Hamas was created in 1987 at the beginning of the First Intifada and calls for the destruction of the state of Israel. It’s composed of Palestinian Sunni Muslims and as of 2006 holds a majority of seats in the legislative council of the Palestinian Authority. Known as a militant movement, headed by the exiled Khaled Meshaal, Hamas is primarily a nationalistic movement fueled by Islamic fundamentalism. Officially, Hamas is not a terrorist group even though Canada, Israel, Japan, and the United States list it as one. According to Israeli scholar Reuven Paz, “approximately 90 percent of its work is in social, welfare, cultural, and educational activities”. Apparently, Hamas does much more for the Palestinian people than the Palestinian Authority ever did, by devoting much of its estimated $70-million annual budget to an extensive social services network. It funds schools, orphanages, mosques, healthcare clinics, soup kitchens, and sports leagues. However, as an organization it’s also responsible for 350 terrorist attacks since 1993 and the official denial of the Jewish Holocaust on its website in 2000.

Considering Hamas’ duplicity, its amensia of its seemingly opposing parts, one has to wonder which Hamas Jimmy Carter is meeting with. But knowing former US President Carter, we can rest assured it is the non-terrorist part he will appeal to. Therefore, The Diplomat applauds Jimmy Carter for his diplomacy and sheer guts to speak with Meshaal, despite the horrible press his efforts are garnering him, about the on-going Middle East peace process. Incidentally, Meshaal has expressed his own desire to have talks on the process, which is also groundbreaking. Thankfully, a real diplomat stepped up and seized the opportunity to bring a Palestinian voice into the peace dialogue since any solution to such a massive dispute will no doubt have to come from all involved parties.

After all, it’s Diplomacy 101: true conflict resolution always involves perpetrators and victims. (They’re often indistinguishable).

The Pope has landed in the United States. His first stop will be the White House where he will be meeting with the President and First Lady in what is only the second time in history a pontiff has visited the site. He will then hit the district in the popemobile on a parade route open to the public. On Friday, the Pope will arrive in New York City where he’s scheduled to address the United Nations at the UN Headquarters. He will also be visiting Ground Zero on Sunday to offer a blessing to those who died in the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001. The pomp and circumstance of his travel logistics, although minor, remains one of the more puzzling things to me about the Catholic Church (he’s allegedly scheduled to arrive at Ground Zero in a limousine with Cardinal Egan). Wouldn’t a yellow cab with a donated fare be more diplomatic?

Regardless, Pope Benedict XVI has humble roots and is remembered as claiming his desire to be a Cardinal at the age of 5. As a product of wartime Germany who turns 81 today, (happy birthday, Joseph Ratzinger), one wonders how many more Pope’s there will be who grew up in such tumultuous times. It’s no question that Nazi Germany directly informed and continues to inform his spirituality. After all, he’s known for his view of the church not being something that exists so that it can be incorporated into the world, but so as to offer a way to live in it; that it’s not a human edifice but a divinely created one; and that theology is not a dry academic exercise to depart from but something theologians should support to serve the faithful. Very – ecclesiastical totalitarianism.

So I’m curious as to how his successors, ones who grew up in more peaceful times, will change the Catholic Church in the years to come. How will their times, their childhoods in their various countries inform the Church in the world?