The pope, Joseph Ratzinger, must be arrested. I’ll admit, a slew of horrendous criticisms would not be unjust about this column — if one were to only read the title. But I must ask you, the reader, dispose of bias in this rare occasion — as I have had to do so to write this column.  I can only think of Green Day’s rock anthem, “Holiday,” which is heavily critical of the United States’ recent war practices. Precluding all live performances, Billie Joe Armstrong, lead vocalist and front man, proclaims a necessary antecedent: “This song is not anti-American … It’s anti-war!”  And in true “Jesus of Suburbia” fashion, this column is not anti-Catholic … It’s anti child rape!   I don’t particularly care who or what someone identifies as “God” — pending those beliefs do not allow for a child to be tortured.    And the anticipated “audacity” it took to construct this column was nothing more than calling things as they ought to be.  Anyone, no matter how powerful or loved, must be implicated for allowing children to systematically be raped.Right?But what is the warrant for the arrest of His Holiness, Joseph Ratzinger?  You’re entirely entitled to ask, “Is my claim justified?” I’ll let you decide. But first, here are the facts.  I would have liked to supply a list of the child rape scandals exposed during the last century involving the Catholic Church in almost every country on Earth, but this newspaper couldn’t hold them all. Rather, only two such accounts need be named to issue a warrant for the arrest of His Holiness.  An 11-year-old German boy, named Wilfried F., was taken on a retreat with a priest, Father Peter Hullermann, in 1979. There the boy was given alcohol, stripped naked and forced to perform oral sex on his priest. The abominable act was exposed, and the guilty parishioner was moved from Essen to Munich for “treatment” — determined by none other than Joseph Ratzinger. Promises were issued that the priest would not be allowed to “work” with children again — but all too soon after Hullermann’s reinstatement, allegations arose again declaring more children were molested.And who was made aware of the perpetually pedophilic priest returning to child work via a memorandum sent directly to his office and did nothing? Hint: He now wears a pointy hat.You may well be asking, “Why aren’t predatory priests in prison?” That leads to my second point.Ratzinger, before being elected pope, issued a confidential letter to every bishop in 2001. The contents include: When a clergyman learns that another child rape has occurred, he must not inform anyone other than the Vatican. Breaking silence on the matter bore penalty of excommunication. The only jurisdiction capable of handling the matter was the Vatican, according to Ratzinger’s secretive docket.  Just to be clear, according to Ratzinger’s letter, if one rapes a child he is to be reported to the Vatican and no other authority, so he can receive “rehabilitation.” One could face excommunication if he discloses the crime to non-Vatican authorities, such as local law enforcement.  But how just is this Vatican-issued justice?If Cardinal Bernard Law is any indication, it’s basically a get out of jail — and hell — free card. Law stood accused of knowingly covering up and enabling two pedophilic priests to continue their “practice” in Boston, and the man admitted to it. He now resides not in jail, but in Rome as an archpriest. Fun fact: The cardinal himself sat on the conclave to elect Ratzinger as pope in 2005.  Child rapists do not deserve psychiatric treatment and relocation to yet another diocese, they deserve jail time or worse. Rape victims who have been shamed by the men they called “Father” deserve justice. Those who enable or cover up any of the aforementioned atrocities deserve prosecution,  and this includes Pope Benedict XVI.Regardless of your faith, this world has no place for predatory rapists nor their enablers.Can I get an amen — and an arrest warrant?Andrew Robertson is a 23-year-old religious studies senior from Baton Rouge. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_arobertson.—————Contact Andrew Robertson at [email protected]