The Catholic church is ripe with corruption anyway.
Knights of Malta diplomatic passports are known to be used for dubious means.

Paul,

All that I want to do is point out that any law that requires a priest to dob in an offender who has been to him in the confessional will not work because, primarily, the Pope can nullify it as soon as it seeks to take effect.

I would also like to see if anyone considers such an action by the Pope to be an interference in Australia's internal affairs, he is, after all, the Head of State of a foreign power.

o sung wu has very cogently explained why such a law would fail in practice.

AC,

Cardinal Pell has not been convicted, so fair go!!

Hi there ARMCHAIR CRITIC...

The Knights of Malta Diplomatic Passports are used for dubious means, you say? And how would you know? Or is this just another example that you're getting older and every time you open your mouth, '... crap just falls out...'?

While we're at it, why not the Freemasons, with their plethora of secret words and handshakes etc. and lets not leave out Rotary International, the Lions Club or any number of fraternal organisations we have in our society?

ARMCHAIR CRITIC, it's so easy to cast aspersions against one group or another, essentially because we often don't know what it is they do, but without proof, your case is on very shaky ground, believe me. That's why in our system of criminal jurisprudence police need to prove their case to a point beyond that of a reasonable doubt. Assumption, supposition or inference is manifestly insufficient in most disciplines of law, and can be so very harmful to those wrongly accused.

Hey o sung wu,
I can't remember where it was exactly that I obtained the info that Knights of Malta diplomatic passports were being used for dubious means, (I have a hunch but theres a lot of videos to sift through to find it), so I guess in some ways it's me that is seems to now be hypocritically trading in narrative and conjecture, that I openly despise.
So I'll accept your point, because it's in line with my ideals, but only on the basis that it would be difficult for me to find the youtube video where the topic was mentioned right at this moment, to share it with others and allow the info to be scrutinised by all.

Most likely I will come across the info again, (I will look for it) and I'll share it when I do but there no guarantee I'll find it before this thread runs it's course.

You'd be surprised the things I dig up.
Did you know that rebel arms shipments are being transported via civil aircraft under diplomatic immunity?
We have the shipping manifests, it's coming from Silk Ways airlines, coming from arms factories in Bulgaria.

It doesn't in any way mean I'm right about Knights of Malta passports, but I never intentionally mislead anyone.
Give me a little time and I'll see what I can come up with...

Issy, if laws are passed requiring all in authority to "dob in a peodo" under all circumstances, then the reality is there is little that a Pope could do, other than mouth off about it. Maybe we should test him out, he could send those funny looking Swiss Guards to right the wrong on his behalf.
There is no head as such of the Catholic Church in Australia. Although George Pell as the senior Australian cleric, was perceived as, if not actually in that position.

No I've never heard of Popes making any political comments or dividing the planet between Spanish and Portuguese empires. They stand at the window and kiss babies and give advice on organic milk powder.