Katganistan wrote:Knootoss wrote:From the Irish Times, or just google for any other news sourcePope falls foul of German hosts by shunning seat belt
DEREK SCALLY in Berlin
A GERMAN citizen has filed a complaint against Pope Benedict XVI for not using a seat belt in the Popemobile during his September visit to his homeland.
Lawyer Johannes Christian Sundermann has filed papers in Dortmund on behalf of his unnamed client, charging the Pope with “repeated breaches” of Germany’s seat belt law.
“Herr Joseph Ratzinger, born 16 April 1927 in Marktl/Altötting” travelled on September 24th and 25th “for the duration of more than an hour” without a seat belt, the lawyer states in documents.
Mr Sundermann and his client say they can prove the repeated misdemeanour during his visit to Freiburg – using videos from YouTube.
The lawyer says his client, though not a Catholic, was concerned for the safety of the Pope in his armoured car, which reportedly has a seat belt though it usually moves at a walking pace. As a repeat seat belt offender, the man believes the Pope should face the maximum €2,500 fine allowed.
Mr Sundermann has asked whether the diocese of Freiburg or the state authorities lifted the seat belt obligation for the pontiff.
To that end, he has cited as witnesses to his case the German prelate Robert Zollitsch, archbishop of Freiburg, and Winfried Kretschmann, state premier of Baden-Württemberg.
A spokesperson for the court in Dortmund confirmed papers had been filed but declined to comment further.
The lawyer, a member of the Left Party, says his case will hinge on whether the Pope still holds German citizenship and whether he enjoyed diplomatic immunity during his visit.
A Bundestag question from 2005 established that, though a citizen of the Vatican since 1981, a special arrangement was in place for Pope Benedict to retain his German passport.
The foreign ministry confirmed yesterday that the Pope, as a visiting head of state, enjoyed diplomatic immunity during his recent stay.
However, a government spokesman suggested that the Pope might not be immune from prosecution if he returned to Germany on a private visit.
In Germany, rules are rules.
I think it's an interesting legal quandary. Since it was an official state visit by a foreign Head of State, you'd expect there to be diplomatic immunity. On the other hand, the pope is still a citizen of Germany and he didn't break German law as an integral part of his duties of pope. So... I think a fine is in order!
Do you think the Pope should be convicted?
On the one hand, he broke the laws of the country he was in.
On the other hand, it's certainly not a crime that harms anyone else as he is not the driver anc therefore cannot lose control of the vehicle should he slide across his seat on a hard turn; he was not arrested or summonsed for it at the time of the infraction, and foreign dignitaries are usually cut a little slack.
Conclusion: perhaps he deserves a fine, but most definitely the lawyer and his client are class A pricks.
Regardless, the law is the law. The total assholery of it all aside, he broke the law.
It makes for an entertaining spat.
Idealismania wrote:I don't want to get off topic or sound obnoxious, but whenever I hear a story like this, the first thing I think of is an angry atheist stewing about religion and life in general and trying to think up a way to attack religion in any way possible, and this is what he came up with.
