Guest Bilo Posted 11 April 2010 Posted 11 April 2010 Pope 'has no UK arrest immunity' (UKPA) 4 hours ago Plans to have the Pope arrested when he visits the UK will succeed because he is not a head of state, a solicitor has said. Atheist authors Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens proposed the action against the Pontiff for his handling of child abuse scandals in the Catholic church. The writers' solicitor Mark Stephens said applications will be made to courts in the UK and the International Criminal Court for a warrant for Pope Benedict XVI's arrest. His likely defence would be be that he is immune from prosecution during his visit to Britain in September, according to the lawyer. Mr Stephens said: "The courts will examine the claim of immunity. I believe that an English court would reject it. If the Pope was here on a state visit, ordinarily a head of state would have sovereign immunity. What I believe is that because he's not a sovereign, not a head of state, he's not entitled to the defence." He said that the Vatican was declared to be a state by Benito Mussolini, but this had no standing in international law. The Pope faced criticism after it emerged that he signed a letter which delayed the punishment of a paedophile priest in the US for the "good of the universal church". Writing in 1985, the future Pontiff said that he needed more time to consider the case. Mr Stephens, who has represented abuse victims in the past said: "This will require the Pope to deal with the way in which he appears to have prioritised the reputation of the Catholic church over the welfare of children." Potential charges against the Pope would be crimes against humanity. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5g3QhPEMcG5_tSxzeXeEqlGhm8rmg http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/libby_purves/article7094757.ece I'm really not sure what to make of this. The revelations have been extremely and spectacularly damaging. There can be little doubt that the corruption and cover-up goes right to the very top of the Catholic Church as has been proved in recent days, and that Benedict XVI has been as guilty as anybody of this. I'm really not sure about the wisdom of having him arrested on British soil though. If there's a surefire way to have a billion Catholics loathing Britain in an instant, this would be it. All in all, I'm very torn between wanting to see justice served for the untold numbers of children abused and betrayed by the Catholic Church and thinking we should tread very, very carefully on this issue. This is especially true when you consider the fact that this country's history hasn't exactly been Catholic friendly. Views anyone?
Benji Posted 11 April 2010 Posted 11 April 2010 No one should be immune from prosecution If he's done something wrong in law he should be treated no better than you or I, the cynic in me says it will never happen though.
Fosse Boy Posted 11 April 2010 Posted 11 April 2010 No one should be immune from prosecution If he's done something wrong in law he should be treated no better than you or I, the cynic in me says it will never happen though. Pretty much sums up my views on the matter. Read about it in the paper earlier, good old slick Dick Dawkins eh?
Guest Bilo Posted 11 April 2010 Posted 11 April 2010 No one should be immune from prosecution If he's done something wrong in law he should be treated no better than you or I, the cynic in me says it will never happen though. Ideally that is my view. He and the whole Catholic Church have behaved in a way that is beneath contempt on this issue. Yet the pragmatist in me says it would be very inflammatory for reasons not related to what he has actually done. Pretty much sums up my views on the matter. Read about it in the paper earlier, good old slick Dick Dawkins eh? Not attractive. Good episode that one though.
BoneDog Posted 11 April 2010 Posted 11 April 2010 I personally can't see the top folk in the Catholic Church ever facing any kind of criminal proceedings as they are the most powerful organisation in the world. Even more powerful than the Jewish lobbies in the US and Israel. And if the state of Israel can get away with breaking tens of UN resolutions for over 30 years then I can't see the top brass at the Catholic Church worrying. Jesuits run tings and there aint a damn thing anyone can do about it.
Benji Posted 11 April 2010 Posted 11 April 2010 The biggest problem is as you say the repercussions from the worldwide catholic community Then again, we're hated by extreme islamists so why not double our money and try and become more hated than america?
Fosse Boy Posted 11 April 2010 Posted 11 April 2010 I'd love to get excommunicated. Would make me feel so badass.
Nick Posted 11 April 2010 Posted 11 April 2010 I'd love to get excommunicated. Would make me feel so badass. We could have 'whip round' and send you to Coventry?
FoxyPV Posted 11 April 2010 Posted 11 April 2010 I'd gladly be the guy on the grassy knoll to put a bullet in him (just give me a bell when I'm needed)
BoneDog Posted 11 April 2010 Posted 11 April 2010 I'd gladly be the guy on the grassy knoll to put a bullet in him (just give me a bell when I'm needed) You don't wanna say stuff like that, you'll have them Jesuit hitmen after you! Anyway, it's the Black Pope who is the big dog.
MC Prussian Posted 12 April 2010 Posted 12 April 2010 You don't wanna say stuff like that, you'll have them Jesuit hitmen after you! Anyway, it's the Black Pope who is the big dog. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHGOl-jfUK0
Finnegan Posted 12 April 2010 Posted 12 April 2010 I'd gladly be the guy on the grassy knoll to put a bullet in him (just give me a bell when I'm needed) Forgive my judgemental, wanton xenophobia but this wouldn't have anything to do with your 'Location' at present, would it?
Trav Le Bleu Posted 12 April 2010 Posted 12 April 2010 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHGOl-jfUK0 I wasn't expecting that! And the only thing that will come of this will be that Mark Stephens, Dawkins' solicitor, will be a considerably richer man.
breadandcheese Posted 12 April 2010 Posted 12 April 2010 I can't help but feel that this is more about making a point than seeing justice done. If justice is to be done, then evidence should be collected and the individual priests charged. I'm not sure what trying to get the pope arrested achieves.
FoxyPV Posted 12 April 2010 Posted 12 April 2010 Forgive my judgemental, wanton xenophobia but this wouldn't have anything to do with your 'Location' at present, would it? Absolutely not. I have quite an antipathy for all religion but reserve a special hatred for those wankers.
stez Posted 12 April 2010 Posted 12 April 2010 doesn't change the fact he's a pompous arsehole. and why go public? i'm sure the kids who are involved in this, through no fault of their own (obviously), are delighted that dawkins is trying to up his profile off the back of these kids' distress. it needs to be done, but i would've had more respect had he just got on with it in secretly however, i'm sure it's a wholly selfless act on his behalf.
FoxyPV Posted 12 April 2010 Posted 12 April 2010 Richard Dawkins is a self aggrandising twat. The Pope, if he's to be shot, should be shot for the genocide that the catholic church is perpetuating in Africa by spreading lies about condoms.
MikeyT Posted 12 April 2010 Posted 12 April 2010 No one should be immune from prosecution If he's done something wrong in law he should be treated no better than you or I, the cynic in me says it will never happen though. Yep i echo this as well, nothing more to add.
Daggers Posted 12 April 2010 Posted 12 April 2010 The Pope, if he's to be shot, should be shot for the genocide that the catholic church is perpetuating in Africa by spreading lies about condoms. Not being a self-aggrandising, Nazi paedophile protecting twat then?
FoxyPV Posted 12 April 2010 Posted 12 April 2010 Not being a self-aggrandising, Nazi paedophile protecting twat then? That was my thrid reason
Daggers Posted 15 April 2010 Posted 15 April 2010 The Catholics have to be up there as my number one faith I most despise. If it weren't for Father Ted I'd probably have started picking fights with priests and nuns by now. There again, if an old White Catholic man didn't come out with rabid right-wing views and a dodgy opinion about homosexuality then I'd start getting worried. It's what they do. That, and have virgins give marriage counselling advice.
Nick Posted 15 April 2010 Posted 15 April 2010 The Catholics have to be up there as my number one faith I most despise. If it weren't for Father Ted I'd probably have started picking fights with priests and nuns by now. There again, if an old White Catholic man didn't come out with rabid right-wing views and a dodgy opinion about homosexuality then I'd start getting worried. It's what they do. That, and have virgins give marriage counselling advice. Commenting on catholics, virgins, homosexuality and marriage counseling at 6.21 am. Is everything okay mate?
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