# Placing the Pope under Citizen's Arrest **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 30, 2011, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/placing-the-pope-under-citizens-arrest/607838 "2011-12-30T15:32:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Theophane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@Theophane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Theophane)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/placing-the-pope-under-citizens-arrest/607838/21 "2011-12-31T02:55:44Z")
Then why did they bother? ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/placing-the-pope-under-citizens-arrest/607838/22 "2011-12-31T03:06:05Z")
> [@Theophane](#): > > Then why did they bother? So Hitchen’s could drum up enough interest so that he could get on the news and make his case, and a wider audience would hear about the Pope’s putative crimes. And judging by the video in your link, it worked. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2012, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/placing-the-pope-under-citizens-arrest/607838/23 "2012-01-03T03:51:42Z")
> [@Theophane](#): > > Then why did they bother? IM(not so)HO, I think they just saw an opportunity to attack the Catholic Church while the public was against them. Their cause clearly was not to make people aware of the Catholic abuse scandal, as you wouldn’t hear about this news item unless you already knew about the scandal. And, AFAIK, they’ve done nothing for the cause since. Now, maybe I’m giving them too much credit. Hitchens ignorance on the matter did seem rather authentic, not only being unable to ever articulate what specifically was illegal about the scandal, but honestly seeming perplexed by the concept–at least, in the interview I’ve seen. But, IMO, seeing as even Dopers seem to have lost the ire they once had, whether PR stunt or not, it didn’t really amount to much. ---
**Author:** ![Clark\_Cello](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@Clark\_Cello](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clark_Cello)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2012, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/placing-the-pope-under-citizens-arrest/607838/24 "2012-01-03T14:07:34Z")
> [@Theophane](#): > > Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens [tried this](http://richarddawkins.net/videos/5434-christopher-hitchens-arrest-the-pope) with Pope Benedict a while back. They were going to personally arrest him and drag him off to jail. What they didn’t realize was that the Pope is a head of state (Vatican City) and therefore has diplomatic immunity. Whether or not the (current) Pope deserves to be imprisoned because of all the sex abuses in the RCC, I don’t care. I don’t know if arresting the current Pope would solve anything, really. > > **Is Joseph Ratzinger worse than Hitler?** is not a question I care to answer. I am brave enough to answer this. No, he is not. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2012, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/placing-the-pope-under-citizens-arrest/607838/25 "2012-01-03T14:15:27Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Now, maybe I’m giving them too much credit. Hitchens ignorance on the matter did seem rather authentic, not only being unable to ever articulate what specifically was illegal about the scandal, but honestly seeming perplexed by the concept–at least, in the interview I’ve seen. He articulated it well enough, in the video linked in the OP amonst other places. He thinks the various memos that have been linked from Ratzingers time as head of a Vatican office concerned with investigating clergy he conspired to obstruct justice regarding child abuse investigations. You can argue whether or not that might be true, but Hitchens is plenty specific on what specific charge he wants Ratzinger brought up on and why. > [@Clark](#): > > I am brave enough to answer this. No, he is not. Well, he’s probably worse then Hitler at some things. How good a painter is the Pope? ---
**Author:** ![Theophane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@Theophane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Theophane)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2012, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/placing-the-pope-under-citizens-arrest/607838/26 "2012-01-03T14:17:23Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > IM(not so)HO, I think they just saw an opportunity to attack the Catholic Church while the public was against them. Their cause clearly was not to make people aware of the Catholic abuse scandal, as you wouldn’t hear about this news item unless you already knew about the scandal. And, AFAIK, they’ve done nothing for the cause since. > > Now, maybe I’m giving them too much credit. Hitchens ignorance on the matter did seem rather authentic, not only being unable to ever articulate what specifically was illegal about the scandal, but honestly seeming perplexed by the concept–at least, in the interview I’ve seen. > > But, IMO, seeing as even Dopers seem to have lost the ire they once had, whether PR stunt or not, it didn’t really amount to much. Was Hitchens ignorant on the matter? 😕 He was just a man, after all. And in his defence, his illness would have prevented him from doing much else for the cause. The partner in crime, Richard Dawkins, is alive and well. He’s probably still trying to dismantle religion and destroy ignorance as he sees it. What will he try next? ---
**Author:** ![Theophane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@Theophane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Theophane)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2012, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/placing-the-pope-under-citizens-arrest/607838/27 "2012-01-03T14:19:59Z")
> [@Clark\_Cello](#): > > I am brave enough to answer this. No, he is not. Agreed, although some take his boyhood involvement with the Hitler Youth as evidence of him being a Nazi Pope. :rolleyes: :dubious: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/placing-the-pope-under-citizens-arrest/607838.md?page=1)