The UK government is said to have set in motion a law change that will prevent the Pope from being arrested when he visits the country in September.
Officials in Whitehall – the UK government’s administrative offices – are said to be worried over plans by the atheist authors Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens to have Pope Benedict arrested for crimes against humanity, because of his alleged cover-up of priestly assaults on children.
[…]
Justice Secretary Clarke [says] of the law change: “Our commitment to our international obligations and to ensuring that there is no impunity for those accused of crimes of universal jurisdiction is unwavering.“It is important, however, that universal-jurisdiction cases should be proceeded with in this country only on the basis of solid evidence that is likely to lead to a successful prosecution – otherwise there is a risk of damaging our ability to help in conflict resolution or to pursue a coherent foreign policy.
“The government has concluded, after careful consideration, that it would be appropriate to require the consent of the Director of Public Prosecutions before an arrest warrant can be issued to a private prosecutor in respect of an offence of universal jurisdiction.”
The Pope hasn’t exactly been at the forefront of handling the criminality aspect of what many of his priests have been doing. Does his actions (or non-actions) make him criminally complicit?
1
Voted yes but it won’t make any difference. Can you imagine the other reptilians ever prosecuting him?
If there is adequate evidence against him, yes.
Seriously, who are the stupid a-holes that voted ‘no’??
We KNOW that he helped cover up child sex abuse and arranged the moving of the kiddie fiddling perpetrators to different areas where their child molesting wasn’t known and they could start all over again.
We KNOW that he was part of the catholic movement to sweep the abuse under the rug and simply throw money at the victims instead of handing the matter over to the appropriate authorities.
However as #1 says, these sick fucks all protect their own. He’ll never end up facing ANY charges.
No..
The entire vatican should be held responsible and summarily dismantled as the popeness takes his marching orders from the vatican council and/or whatever other slime that lives in the bowels of the vatican.
the pope, -should be burned at a stake in vatican square as a symbolic past and payback and future warning for all the manipulative crap they foisted on humanity since their “inception”
I’m sure this particular popeness would be smiling and rather touched at such a gesture nonetheless.
-same goes for all found to be in collusion with vatican and their proxies.
-s
No. The church is too big to fail and you should know that by now.
The last thing we need is religosheeple rioting and giving the Christian Taliban even more power.
Without doubt the Bishop Of Rome should face charges.
And if you REALLY want to send a message to him and the whole of the Vatican call him Bishop of Rome nothing more.
Cursor_
Yes but there are all kinds of people getting away with things as least as bad. What ever happened to the person who tortured that prisoner to death at Abu Ghraib? The woman who took the photo of the body and gave a thumbs up got a couple of years in prison. What happened to the murderer?
The Pope is safe. All the leaders are corrupt in some way or another. Only the small fish get caught and punished.
The British government changing the law so as to spare the Pope?
If anything would make Henry VIII rise from his grave and kick ass, this is it!
“otherwise there is a risk of damaging our ability to help in conflict resolution or to pursue a coherent foreign policy”
conflict resolution…. NWO speak
Bush? Rumsfeld? Cheney?
Who is it we want to prosecute????
So “to be real” probably an “advisement” could be issued that the current Pope will be arrested if he ever sets foot in a civilized/uncorrupt society, leaving him free like Polanski and the BushCabal to live their days out in their feathered nests.
Like Religion, Justice is the pipe dream of a fool. Queue Pedro!
Silly Hoomans.
I hate the Catholic Church and Catholics therefore the answer is yes.
I know how to fix this … crowd funded death squads/assassins for all whom oppress and defraud “the people” world wide. Something like Wikileaks, say WikiJustice. Just contribute however much you want and a name you want investigated. If they are found guilty by a Internet tribunal they would be put on a death list and a fund started. The money would go to the first person or group that provides proof of death. Discuss.
I wonder if the Bishop of Rome has diplomatic immunity?
After all, the Vatican is a sovereign state. It has it’s own bank and laws. Maybe pedophilia is legal within it’s walls??
Good luck. This will be as difficult as trying to bring up any other head of state on charges.
I guess you could invade the Vatican, which requires invading Italy.
#12: Leaving out the death part, wouldn’t it be interesting to imagine Jury by Interwebitube?
Rather than a jury of 12 locals who weren’t smart enough to get out of jury duty, you’d have people online vote on guilt or innocence based on what lawyers present, plus what the public can root out doing their own investigations.
On the other hand, given our short attention span, only those with ‘interesting’ cases would get more than a summary read before getting voted on.
BTW, there is a WikiJustice.
I just mentioned death squads because it is so much easier and less complicated than setting up prisons. That is what a world court should do … like that would ever happen. “We” are going to have to take justice into our own hands if anything is ever going to be accomplished. The Powers That Be are satisfied with the status quo and could care less about the rule of law. In their eyes we are just surfs and they treat us as such.
Improbus–I’ll second Uncle Dave with a kudo except for the death squad thing. Lack of due process which we should all agree is not a good thing. So, symbollic cyberspace condemnation is as far as we should go==maybe a ban on any role playing websites? ((Like any of these power hungry slimeballs “enjoy” anything except the exercise of their power.))
Here’s hoping that WikiJustice website grows and gets even better. Why isn’t the Pope already on the hitlist?
Hey, if you don’t like it, join a different church. You do remember that the protestants started up because they didn’t like the sexual behavior of priests, eh? This has been going on almost forever — like it or lump it.
Pope = Too big to fail.
tHERE IS a SMALL problem..
Which Pope would you like to use??
Gotta figure 23? before this one, and how many more to come after you put this one in jail?
Is 1 pope all you need?
Because ALL the popes BEFORE did the same thing.
So?
What are you going to do?
THIS ONE didnt start this trend..MAYBE priests know something ABOUT molesting kids, That they havent TOLD US.. and they are saving their souls.
There you are, B, Dog. You got it right.
The simple answer is to vote with your feet. If one doesn’t like what the Big Bishop and his minions do, then walk out of the church.
Just find something better.
Voting with your feet = the minimum you can personally do. What moral person would advocate the minimum response?
And Yes, more than one Pope and High Bishops should be identified for their hypocrisy, perfidy, sin, and violation of civil law. The NEXT Pope to be free of such taint, after all, we aren’t Catholics.
I wish someone would indict the entire Catholic Church for fraud. Read a novel called on This Rock by Dave Leonard, I know, it’s fiction but it’s clearly based on facts. The Catholic Church has never been honest about where it came from and why it spent 2000 years killing and torturing people. Does anyone with even a slight knowledge of the Bible should know this was never how God thought his Church should be run. One look at the Vatican and all its treasures should let you know they ain’t there to save your immortal soul.
Pope pope pope pope pope popepope popepopepope popepopepopepope popepope pope pope… pope.
Sorry… broccoli and onions.
#23,
Which section of the bible are you talking about..
Old or NEW testament?
The old is the Jewish part and the NEW is only the life and times of Christ, FULLY EDITED by MAN.
Christ lived by the ideals of his faith, and abit beyond.
For those that DONT KNOW..
the King james version was CREATED in england to bring the Protestants and Catholics CLOSER and to help them to QUIT fighting.
Find a Lutheran version and see if there’s a difference.
The Gov in Britan have been driving the peoples rights into the ground for years. Now they hit a new low with this.
Yes.
This is international network that, as a matter of policy, decided to suppress evidence of criminal activities and provide material support to the perpetrators of those acts. That would make it an international criminal conspiracy. The Catholic Church would also directly be responsible, criminally and civilly, for those actions which obstructed justice.
The Catholic Church, and its off-shoots, have a long history in international financial crime and money laundering. Their domestic assets could be seized and lower end members prosecuted under the RICO act.
The higher-ups would have to go through the ICC, which might limit his Hitler-Youthness’ travel itinerary.
#13 Anyone in the Catholic Church, Cardinal or higher, has diplomatic status from the Vatican no matter their natural citizenship. Ambassadors basically.
Yes, that’s right…the catlick religion pays no taxes, no where. TAX ALL religion NOW. Today. Forever.
Of course the Pope and his whole den of lying child rapists and conspirators should be treated just like they are child rapists who have conspired to continue alluding the law through the auspices of a criminal organization. DUH !!Why is this still being treated like it is rocket science by our leaders?
Justice requires the unequivocal truth about these ancient deceptions. Until people truly grasp and can prove the truth about the claims they have long used to dupe and cow billions and stymie the international legal system.
Finishing the Mysteries of Gods and Symbols
As Uncle Dave pointed out, there is WikiJustice. As I have pointed out, there is Wikileak’s ultimate goal, which is Truth and Justice. Let the web court convene and let us compare it to the Inquisition and see which is the fairest, most open, and least violent. Just a thought or two…
Peace and WIsdom,
Seven
Wow – so many heathens here. I wonder what the ratio is sickos is between those in the Church and, say, those using this website? Daresay the Church doesn’t hold a candle to the web community in general.
Honestly, who really believes the likes of Dawkins are advocating the rights of the abused? Their agenda is to restrict the rights of man and deny the spiritual – in other words, a communist agenda. Don’t get me wrong – child abusers should be roasted over a spit, and the Church should find a way to clean these devils out of the system. But most of them are old or ancient now so won’t represent a threat for long. I fear Hitchens’ poison will take longer to wring out of public thought.