconstitutional as well.

Sam Davis, Annapolis, US Maryland

Duh....he's the Pope. He should be against all wars whether they are unilateral or not. Other religious leaders would do well to follow his example. Why don't you write about that instead telling us something we already know.

John Correia, Dallas, TX, USA

Where was he 5 years ago when america attacked Iraq?
No one done anything to stop invasion, not pope not UN.

Alka, Toronto, Canada

Well, His Holiness is ill informed. He doesnt know that God has made American Pdts His lieutenants down here.
As Pdt Dubya has made clear :

We have a calling from beyond the stars to stand for freedom, and America will always be faithful to that cause.
I am driven with a mission from God. God would tell me, 'George go and fight these terrorists in Afghanistan'. And I did. And then God would tell me 'George, go and end the tyranny in Iraq'. And I did.
I trust God speaks through me. Without that, I couldn't do my job.

RONNIE, PARIS, FRANCE