The Catholic church and in fact religion in general, has done more to ruin ordinary people's lives than any other single organisation in history. The comparison with the nazi's is singularly appropriate and thank you Richard Dawkins for pointing it out so succinctly.

Emperor Palpatine, I mean, Ratzinger, is one evil and nasty man. He looks creepy, he sounds creepy, he dresses bizarrely and grown men bow down to him and kiss his ring(!) When tens of thousands of 'followers' go and listen to him spout his dribble in every country he goes to, it makes me despair for the fate of humanity. If only Luke and Vader were around....

Yes Bernie. I am astounded that Ratzinger even brought up the old Nazi bogey in association with non-belief. It has to be either profound ignorance or great hubris. Can it be anything but either of those options?

Ouch!........Will the catholic church think twice about about spurious comments in the future? They should, as the ground they are standing on is getting increasingly shakey.