Sensible response to nutty plans to arrest the Pope

The story of Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins planning to arrest the Pope, though at the really nutty end of the spectrum of current anti-Catholic and anti-papal propaganda, still seems to be taken seriously by some journalists. A barrister has even allowed his name to be associated with this stunt.

Although I continue to think that "Matron take them away" is an appropriate response, it is nevertheless helpful and worthwhile for someone to answer the points that have been raised. The Catholic Union of Great Britain and the Thomas More Legal Centre have jointly issued a good, sensible press release responding to this ludicrous suggestion. Many thanks indeed to Jamie Bogle and Neil Addison for their work in dealing with the legal matters and for pointing out that such a publicity stunt could have serious consequences for public order and make the sensitive task of policing the Papal visit that much more difficult.

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