Arresting the Pope, World War III?

theconqueror

theconqueror

Time Out
Feb 1, 2010
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San Diego, California
Pope is expected to visit Britain in September 2010, rumours circulating is handcuffs awaiting.

The pope's visit (to Britain) in September is a visit of state, and so it would be very strange if during a state visit the person who is invited to make a state visit is arrested.

In Washington, the American Humanist Association, which advocates the rights of non-believers, backed Dawkins' view that the pope should not have diplomatic immunity as a head of state and called for a "criminal investigation" of the church.

If the Pope were arrested by Britain backed by the United States, what kind of retaliation should we expect?
 
Socrates the Greek

Socrates the Greek

I Remember them....
Apr 15, 2006
4,968
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theconqueror said:
Pope is expected to visit Britain in September 2010, rumours circulating is handcuffs awaiting.

The pope's visit (to Britain) in September is a visit of state, and so it would be very strange if during a state visit the person who is invited to make a state visit is arrested.

In Washington, the American Humanist Association, which advocates the rights of non-believers, backed Dawkins' view that the pope should not have diplomatic immunity as a head of state and called for a "criminal investigation" of the church.

If the Pope were arrested by Britain backed by the United States, what kind of retaliation should we expect?
Click to expand...

Time to meet Karma, they say bad deeds just get forgotten but never go unpaid........…………
 
theconqueror

theconqueror

Time Out
Feb 1, 2010
784
2
18
San Diego, California
I suggest everyone looks up "Russian Bombers" and Canada and Britain. If you think it's an Arctic thingy, think again... They are patroling England, the Pacific and Canada as we speak.



Russian bombers conduct another Pacific patrol mission | Top Russian news and analysis online | 'RIA Novosti' newswire

Russian bombers fly patrols over Pacific | Top Russian news and analysis online | 'RIA Novosti' newswire

Russian bombers 'intercepted in British airspace' - CNN.com
 
W

wulfie68

Council Member
Mar 29, 2009
2,014
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Calgary, AB
This is a quote from the Guardian's article:

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.
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What we have is one lawyer's opinion, a lawyer who represents victims of abuse and aetheists, who might have an opinion with a basis in British law but not one that has been ruled on. And I have a hard time imagining a judge in a high court (I also imagine it would need to be a upper tier court to rule on this type of issue) who would want to spark international outrage that arresting the head of the world's largest Christian church would evoke, regardless of the Roman Catholic Church's checkered history in Britain. I honestly can't see the visit happening without tacit assurances that the pope will be afforded the diplomatic standing of a Head of State, regardless of the fantasies of some of his detractors.

(disclaimer: I am not Catholic, never have been involved with the Roman Catholic Church save as a visitor for weddings/funerals/etc., have not been paid to represent the Roman Catholic Church and do not even consider myself Christian these days)
 
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