Article on Bush, pope’s meeting disappointing

I was very disappointed to read the cover article (CR, June 14) and read only one sentence, near the end of the article, that mentions a critical idea about President Bush (the Vatican’s opposition to the war in Iraq).

President Bush has no problem with the death penalty or with waging “illegal and immoral” wars that result in the loss of thousands of lives, yet he is portrayed in your article as a champion of Catholic values and the sanctity of life. His words and his policies repeatedly contradict Gospel messages of loving your enemies, helping the poor, trusting rather than fearing the journey of life, and standing up for the truth and the little guy even if it means your interests come to an end.

There is more to being a Christian than abortion and gay marriage, and I find it deeply troubling that an article like this, as well as many others, turns a blind eye to issues where your readers might not be affirmed and comforted. Jesus said to take care of the beam in our own eye first rather than removing the splinter in others. Too often, and in articles like “Bush meets pope,” the focus is on the splinters on the other side of town rather than the beams that are a part of us that we must confront.