The Benedict-bashers of Britain so hyped up their intention to 'arrest' the Pope - they meant a citizen's arrest for alleged 'crimes against humanity', assuming anyone of them could get close enough to do that! - with the willing and almost gleeful collusion of the UK media who have played up every two-bit denunciation of the Pope like pronouncements from Mt. Sinai.
So now, the ring leaders of the so-called Protest the Pope movement finally concede they won't even try - because, quite apart from the idiocy of their grandstanding, they can't. physically or legally! The true crime against humanity - not against mankind which is the sense of the original term, but against man's primal humanity, what God endowed him with, to begin with - is their blind and hate-filled prejudice!
'Pope won't be arrested',
protesters admit
By Martin Beckford and Nick Squires
Sept. 8, 2010
The Pope will not be arrested for alleged “crimes against humanity” during his visit to Britain next week, protestors have conceded.
Campaigners supported by Prof Richard Dawkins, the prominent atheist, had hoped to have Benedict XVI held over his supposed cover-up of child abuse within the Roman Catholic Church.
But leaders of the Protest the Pope coalition now admit that the Pontiff cannot be arrested as Britain acknowledges him as a head of state, granting him sovereign immunity from criminal prosecution.
It came as the Pope himself announced that he “can’t wait” to arrive in the country next Thursday for the first-ever state papal visit to Britain.
The opponents of the historic event, who represent human rights, equality and secular groups, still plan to hold a march and rally in central London in protest the estimated £12million cost to taxpayers of the state visit and Benedict XVI’s stance on sexuality, contraception and clerical abuse.
But at an unusual meeting at the “neutral ground” of New Scotland Yard, they assured the Most Rev Peter Smith, the Archbishop of Southwark, that their events would be peaceful and lawful.
Terry Sanderson, President of the National Secular Society, said afterwards: “We have now discovered that there is no real prospect of a prosecution being made against the Pope.
Until the status of the Vatican is really sorted out, whether it’s a state or not, the Pope is safe from any kind of legal challenge.”
[Other than Sanderson's addled brain, there's nothing to sort out that hasn't already been sorted out and universally accepted since 1929.... When you consider the array of pathological haters out in the world today - not counting the Islamic radicals who are sui generis - between the Bush haters and Blair haters and Pius XII haters and Benedict XVI haters, the latter group are the most afflicted and also have the broadest-based constituency, from atheists to shyster lawyers, in which what was called a 'derangement syndrome' when referred to Bush has openly morphed into dementia and inhabiting a delusion of reality.]
However the protesters did secure a promise from the Archbishop that he would pass on a request to hand over to police secret files on sex abuse by priests that are held in the Vatican archives, having been investigated under Canon Law.
Peter Tatchell, the veteran homosexual equality campaigner who was also at the meeting, said: “The Pope's condemnation of sex abuse by clergy will never be taken seriously until he agrees to pass to the police in countries around world the evidence the Vatican has compiled on child molesting priests, bishops and cardinals. Keeping these files secret is wrong and collusion with criminal acts.
"It is no use Benedict meeting victims of sex abuse if he is not willing to hand over his own bulging Vatican files on clerical abusers.”
Now they have thought up yet another idiocy - but a guaranteed 'demand in perpetuity' that they can always use as a club in the media! Go find any court in the world that will order confidential files surrendered to any Peter, Dick and Terry who have no direct involvement in the cases or have any status at all to make such a demand!
They're borrowing a ploy from the anti-Pius XII brigades - except that there is no basis to even consider their request. Because even assuming that it could be done, without prejudice to the complainants, and especially the priests against whom complaints have been unsubstantiated, they will always say, "You're not showing everything!" while ignoring any positive facts that emerge in the Vatican's favor. Just as the anti-Pius XII Jews have completely ignored all the positive evidence for Pius XII in the Holocaust issue, and just keep demanding, 'Show us the documents you are hiding!"
He added: “We reiterated to Archbishop Smith that we have always been committed to peaceful, lawful protests. He accepted our assurances.”
Archbishop Smith said in a statement: “We had an open and frank discussion on the issues of child abuse, homosexuality and the status of Pope Benedict’s visit as a state visit. I undertook to report back to my fellow bishops the particular concerns raised.”
Meanwhile, Benedict XVI declared during his weekly general audience at the Vatican: “I can't wait to undertake my trip to the United Kingdom in a week's time and I send heartfelt wishes to the people of Britain.”
He said he was aware that preparation for the controversial visit had required “a vast amount of work” by Catholics, the British Government and local authorities in Scotland, Birmingham and London.
"Above all I thank the countless people who have been praying for the success of the visit and for a great outpouring of God's grace upon the Church and the people of your nation."
He said he was sorry he could not "go everywhere and meet everyone" but that he looked forward to “meeting representatives of the many different religious and cultural traditions that make up the British population”.
The Pope said it would be "a particular joy" to beatify the Anglican convert Cardinal John Henry Newman.
"This truly great Englishman lived an exemplary clerical life and through his many writings made a fundamental contribution to the Church and society, both in his native country and in many other parts of the world," Benedict said.
The Pope begins his visit next Thursday in Edinburgh where he will be received by the Queen and senior politicians at Holyroodhouse Palace before celebrating Mass at Bellahouston Park in Glasgow.
He will visit London for two days where his schedule includes a meeting with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, an address to MPs and religious leaders at Westminster Hall and a prayer vigil in Hyde Park.
The Pope will beatify Cardinal Newman at Cofton Park, Birmingham, on Sunday September 19, bringing the 19th century clergyman a step closer to sainthood.
Anna Arco at Catholic Herald had a much more rounded report, but I like her last paragraph best:
The chief constable in charge of security for the visit has said that anyone attempting to arrest the Pope will be arrested themselves and that police officers are being given instructions on how to deal with protesters attempting a citizen’s arrest.
Since it turns out that the meeting with Mons. Smith was held at Scotland Yard, and arranged by the police, the police probably made that intention clear to the protesters earlier, which would best account for their about-face!
Protesters tell archbishop
'we will not disrupt papal events'
By Anna Arco
Wednesday, 8 September 2010
Archbishop Peter Smith of Southwark has said he has been assured that protesters will not disrupt papal events next week.
Speaking after meeting leaders of the Protest the Pope coalition earlier today, Archbishop Smith said the Church had been given a “very clear assurance that those seeking to ‘protest the Pope’ have no intention of disrupting any of the events during the papal visit”.
He said: “We had an open and frank discussion on the issues of child abuse, homosexuality and the status of Pope Benedict’s visit as a state visit. I undertook to report back to my fellow bishops the particular concerns raised. I am extremely grateful to DCI Chris Lundrigan and his staff for hosting and facilitating a candid meeting.”
He denied reports that the Church had called the meeting, saying it had been arranged by police.
The organisers of the Protest the Pope movement are planning a rally at Hyde Park Corner, central London. Reports have said that similar attempts at organising a rally in Scotland have failed.
Archbishop Peter Smith told the BBC Radio 4 programme World at One: “I listened to what they said but I said to them that they didn’t quite understand the Church or what sort of files the Vatican might have. And I made the point quite properly that child abuse is dealt with by the local bishop.”
The meeting was held at New Scotland Yard and included Andrew Copson of the British Humanist Association, Terry Sanderson of the National Secular Society and Peter Tatchell, a gay rights campaigner and leader of OutRage!
Mr Tatchell said
protesters had never planned to disturb papal events.
[Yeah, right! Didn't they have that much-publicized Richmond meeting where they said they planned to blckade the papal route to Twickenham for the Pope's events with schoolchildren and various religious leaders??? And how did they expect to 'arrest' the Pope without 'disturbing the papal events?]
He said: “We have always said that our protests will be peaceful and lawful. There has never been any question of disrupting events.”
[Very simply: YOU LIE!, asa\ a congressman shouted out to Obamawhen he 'mis-stated fact' in a speech to the joint Houses of Congress!]
According to reporters who waited outside New Scotland Yard, Mr Tatchell said he had promised not to arrest the Pope during the visit.
Mr Tatchell and others, including Geoffrey Robinson QC, have threatened to arrest the Pope for alleged crimes against humanity. Mr Robinson has drawn up what he describes as a legal case for Pope Benedict’s arrest.
[Some hotshot barrister Robinson is! Another case of ego and arrogance nullifying common sense. Even a non-lawyer would know he doesn't have a case if his main argument is that the Vatican is not a state, so the Pope does not enjoy the immunity of a head of state!]
The chief constable in charge of security for the visit has said that anyone attempting to arrest the Pope will be arrested themselves and that police officers are being given instructions on how to deal with protesters attempting a citizen’s arrest.
And there's this timely reminder from William Oddie, a former editor of te Catholic Herald, on his blog today.
Distressed by the atheist onslaught?
Get a grip of yourself
This is how things are meant to be
by WILLIAM ODDIE
Wednesday, 8 September 2010
...
The present wave of hostility directed towards the Pope and the Church may be utterly unreasonable; but its basis is a rejection of everything we stand for: and it is a rejection from which our culture had never really withdrawn.
It may all be unpleasant, even distressing; but difficult though it may be to realise it now, this present hostility is to be welcomed: it means that we are beginning once more to count for something.
The atheists’ utter loathing, all the same, is at times a little frightening in its sheer vicious irrationality. These people are in the grip of a barely restrained hysteria.
[You're too kind, Mr. Oddie, I call it full-blown dementia - the spectacle of supposedly civilized people literally driven out of their minds and common sense by a Pope who is more erudite and accomplished than any of them, leads 1.2 billion people, and professes a faith that has stood rock-solid and consistent for over 2000 years, despite the worst that the world has tried against it. Who in the world, literally, can match Benedict XVI? And we're not even talking of his personal holiness.]
Take the current issue of the
New Humanist, subtitle: “Ideas for godless people”; this issue gives a good idea of what it must be like being godless, and at least it makes you grateful not to be godless yourself. “If you were invited to address Benedict XVI during his UK visit,” the
New Humanist introduces its special issue, “what would you say to him? Richard Dawkins, Philip Pullman, Claire Rayner, Ben Goldacre and many more take part in our Pope quiz.”
Claire Rayner’s offering gives a good idea of the tone and the rational level at which these contributions are conducted: “I have no language with which to adequately describe Joseph Alois Ratzinger, AKA the Pope. In all my years as a campaigner I have never felt such animus against any individual as I do against this creature. His views are so disgusting, so repellent and so hugely damaging to the rest of us, that the only thing to do is to get rid of him.” (What that means is not explained).
[Brendan O'Neill, of course, commented brilliantly yesterday on Rayner's rant, which almost makes me ashamed I am female (but the Joan Chittisters of America have not been any less unhinged when talking about Benedict XVI)! Sometimes, I think all the Benedict-bashing is, on a certain level, sheer Pope envy! Even in the improbable event that Richard Dawkins wins a Nobel Prize or becomes Prime Minister, say, no one will ever show him anything approaching the preparations and attention that a papal visit anywhere is given! No one will follow his website with 3 million hits a day as the Vatican has.]
This is all horrible for anyone who regards Pope Benedict with the admiration and love most Catholics feel for him; and I find myself almost wishing that the decision had been taken to beatify Cardinal Newman in St Peter’s Square and not a muddy field, and for the Pope to be spared this dreadful business of a state visit.
But things are as they should be. [
Yes, Benedict XVI wanted this trip, and he would have made it even without the official invitation from the Government. He wishes it above all to personally beatify John Newman and thereby confirm the faithful of England, Wales and Scotland in their faith by reminding them of the faith manifested by the kind and gentle parish priest of Birmingham who became a cardinal after three decades of humble parish work - for all his great reputation as a scholar and writer - and will most likely end up a Doctor of the Church.]
As I remarked in my last post, nobody said that being a Catholic was easy. And when the Church is being faithful to her mission, this is how the world will regard her. Oh, and this has nothing whatever to do with child abuse; our enemies know that the evidence is that we are no worse than representative of society as a whole (shameful enough though that is).
When things get rough, as they will, first say a quick prayer for the Holy Father, then say to yourself the magic words “Luke 6: 22”; or, if you have time, the whole verse: “Blessed are you, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake.” You might add (verse 26): “Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! For so did their fathers to the false prophets.”
That’s the deal. Get used to it.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 09/09/2010 07:10]