Prominent atheists Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens will attempt to have the Pope arrested during a state visit to Britain in September, the Sunday Times reports today. The duo hopes to have the Pope charged for “crimes against humanity” for his part in covering up sexual abuse in the Catholic church. One obstacle they might encounter though, is the Pope claiming diplomatic immunity. Dawkins and Hitchens think they can get past that because he’s not the head of a state recognized by the United Nations.
Dawkins, who may punch the Pope if he gets a chance, said, “This is a man whose first instinct when his priests are caught with their pants down is to cover up the scandal and damn the young victims to silence.”
And Hitchens, who one could imagine kicking the Pope in his holy jewels, said: “This man is not above or outside the law. The institutionalised concealment of child rape is a crime under any law and demands not private ceremonies of repentance or church-funded payoffs, but justice and punishment.”
