U.S.A. — “A car driven by someone with apparent psychiatric problems rushed through a Vatican gate Thursday evening and sped past Swiss Guards into a palace courtyard before the driver was apprehended by police, the Holy See said,” ABC News reports. “Vatican gendarmes fired a shot at the speeding car’s front tires after it rushed the gate, but the vehicle managed to continue on its way, the Vatican press office said in a statement late Thursday.”
Armed guards at the Vatican are willing to use deadly force to defend it…?
Yes, of course, and that’s never been a secret. Established in 1506, the Pontifical Swiss Guard is one of the world’s oldest military units, with its work augmented by the Gendarmerie Corps of Vatican City State. And while tourists might find their historical plumed helmets and halberds picturesque and quaint, they’re the real deal, “lavishly equipped,” as colleague Kurt Hofmann has noted, “with some pretty hefty investments in Sig-Sauer, Heckler & Koch, Steyr Mannlicher, and Glock semi-automatic handguns, personal defense weapons, assault rifles, and submachine guns, not to mention whoever manufactures the swords, halberds, and other more traditional weapons carried by [the Pope’s] guards.”
Guns.com did a great piece on all their arms a few years back.
All this makes some official pronouncements by Pope Francis more problematic and hypocritical than infallible.
“Do we really want peace?” he asked. “Then let’s ban all weapons so we don’t have to live in fear of war.”
Responding “You first” hardly seems out of line here.
Pope Francis also said that weapons manufacturers can’t be Christians—leading to the paradox of what that must mean for weapons end users, like his guards.
And that leads us to the bipolar contention from the Vatican’s editorial director that being pro-life means being pro-gun control, disregarding the above-mentioned armed-to-the-teeth Swiss Guard and also the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, which in 1994 declared:
“In a world marked by evil and sin, the right of legitimate defense by armed means exists. This right can become a serious duty for those who are responsible for the lives of others, for the common good of the family or of the civil community.”
Ignoring “family” and focusing exclusively on “community,” National Catholic Reporter maintains, “The … Church’s position on gun control is … resoundingly clear: Firearms in the hands of civilians should be strictly limited and eventually completely eliminated.”
“Completely eliminated.” But no one is talking about taking your guns.
“According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, individuals have a right and a duty to protect their own lives when in danger, and someone who ‘defends his life is not guilty of murder even if he is forced to deal his aggressor a lethal blow,’” CNS concedes, but offers a significant caveat. “According to the catechism, the right to use firearms to ‘repel aggressors’ or render them harmless is specifically sanctioned for ‘those who legitimately hold authority’ and have been given the duty of protecting the community.”
This is a belief in authoritarian supremacy and the magic of the badge of the “Only Ones,” like the Pontifical Swiss Guard and Gendarmerie Corps. That all citizens have this right and duty, as the Founders intended, does not enter this faulty equation.
Having written on this topic before, experience has shown that some will get angry and dismiss reports like this as “Catholic bashing.” Such people are not being honest with you and not being honest with themselves. The truth is, Church officials, going all the way to the top, are subverting rights, either through ignorance or intent. Setting that straight and discouraging further attacks is a moral duty that those who believe in unalienable rights endowed by their Creator share.
After all, we who are defending the human rights of Catholics and other gun owners aren’t their enemies. Those are the secular violence monopolists that Church leaders support who use their FBI undercover agents to paint traditionalists as “far-right white nationalists,” with all the chilling ramifications it implies.
About David Codrea:
David Codrea is the winner of multiple journalist awards for investigating/defending the RKBA and a long-time gun owner rights advocate who defiantly challenges the folly of citizen disarmament. He blogs at “The War on Guns: Notes from the Resistance,” is a regularly featured contributor to Firearms News, and posts on Twitter: @dcodrea and Facebook.
God gave me a unique and valuable gift; the gift of life. It would be irresponsible of me and against God’s will to not protect such a valuable gift.
The current pope is dreadful.
He has also given me the ability to shoot very accurately and the responsibility to protect my family and fellow persons. why would i not do so?
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
-The Boondock Saints (1999)
And JFK.
BTW. JFK would be a MAGA Supporter.
Another authoritarian trying to exercise his control.
And doing it while wearing a dress, no less!!
Okay then Gun manufactures need to take a position like that of Barrett against California. Their guns and services will no longer supplied to any gov or agency that refuses or legislates their product from the civilians.
If the ‘citizens’ (US) belong to the most equipped militia in the world then Sig, HK, and the others need to protect their customers by refusing their services and products to those damming them at every turn.
While I agree with your sentiment, the likelihood of foreign arms manufacturers taking a “pro-2A” stance like that is slim to none considering none of the countries where those manufacturers are based have anything resembling the rights based ownership and bearing of arms that we do. The culture just doesn’t exist. It is very unfortunate.
In case there’s doubt upon the right to self-defense, armed or otherwise, I suggest: “A Time to Kill: The Myth of Christian Pacifism”, by Gregory Hopkins. Available through Amazon or downloadable onto tablet or Kindle. None of the three major religions prescribe non-violence when confronted by a force out to kill you.
Catholic hypocrisy at its best! As we all know from the Gospel of Luke. It was Christ himself who admonished his followers to sell their clothing and purchase a Sword! At that time, the Roman short Sword was the best self defense weapon available! Now it is the firearm!
I went to Rome and visited the Vatican in 2012 – during Sunday mass with the pope (the last one), I counted at least 8 snipers up behind the statues that I noticed. The hypocricy is sweet, right?
History lesson – until the unification of Italy, the Pope led the Papal States and was CIC of the entire Papal States military, which was not a pacifist force by any means.
I’m not catholic, but in my seven decades of observations, this is the worst pope ever in my lifetime. He’s a walking hypocrisy.
Name for me just one who wasn’t!!
Pope John Paul II. He, like Ronald Reagan, refused to call for gun control after he was shot. He is the polar opposite of the current pope.
Don’t paint me as a Catholic apologist. The current pope reinforces my decision to leave the Catholic church, where my lovely wife and I were married 44 years ago, and return to my Lutheran roots.
The hypocrisy of anyone who espouses armed security for themselves but not for others is simply their belief that they are more important than others, and it’s certainly NOT a Christian belief.
agreed
Forget the downvotes. Vatican II, anti-war protestors entering the Seminary, unrepentant homosexuals, communism/socialist sympathies, Pope Francis and illegal invader sanctuary organizer. Now this insane pope seems to me acts like he wants to be President Macron more than Pope by the way little Frankie weaves in and out of the political realm more than concentrating on the affairs of the soul. Even though after being married to a Catholic for 32 years, I didn’t know about the armed Swiss Guard but it fits with all the other hypocritical things the modern Catholic Church does. I am appalled by the antics… Read more »
EVERYONE of these “gun controlling useful idiots” ARE —– HYPOCRITES!!!! “no guns for thee —- only for meeee!”
At every committee, House or Senate vote for a gun control bill, that I’ve been at or watched here in New Mexico, a Catholic Bishop representing the church has spoken FOR gun control. Every one. Their statements still carry weight with Democrat/Catholics that have been running the State into ground for 90 years. Meanwhile their constituents and parishioners keep voting them into power despite being gun owners, shooters and hunters. You can’t get it through to them that the Church is betraying them.
King James – Anglican Church
Plus the hypocrisy of the Vatican Wall! Another good for me, but not for thee!
Well said, so very much so, that I don’t have anything on my mind to add to it!!
….yeah, the Founders weren’t catholic…thank goodness.
If it wasn’t for the Catholic Church, we’d be in the far reaches of the solar system by now…
All they’ve ever done is to regress society…. I am of an appointed authority.. appointed quick reaction forces, over my Daughters safety & security. Appointed by the Most High.
Son.
Son son.
The catholic church is a statist, satanic institution and everything our protestant founders fought against. It is everything the original pilgrims and other immigrants were trying to escape when they risked a 75% chance of death to come here. At the same time this idol worshipper says he wants to disarm you, he is behind weaponized immigration into your country to replace you with a catholic or a slave…of course he doesn’t want you to be able to fight back.
well, you do remember that he was a socialist in argentina right?
that should tell you all there is to say.
also he is the leader of a very left of center political/semi-religious institution, even before he became the pope.
i wonder why the left isn’t harping about all the genocide, cultural theft and abuses by the r.c. church?
i have much more to say about the r.c. church, but this is not the forum for that.
Ding, ding, ding! Go to the head of the class.
Stop the Catholic bashing you look foolish. the Catholic religion is no better or worse than any other. Like most things in life take what you want and leave the rest .I agree this pope is a marxist and should never have been put in the position but we are seeing a lot of this in the world now.
All of the major religions are hypocritical. Some a bit more so. It is just that this Pope gets more attention than the other religion “Rulers”.