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On air: Is the Pope above the law?

Krupa Thakrar Padhy Krupa Thakrar Padhy | 10:48 UK time, Wednesday, 14 April 2010

pope.jpg'Put the Pope in the dock,'

'Lead by example'

'Detain him' Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens.

No wonder the Vatican has gone into .

The comments by the Pope's number two that ' the sex scandals haunting the Roman Catholic Church are linked to homosexuality and not celibacy among priests.' have done little to help the Pope's situation.

But he's not . that blame and praise should be given in precision.

And

'The clerical sex abuses which have come to light in the last few years have been seized upon as the weapon to denigrate the Catholic Church, its clergy, and its faithful. The sexual abuses or wrongdoing of some of the clergy - ... cannot be blamed on their bishops or the Pope. Was it Christ's fault that Judas betrayed him? Priests are as human as the rest of us, subject to temptations, who have to try with even more superhuman effort than the rest of us to remain holy. And it is our duty, as members of our Church, to help and protect them from the onslaught of the world.'

Can one man be blamed for the wrong doings of some of his followers? As a religious leader, should he be given more respect in the current context?

By standing trial, some feel that the Pope would be practicing what he preaches - the virtues of confession and repentance. Above all he'd be showing

For his supporters, the Pope in jail is too absurd to imagine. sums up their reasoning.

'Regardless, it is a crazy suggestion because (1) the Pope is an Head of State and immune -- regardless of what the UN says, the Vatican is a State; (2) even if the Pope did turn a blind eye to priestly abuse that does not qualify as a crime against humanity; and (3) it would be a splendid way to reignite the troubles in Ireland and make Roman Catholics realize they aren't really welcome in Great Britain.'

Lawyer Neil Addison will be on the show this evening and feels that the legal status of the Vatican as a state .

Would the Pope standing trial mean failure of the Church or is it the only way for it to ? Does the Church act as it if it is ?

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