The pope has recently been implicated in a child rape case. NOT accused of rape, just of "conspiring to cover up"(Chicago Sun-Times 8/17/05)



Taken from Sept. 21 issue of Science Daily

"Houston attorney Daniel Shea said Pope Benedict XVI should be considered the head of a church, not the head of state.



Assistant Attorney General Peter Keisler has filed in a Houston federal court to grant the pope immunity. He said the move is in the United States' best foreign policy interest."



My questions to you all are:



should the pope be considered the head of a church, the head of a state, or both?



Do you feel it is appropriate to offer the pope diplomatic immunity in this case?



How would the US look to the rest of the world if we went forward with this?



Is it denying justice to the victims to offer the pope diplomatic immunity?



I'm not saying 2 wrongs make a right but even Castro has diplomatic immunity and if we are gonna start challenging the concept of diplomatic immunity maybe starting with the pope isn't such a great idea, no?



My thoughts, when did America start getting a conscience? we've let other leaders slide with a whole lot more than just conspiracy to cover up a crime. NOW we want to start going after world leaders with bad habits? Where was this lawsuit before this guy became Pontiff?

Well....that's a deep subject... a joke..



Vatican City is a country, and the Pope is the leader of the country, soooo...



Unfortunately, diplomatic immunity.



As when John Paul died...the US flag was at halfstaff, because he was the leader of a country.



<<Where was this lawsuit before this guy became Pontiff?>>



For the last 20 years or so, he has been THE GRAND INQUISITOR.



Now ain't that just GRAND?



Inquisitor?...as in Inquisition?... how, nice.. NOT!



When will the catholics of the US tell the Pope to kiss off? Now that is what I want to know?



This man, and mortal he is, has way too much power over the lives of those unfortunate enough to believe he speaks directly to God.



Sinead was right...the Pope is the real enemy.



Jeanne

The Pope is the head of the church and the head of the state. So yes, he would have diplomatic immunity to the extent such immunity is granted to other heads of state.



I guess I dont understand why people are having questions about this.

to answer your question Greg, the news articles I read (some of which I haven't referenced)were vehemently opposed to providing the Pope with any form of Immunity, and I was wondering if anyone else actually felt this way or if it was just a journalistic ploy on the part of the authors/editors of the articles to increase sales.