VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican raised the possibility Sunday of using behind-the-scenes diplomacy to try to save the life of an Iranian widow sentenced to be stoned for adultery.
In its first public statement on the case, which has attracted worldwide attention, the Vatican decried stoning as a particularly brutal form of capital punishment.
Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said the Catholic church opposes the death penalty in general.
It is unclear what chances any Vatican bid would have to persuade the Muslim nation to spare the woman’s life. Brazil, which has friendly relations with Iran, was rebuffed when it offered her asylum.
Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani was convicted in 2006 of adultery. In July, Iranian authorities said they would not carry out the stoning sentence for the time being, but the mother of two could still face execution by hanging for adultery and other offenses.
Her son, Sajad, told the Italian news agency Adnkronos that he was appealing to Pope Benedict XVI and to Italy to work to stop the execution.
Lombardi told The Associated Press that no formal appeal had reached the Vatican. But he hinted that Vatican diplomacy might be employed to try to save Ashtiani.
Lombardi said in a statement that the Holy See “is following the case with attention and interest.”
“When the Holy See is asked, in an appropriate way, to intervene in humanitarian issues with the authorities of other countries, as it has happened many times in the past, it does so not in a public way, but through its own diplomatic channels,” Lombardi said in the statement.
In one of the late Pope John Paul II’s encyclicals in 1995, the pontiff laid out the Catholic Church’s stance against capital punishment.
John Paul went to bat in several high-profile cases of death-row inmates in the United States. One of the first was the case of Paula Cooper, who was convicted of murdering her elderly Bible teacher when she was 15 but spared the electric chair by Indiana in 1989.
But that same year, a papal appeal for clemency to Cuba to spare a war hero and three other Cuban officers convicted of drug trafficking from the firing squad went unheeded.
Meanwhile, Italy’s foreign minister, Franco Frattini, told the ANSA news agency that while Italy respects Iranian sovereignty and isn’t in any way interfering, “a gesture of clemency from Iran is the only thing that can save her.”
Italy has strong economic ties, primarily energy interests, in Iran.
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Comments (84)
megan
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 8:24pmI realize Soros funds NOW but couldn’t they at least pretend to care about women?
Report Post »Where is Hollywood on this?
BurntHills
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 7:47pmIslam is a transnational political movement, it was designed to strike terror and subservience into his tent neighbors by an insane pedophile (his wife Aisha came to him at 6yrs old, imagine what he did to her before he consummated it when she was 9) — how sadly pathetic the pedophilic crazed warlord took the early Christian Bible and “fundamentally transformed” the Old Testament Moses and company into his own workers.
Report Post »BurntHills
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 7:42pmyeah, there is your “peaceful” religion Islam we hear about, hard at work, killing and stoning and beheading and lashing its own people. imagine what they want to do HERE in AMERICA. oh wait, they crash planes into AMERICAN skyscrapers etc, TOO.
Report Post »Cerita
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 7:25pmDuncan, I stand corrected. I got the story of the prostitute that washed Jesus’ feet with her tears with the woman caught in adultery. She (the prostitute) repented and followed Jesus. Thank you for bringing that to my attention. I don’t want to mislead anybody.
Report Post »And yes, without repentance and acceptance of Jesus as Lord and Savior, there is no forgiveness of sin. And that can be an eternal tragedy.
You’re also right about David. He was forgiven and still loved by God very much, but there was great consequences. I am thankful that God didn’t hide in His word the flaws of man, fore I am flawed and I need God’s mercy and grace and forgiveness.
God bless you, Duncan.
notimeforthis
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 7:05pmWhere is President Obama on voicing his opinion on this one! He seems hell bent on standing up for Muslims all over the world, and especially in America. Perhaps Imam Rauf could state his ideas about this, considering they might consider taking money for the NY mosque from Iran.
Report Post »wonderbug
Posted on September 6, 2010 at 6:25amExactly. The overall relationship the media has with the Catholic Church and with Obama is so backwards. They take every opportunity to demonize the Church and glorify Obama. So sick of it.
Where’s our imam to do some mediating here? Or is he perfectly okay with this?
Report Post »DanniDee
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 6:31pmThese uncivilized Arabian monsters DO have a religion – it is called Devil-worship.
Report Post »DanniDee
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 6:29pmThese primitive, uncivilized Arabians DO have a religion – it is called Devil-Worship.
Report Post »Cerita
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 6:28pmWhat did Jesus say to the woman who was caught in the very act of adultery by the “religious” leaders?
Report Post »I don’t condemn you, go and sin no more.
And what did He say to the religous leaders?
Those without sin cast the first stone.
One by one, oldest first walked away.
Jesus didn’t condone, He forgave and told her to go live a different life, a God pleasing life.
And, she did.
duncan
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 6:52pmBig thing here Bible quoters If she chose not to accept Jesus as the Christ and her lord and savior she would still end up in hell. We never were told. The consequences will last forever like they did with David. But David admitted his sin to God ..
Report Post »Joseph
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 6:17pmGlad to know the Vatican is wakeing up! About time.I find it hard to belive that after Hitler,Pol Pot, and their enemy Sadahm Insane why the Iranians even wish to participate in this “Diarrhea Law” of theirs.Antways, Good for the Vatican…
Report Post »WhosGotYourBackNow
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 6:05pmI want to start to eliminate the Federal Reseve and once we do many of our problems in this country will be over. We should start a new currency. Like a Faith based Currency ( Christian Currency). Jesus asked who’s immage is on that coin? A. Cessar’s. Jesus_ give to Cessar what is his. If we religious persons started and managed a new currency we could help fix many of the problems as a person and a business I would except the currency even if It validity was only with other persons who are Faith, and soon everyone would except it just as we would except currency from Canada or other places.
Report Post »VanGrungy
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 6:53pmYou thought the Ground Zero Mosque was bad… How about the Charles Martel mosque?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4PxyalxjG8&feature=player_embedded
http://durotrigan.blogspot.com/2010/08/charles-martel-turns-in-his-grave-as.html
Report Post »Although I had previously heard about plans to build a large mosque in Poitiers, I did not know that it was being lavishly funded by the French state. The site itself was purchased for the nominal sum of €1 whereas a further €300,000 has been provided by the Government towards the mosque’s construction on the understanding that it will be staffed by ‘moderate’ imams.
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smartypoop
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 5:39pmGood for the Pope. I wish him luck, but I doubt he will be successful. Is he going to do this for all the stoning victims, or just this one?
Report Post »duncan
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 6:36pmbabies have their brains scrambled every day in america. It’s a late term thing u know?.We need to worry about our evil culture first
Report Post »VanGrungy
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 5:08pmhttp://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/04/world/europe/04bishop.html
The officials said the killing was not believed to be politically or religiously motivated. It nevertheless raised tensions between the Vatican and Turkey ahead of the pope’s visit to Cyprus, where he was expected to discuss the challenges facing Christians as religious minorities in the Middle East.
=======
http://ncronline.org/blogs/all-things-catholic/struggling-understand-bishops-murder-turkey
a well-known Italian priest and Vatican writer has claimed that at the last minute, Padovese cancelled plans to travel to Cyprus for the pope’s trip because sources in the Turkish government warned him that Altun had embraced Islamic fundamentalism. According to Fr. Fillippo di Giacomo, Padovese was afraid his driver might try to kill the pope.
……
http://www.nationalcatholicreporter.org/word/word021006.htm#one
Padovese stressed that he “loves the Turkish people,“ most of whom ”are good people who want dialogue.” At the same time, he said, “there are zones of Turkey which are completely ‘Islamified,’ where it is dangerous to be a Christian.”
btw… Christians are waking up… As usual the Vatican is lost in Globalist Universalistic stupidity…
Report Post »http://vangrungy.blogspot.com/2010/09/dr-jeffress-tells-truth-about-islam.html
KnightErrantJR
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 8:22pmOddly enough, the Vatican is a global institution. Standing up for what is right is what needs to be done. Its not the same as the US sending troops into Iran to change their country. The Vatican is telling them they are wrong and that they should show mercy to this woman.
Our own government should be saying this is wrong. It doesn’t require us to violate their national boundaries, it only requires us to say that it is wrong, and they should not be doing this. I don’t see what the problem with this is.
One of the greatest problems we have in this world, today, is that we are so afraid of doing and saying the wrong thing that we won’t even use words, simple words, to speak the truth. If Iran is going to become hostile because they don’t want the Vatican to tell them its wrong to stone a woman, it seems that they may have been spoiling for a provocation to begin with.
Its not like the Vatican, unlike the United States, can require anyone to pay an extra tax to provide services to someone, or impose anything upon anyone. This is totally separate from what a government would do.
Its not like the Vatican can start a war. They are only trying to perform a humanitarian act, and one of the defining characteristics of our Catholic faith is that we are called to do what is right for people, even if they are not “our own.” All humans deserve our charity until such time as they exercise their free will to reject it.
Report Post »missmarie
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 4:55pmAfter reading this article, my biggest fear is the influence and impact that Sharia Law is currently having in the United States. We’ve already seen examples of the implications of these religious tenants on our justice system, and I, for one, am very concerned that if we don’t place some boundaries on how it plays out in our courts, we could all be in trouble.
If the Vatican is truly interested in assisting and makes the attempt to stop this madness, I am all for it. I believe this type of punishment is atrocious. I, too, am wondering where the feminist groups are and why their voices aren’t heard above all others on the issue of the rights for women to be treated like individuals and not property.
Just to be clear, I don’t agree with adultery. Once you’ve made the commitment to another human being, you both deserve the respect of that bond. But, I do not feel I can sit in a place of judgment on another person, either. The good Lord will make His determinations on a one-on-one basis when the time comes. He and our founders had a very high hope for this land – that we would look to God for answers. That His manual for life would guide us to be better, somehow. It is time we all read the instructions again, because I think we’re stuck in that one – it’s all about me and what I want – gear.
Here in America, we view this as a barbaric act. However, I must honestly agree with SILO13 that if the people of Iran wish to change their laws, they can rise up and do that on their own. We should be more concerned with this mentality moving into our neck of the woods and takes steps to stop it.
Report Post »duncan
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 6:28pmExactly. We view the sanctity of life differently than the muslim world. Is stoning someone to death any different than a late term abortion? i don’t think so. If we were objecting to infanticide by scrambling a childs brain with a pair of scissors then we might have a reason to complain about someone in another country dying by stoning. If we don’t care about a childs death then we have no business telling another country what to do with their people.
Report Post »iheartfreedom
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 4:44pmGood for the Vatican for speaking out, but why isn’t American Muslim groups, Women’s Rights groups, Civil Rights advocates (Al Sharpton) speaking out loudly on this issue? This is the Sharia Law that will be coming to a courtroom near you if we don‘t stop giving up our freedoms and allowing ’political correctness’ & ‘tolerance’ to dominate our common sense.
Report Post »Jack007
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 4:36pmWhere is the outrage from ALL Those so-called Peaceful Mooslims; the Silence is Deafening!
Report Post »Remember the Silence before Pearl Harbor and 9-11
Kathy H
Posted on September 6, 2010 at 11:45amI agree Jack007,
Report Post »Where is the outrage from the Muslims that want to build the mosque in NY at ground zero, or for that matter anywhere here in the United States??? Yes she will not be stoned but will now get 99 LASHES…. Come On Muslim people and American citizens is this what you all want if Sharia Law comes to the United States for your daughters or granddaughters or great grandchildren or even your wifes????? Either of these are terrible for any women and to proof your incents you could never do it under there laws…
Venom
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 4:24pmSo when are we gonna fight Iran, its bound to happen. Im joining the Army after college i would love to take this argument to their doorstep.
Report Post »Jack007
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 4:39pmA word of friendly advise, do not join the military until you have a President that won’t stab you in the back.
Report Post »SFYMP
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 6:13pmExactly.When the CIC has respect from the troops again for being a leader, then follow. I was set for a career in the USMC until jimmy carter decided that experienced combat troops weren’t needed anymore. He didn’t want anyone with Valor, Integrity or GUTS. You are needed for the fight for our country in country.
Report Post »rocktruth
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 4:04pmThese days stoning is condemned by almost everyone. But what about the sin of adultery? Do we speak out only against the stoning but not the adultery? I guess we do this to save a life from an unmerciful Iranian law. But in the bible, the women who was caught in adultery was held accountable. Jesus said “Go and SIN NO MORE” and so should we in our land.
Report Post »notimeforthis
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 7:07pmDo you not know that just being in the company of a man that is not family can be sonsidered adultry in these countries! If a man wants rid of a wife he can frame her and have her killed!
Report Post »Silo13
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 3:43pmThe long term solution? Keep the Western World out of Iran’s culture, society, religion and business.
Report Post »The Iranian people and the loved ones of their oppressed women need to learn to STAND UP to change their own society, not to have it (forcefully) changed by outside forces, especially the Western World.
Not only is this story just more propaganda for the Western World, (especially to prod American’s into supporting a war against Iran), but the attention given this situation from the West backfires horribly against women in Iran.
As long as Iran knows they can get a reaction out of ‘Us’ – they‘ll continue to use and abuse their women as they’re doing now.
duncan
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 6:44pmEXCELLENT.. Remember the story of the iraq army going in and throwing babies out of their beds. WE all got hot and indignant. Stay out of other countries affairs. Manifest destiny we don’t need
Report Post »Augustus Cicero
Posted on September 7, 2010 at 3:53amWell Spoken. A little MYOB goes a long ways in situations like this. As cruel and barbaric as it is Westerners getting involved will only make it worse. If any change for the better is to happen it will have to come from within the Islamic Community. Any attempts to pressure them will backfire and stiffen their resolve to hold on to Sharia Law. They are going to have to be the ones to say Enough is Enough.
Report Post »dtaglione
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 3:39pmWhy isn’t NOW getting involved? Why aren’t the men punished? Why does anyone tolerate this?
Report Post »Women better wake up and take action.
As like everything, this is Bush’s fault. Wake Up.
EZBurns
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 3:57pmNow only cares about liberal women and abortion. You‘ll NEVER hear them say one word in this or any like woman’s defense. They’re a pack of cowardly, self-agrandizing twits.
This woman in Iran needs our prayers and for us to speak out against such horror. It’s wrong, it’s evil and more than just the Vatican need to be heard.
Report Post »duncan
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 6:33pmNOW enjoys looking at photos of babies having their brains scrambled by a pair of scissors. Almost made it kid but I have a party to get to.
Report Post »VanGrungy
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 3:34pmMaybe the Vatican should worry about Catholics…
After the Bishop of Turkey had his head cut off for preventing the assassination of the Pope (remember the Pope trip to Cyprus, the Bishop declined to visit the Pope due to the “nutty” driver), you would think the Vatican would be a little less interested in reaching out to an obviously uninterested islamic world…
Report Post »KnightErrantJR
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 4:12pmWe’ve all gotten very comfortable not speaking out about what is right when the risk is too high versus the reward. I am very proud of my Church because of this stance.
Report Post »missmarie
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 5:12pmI would hope the Vatican and all other Christians would be most interested in reaching out to the Islamic region. Jesus didn’t come for the righteous and those that “got it”, you know what I mean? You can’t change someones thought process without honest debate, and you can’t debate without first saying “can we talk?”.
Report Post »RKBA Democrat
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 3:20pmWomen in Iran do not appear to have anything that we would recognize as due process rights. They’re essentially chattel. The only way this woman gets spared is if outsiders make enough of a stink so as to make it worthwhile for the muillahs to extend mercy.
Report Post »Diane TX
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 3:09pmIt’s hard to believe that stoning is still happening in the twenty-first century, as is being put to death for the crime of “adultery”.
I pray that the Vatican is successful in saving this woman’s life.
Report Post »saneromeo
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 5:53pmWhat’s harder to believe is that while stoning occurs in Iran, genocide occurs in Darfour, and religious crusades against christians in India, yet the State Dept. will cite having to show a driver’s license as a human rights violation…
Report Post »duncan
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 6:31pmwhen we murder children by scrambling their brains with a pair of scissors where do you get off telling another country or culture what to do. Save your prayers and use them for children.
Report Post »rocktruth
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 2:57pmLike all nations. Iran needs Jesus. But I wonder if our divorce rate would be as high if people committing adultery spent a week in jail?
Report Post »danglingbags
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 2:52pmWe should not worry about Iran. We need to stop the Obama agenda and work for the corporate interests and put the republicans back in November. Where are the good old days of $5.00 a gallon gas? Just look at the Dow. It was 10,000 when Bush took office and 7,800 when he left. Now that took a lot of hard work. I really like how Bush and GOP doubled the size of government and took the National Debt from 5.5 Trillion to 10.6. We do not need healthcare for everyone. All you have to go to the emergency room and get all the healthcare you need. Why should we give all these entitlements to the poor and downtrodden? Like Jesus even cared about the poor. Yeah Right! Jesus stood up for the rich and powerful and that is what we need to do. The rich guy is having a hard time these days. I even heard one rich guy decided to buy a used yacht in order to contribute to Dick Armey’s(Former Lobbyist) Freedomworks so he can get the tea party to do the bidding for the rich. Get out there and put the GOP back in power so they can over perform like the did in the good old Bush years and of course …BUY GOLD!
phylum
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 3:46pmDear Danglingwithnobrains: Your message from hell has arrived. ” Well spoken Danglingwithwhatever I could’nt have done better myself. Awaiting your further comments to prove my theories about you. Best wishes and see you very very soon my friend”. signed SATAN
Report Post »Skandelon27
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 3:52pmDanglybrains,
1. Congress was controlled by liberals for the last two years of Bush’s term…you know the time when everything went to hell… (but nevertheless Glenn, and most of us, criticize the Bush administration for their overspending)
2. Obama has more spent more than Bush did at this point in his first term.
3. Jesus taught us to give freely out of the generosity of our own hearts, not the mandatory taxation from a corrupt government so that they can dole it out to the groups they deem worthy. Republicans give much more to charity than do Democrats according to studies.
4. Glenn has said numerous times that Gold is not for everyone and that we should investigate for ourselves if its a good investment. How about you look into the Democrats investments in Fannie and Freddie?
Report Post »jaime
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 4:31pmHey DingleDangle – I hear Cuba is nice this time of year…you should immigrate. :D
Report Post »missmarie
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 4:58pmHey Da,
Report Post »Nice to hear from you again today, dear. I just want to make sure you know that when the experts say “invest in gold coins”, they don’t mean the chocolate filled ones from the five-and-dime, o.k. honey? I don’t want you wasting your money and increasing your waistline – Mrs. Obama wouldn’t like that.
iatoala
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 5:15pmDingleberry you must have this same message stored in office word because you seem to paste and cut, you have no new thoughts. Isnt it boring being so shallow? I think you would drown in a tea spoon?
Report Post »thunder4570
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 5:30pmI always amazes me about these hard core LIBERALS when they bash Bush, but what they dont understand is we conservatives where not all that pleased with Bush either. He was another big spending politician. So when you say that his plans ruined the country, you get no argument from me! I am only thankful for Bush because he saved us from real destruction from Gore and Kerry. Now that is a nightmare
Report Post »steadykat
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 5:37pmHey Danglingbags, is this the only mantra you can come up with? We see this on every one of your posts. Dont forget those great Dems were in the majority since 2007
Report Post »WhosGotYourBackNow
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 5:57pmDrink Tea_Throw the Politicians in the Harbor. Let’s remove all the corrupt politicians from power.
Report Post »BoilitDown
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 5:59pmPlease, Mr. Danglingbags, don’t stop your wild flailing about. I find it most amusing that you represent the opposing arguments with semi-research. You make it clear that you study only headlines from real news but know the leftists lines by heart.
Report Post »We need now more than ever to counter your claims that your side is smarter.
Please, RANT ON!
BoilitDown
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 6:02pmBy the way, “Vatican Condemns Planned Stoning of Woman in Iranian Adultery Case” was the subject matter for comment. Focus, man. Focus.
Report Post »Mike777
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 10:02pmMust one of those professional left Gibbs was taking about.
YAY Vatican about time better late then never i guess.
Report Post »Endstatism
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 11:31pmDanglingbags, there are plenty of socialist and authoritarian states that you can relocate to if you are so unhappy with freedom and liberty. Maybe you and your progressive friends like being led around by the nose, recieving the proceeds of stolen goods and dictating the lifestyles of people. This is the land of the free and brave, not the land of the freeloader and knave
Report Post »paperpushermj
Posted on September 6, 2010 at 12:45pmIt’s time to come up with something new. You pasted this same diatribe elsewhere a number of times.
Report Post »SFYMP
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 2:46pmMy mother alway’s used to warn me “the world is going to hell in a hand basket”. Now 50 years later I’m really starting to get that quote.
Report Post »Skandelon27
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 3:48pmThis stoning for adultery idea may not be a bad one…we could empty out most of Washington DC that way. lol
Report Post »klstj
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 6:13pmdanglinbags needs to go away, along with sharia law. watch the movie “buried in the sand”, a documentary of the devastating cruelty that is carried out by these radicals in the name of their religion. allow me to describe if your unable to find it. they will take the woman, wrap her in cloth from head to toe. they will bury her in sand to her breasts. they will draw a circle around her. a large group will surround the circle and begin throwing rocks at her head. although she is covered, you will see the blood begin soaking the covering. if she is able to free herself amidst this onslaught, she will be set free. It’s interesting that we as Americans are so awful, when outright barbarism is still tolerated elsewhere.
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