As an Native American I never understood the Pope Icon either, the "Black Robes" came to convert the Natives and when we resisted we were beaten, jailed, and most times killed because we would not follow the Christian ways.

Some of my ancestors played along to stay alive but would hold our sacred ceremonies behind bushes or deep in the hills where the black robes would not follow.

We have had Holy Men known by all the tribes such as Wovoka and people followed him and his beliefs got a bunch of natives killed also, so I'm not saying that one peoples Holy Icon is better than another's but when ever I see that pope being driven around in his bullet proof phone booth It reminds me of the million natives killed under the Idol of the Christians.

It doesn't surprise me that the leader of the Government who tried to commit genocide against my people would welcome the Pope as a king.

The Christian system is built upon the lie that all life is sacred, so what does that tell the world about those millions of people around the world that were killed in the name of the Christian God, that they were not considered human or had any life?

In the days of the black robes the powers that be shot and killed a million natives, men woman and children and then they come to us as we are burring our dead and say," See, your God didn't protect you from this happening", "Maybe now you will see that our God is stronger and right"....Ah, NO!, it was the bullets ripping through their bodies that were stronger.

I do not hate the Christians but I can not forgive what they have done to a whole Nation of people that meant them no harm, we were willing to share all we had with the Anglos that first came here but they didn't want to share anything but their beliefs that they could turn the savage natives into God FEARING people, what kind of God should be feared?

The Pope is someone else's Icon, not mine, I'm not sure what his job is, is he a real healer, is he the voice of the Christian God, is he just a figure head like the Queen of England...nope, he is just a man, a man who is treated like a God in hopes that the Christians will be able to show God what good people they are.

I have said enough to get a lot of hate mail from the Christians but before they come to "convert" me for writing the truth they had better read up on the Black Robes first and know the truth, maybe if they did read about what happened to our people under the oppression of the Christians they would feel shame and repent themselves.

Thank you for letting me say my piece,

J. Red Horse.