Over the President’s Day holiday, your Facebook wall may have blown up with links to various “articles” insisting that Pope Benedict had announced his retirement because he was about to face criminal charges connected to his involvement in covering up child molestation committed by priests.
These reports claim that an unnamed European government is preparing to issue an arrest warrant for Benedict for crimes against humanity, but that His Eminence worked out a deal with Italian President Giorgio Napolitano that granted him immunity from prosecution or extradition.
Addicting Info is just one site with the story:
The Pope, whose given name is Joseph Ratzinger, has a meeting with the Italian President, Giorgio Napolitano on February 23 to beg for immunity against prosecution for allegations of child sex crimes. Apparently, this hastily arranged meeting, and likely the resignation as well, are the result of a supposed note received by the Vatican from an undisclosed European government that stated that there are plans to issue a warrant for the Pope’s arrest.
This letter was allegedly received on February 4, and Ratzinger resigned a week later.
There’s even a serious-sounding quasi-governmental group, the International Tribunal into Crimes of Church and State, calling for the Pope’s head and demanding that Napolitano “not collude in criminality” by protecting Benedict.
The only problem is that this story is completely made up.
First of all the Pope doesn’t live in Italy—he lives in Vatican City, which is its own city-state. Napolitano can’t really grant him immunity. It would be like President Obama asking Canada for immunity for crimes he committed in the U.S.
Secondly, it would be political suicide—and possibly the beginning of an international crisis—for a leader in Catholic-heavy Europe to file criminal charges against the Pope. What head of state would want to bring that on his or her head?
And lastly, the International Tribunal into Crimes of Church and State doesn’t exist—well, not in any official capacity. Its website provides little information about its origins and jurisdiction, save that it claims authority “from the self-evident Natural Law which resides within the reason and compassion of every man and woman.”
The entire “tribunal,”it seemes, is comprised of Rev. Kevin Annett, who is waging a one-man war against the Church from him home in Ireland. (Good on you, Rev.)
Reuters reports that, according to an unnamed source, Benedict is staying in Vatican City after he retires to avoid future suits. Nothing about crimes against humanity, tribunals or imunity deals.
2eo
I hope this bastard is in horrible pain every hour of every day for the rest of his life. This bastard deserves nothing more than torture and to be hung, drawn and quartered. This paedophile has covered up 20,000 cases of paedophilia in his time in the paedophile christian religion.
It needs to stop.
2eo
Respective of this, he is still a paedophile enabler on an unprecedented scale.
WayDifferent
Gays, give up on your attacks on the Catholic Church and take a good look in the mirror. They’re not like you either……accept “diversity”.
Pay attention to your HIV rates while still patronizing bath houses (in this century!), you still allow and promote NAMBLA, you can’t smoke cigarettes within 15′ of your bars but selling meth and crack within 7′ is A-OK, the gay suicide rates (in all age ranges) has still not been addressed…..you’re still fighting for “marriage” while eating your cake too with “open relationships” and again, patronizing bath houses like a church, the crime rates in the gayborhoods you’ve established have reached epidemic levels on behalf of “equality” (and another $)……I’ll stop here.
I was raised Catholic and am no longer a member of their cultish “fundraising” either. I’m gay too!
Look in the mirror LGBTB….l.m.n.o.p.
Caleb in SC
@WayDifferent: If you are gay you are doing it wrong. I am deeply troubled by your perpetuation of gross stereotypes. The only thing you said that made any sense is the high risk of suicide by LGBT youth, which is made even worse by people like you, with their internalized self-loathing. You, Sir, need to take a hard look in a well lit mirror.
Cam
I have a few problems with the excuses given in the article here….
1. First of all the Pope doesn’t live in Italy—he lives in Vatican City, which is its own city-state. Napolitano can’t really grant him immunity. It would be like President Obama asking Canada for immunity for crimes he committed in the U.S.
…Yes, but Vatican City is surrounded by Italy, to leave Vatican City the Pope would have to travel through Italy or Italian Airspace.
2. Secondly, it would be political suicide—and possibly the beginning of an international crisis—for a leader in Catholic-heavy Europe to file criminal charges against the Pope. What head of state would want to bring that on his or her head?
….Catholic Heavy Europe? That might be news to countries like….well, everyone except for Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Poland. And please remember, even Spain and Portugual have told the Pope to take a flying leap and consistently voted in new rights and freedoms that the Vatican strongly opposed.
3. And lastly, the International Tribunal into Crimes of Church and State doesn’t exist—well, not in any official capacity. Its website provides little information about its origins and jurisdiction, save that it claims authority “from the self-evident Natural Law which resides within the reason and compassion of every man and woman.”
So, it doesn’t exist, but it exists? Kind of like the story about John Edwards fathering a child that didn’t exist…until it did. They weren’t claiming that THEY had the authority to do it, the story is that an un-named head of state might be doing it.
It is true? Who knows, but the arguments put up in this story seemed offbase to me.
Cam
@WayDifferent:
You aren’t gay you’re a liar. It is very easy to tell. When phony right wing trolls come in here they always have the need to type out a bunch of attacks on gays and then say “Oh, um…I’m gay too!”
Sorry, nice try bigot.
2eo
@WayDifferent: Crucify yourself. This horrible christian organisation has abused a MILLION children sexually in the past 50 years and you expect me and humanity to just up and say that kid fucking is fine because they’re christians?
Do humanity a favour mate, gas yourself and sterilise your wife and children. They are what’s holding us back.
Lol promoting NAMBLA, that’s the best line I’ve heard in ages.
ResIpsa
@Cam:
As to your first point re traveling in Italy, the Lateran Pacts of 1929 would protect Benedict from prosecution even if he were to venture into Italy for periods of time. Obviously, they would not protect him in other countries.
While the International Tribunal into Crimes of Church and State may or may not exist in some quasi-form, the International Criminal Court does exist. However, the ICC never took up a case into Benedict when asked to do so in 2011.
Whether Benedict deserves a lawsuit is for each individual to decide (reasoned arguments exist on both sides). The probability of a suit against Benedict though is extremely low, since too many stars would need to align perfectly (e.g. Benedict leaving Vatican City/Italy, Benedict being properly served in the country where he is visiting, a court finding jurisdiction exists, etc.).
@WayDifferent:
Your post is garbled and riddled with non sequiturs.
As an LGBT individual that was raised Catholic, I still have respect for the Church. However, my respect for the Church’s philanthropy or other assistance does not prevent me from offering strong critiques and criticisms that you deem attacks. One should never be so blind in their respect or allegiance to any individual or institution that he/she cannot recognize legitimate critiques and areas of improvement/needed change.
The Church’s response to the sexual abuse crisis was, at best, horribly handled and executed. Whether or not the Church has done enough to make amends for these wrongs and to prevent them from reoccurring are different topics for another discussion. However, you cannot simply disregard legitimate and reasoned arguments as attacks without acknowledging and discussing the issue at hand. And engaging in ad hominems, rash generalizations, and non sequiturs benefits no one and harms discourse.
I fully appreciate that other LGBT individuals, both Catholic and non-Catholic, have feelings of respect toward aspects of the Church, while maintaining strong criticisms, whereas other LGBT individuals strongly, or even vehemently, dislike the Church for legitimate and respectable reasons. None of that is wrong. Those myriad viewpoints are the diversity of which you speak and should be encouraged, not stifled.
2eo
I hate black people, and they were much better at picking cotton and chucking spears than they are as members of the community and citizens of my country, also it’s their own faults they weren’t allowed to sit on busses and use water fountains.
Oh wait, I must have wandered into the mind of a fucking idiot from the mid 1950’s for a second. Dumb fuckstick.
BobSchwiderski
Here’s a list of 228 accused clerics, nuns and staff – [updated]
— http://mnsnap.wordpress.com/spooks-fakers-false-spiritual-healers/
— Added: — Bro. Stephen Baker, TOR, — Fr. Martin A. Brady, TOR (Franciscan friar);
DarkZephyr
@2eo: I am getting extremely bored with your vitriol against Christians. I myself am a gay man with Christian leanings and not all Christians are the way you keep ranting they are. You are a hypocrite in First Degree.
@ResIpsa: I agree with you about strong critiques but what 2eo is consistently spewing every time I see him post goes far beyond a “strong critique”. Its hate speech. I do not support hate speech in the name of “strong critique”.
DarkZephyr
@BobSchwiderski: Do you have a similar list of secular teachers, soccer moms, soccer coaches and housewives that have been accused of such crimes or do you only think its bad when Catholics do it?
Teleny
“Way different” is clearly some kind of right winger. NAMBLA? Come on….
I hope the Church chooses a younger person who actually may know some gay people. I think Ratzinger may have met Oscar Wilde, but that doesn’t count! 🙂
queerty1958
I’m only speaking for myself….
I will NEVER EVER have ANY respect for the Catholic Church until it chooses to comes clean with all its corrupt behavior and turns in ALL child abusers for legal prosecution, and moves itself into the 21st century…[birth control!]
Until that day arrives, they will remain an evil force in the world and not of God!
Now, I’m going to give my man a big kiss as we entwine our beards.
2eo
@DarkZephyr: Yeah, it’s clearly hate speech that I utterly resent and abhor how these people use religion as the means to molest children, I’m EXACTLY AS BAD AS THE PAEDOPHILES IN THE CHURCH by pointing this out.
Get over it mate, I haven’t said anything that even remotely constitutes anything even remotely illegal nor can be interpreted as purposeful or wanton incitation to commit a misdeed. Don’t be so pissy because people like me are having the gall to say we’ve had enough of their position in society.
Shannon1981
Thanks for giving my article play here, Queerty, even if it was to rip it apart. It is not, however, “made up” as you say here. Also, there is a follow up article that might be of interest to your readers:
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/02/18/just-as-we-suspected-benedict-stays-in-vatican-retains-immunity/
No, he isn’t going to be arrested like he should, but only because he is hiding in Vatican City. I suppose he’ll never leave now, ever.
Shannon1981
@WayDifferent: Take a hike, mate. You’re painting this community in stereotypes that are hardly true of all. This isn’t some cheesy Logo TV show, which is probably all the experience you have with gay life, given your opinions of it posted here.
Ned_Flaherty
Vatican City is not a country. It has the status of a country, but — at only one-fifth of a square mile — it is in no way a nation.
It is nothing more than a small campus with a sprinkling of offices, churches, parks, museums, and alleys. Only 800 people live there. It is totally dependent upon the city of Rome and the nation of Italy for food, water, sewage, electricity, telephone, postal service, broadcasting, transportation, shopping, entertainment, police services, and medical care.
Any Vatican City resident needing immunity has to get it not only from Vatican City itself, but also from the nation of Italy, into which all its residents regularly travel.
Therefore, it is entirely logical that its residents who need immunity would turn to Italy to get it.
Greg
@WayDifferent: What do “attacks” on the Catholic church and the pope have to with the “gays”? Nobody is perfect, but the gays aren’t pretending to be doing God’s work and at the same time molesting little kids. They also don’t cover up for and protect other gays when their crimes are revealed. The gays aren’t promoted at work or transferred to a different location. The Pope and all the priests who have harmed children will get what is coming to them when they actually have to face God and be held accountable.