Daylife/AP Photo by Alessandra Tarantino
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Three men who claim they were abused by Catholic clergy in America have succeeded in naming the Vatican as sole defendant in a lawsuit and are hoping to force Pope Benedict XVI to give evidence in the case.
The 6th US circuit court of appeal recently ruled that although the Holy See, as a sovereign state, was immune from most lawsuits, the plaintiffs could proceed with their argument that its officials were involved in a deliberate effort to cover up evidence of sexual abuse by American priests.
Their case centres on a 1962 directive from the Vatican telling church officials to hide sex abuse complaints against clergy.
William F McMurray, a lawyer representing the men, who claim they were abused in Louisville, Kentucky, says the document, which became public in 2003, makes the Vatican liable for the acts of clergy whose crimes were kept secret because of the directive. He says the pope, at 81, is the only living witness to the establishment of the 1962 policy. Before his election to the papacy, Joseph Ratzinger spent 24 years heading the Vatican department charged with investigating and disciplining abusive priests, a role that would have led him to brief his predecessor, John Paul II, on the situation.
Wonder if they’ll ever get to trial?
# 20 Nimby said, “My question is: How can a religion be a sovereign state.”
It can’t. But a state can be sovereign. You asked the wrong question.
#18 Jimmy – Your wrong. The photographer caught the Pope right before he took to flight. Those shoes are magical. They give him the ability to fly like Superman.
Is this even possible? This would be like another country putting our government on trial and trying to get the President on the stand.
#20 – Nimby
>>Can someone please direct me to the local
>>RC Consulate?
The Holy See does not have an embassy, per se, in the US but neither do a lot of other countries. If you can get to New York City, you can address any concerns to the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations:
http://www.holyseemission.org/
If this were done by Evangelicas the “traumatized” men would be way too affraid of repisals coming not only from the Preacher/reverend/pastor but also from the brainwashed followers to come out and declare their statements.
Pope and Church = RICO – an on-going criminal enterprise !!! With plenty of attachable property in the USA !!! Good luck to the Plaitiffs !!!
#20 for the win:
“Too bad your education didn’t include use uppercase letters.”
#22, Monster L, I stand corrected… I didn’t recognize the ruby slippers that belonged to the wicked witch of the East. The picture shows him doing a little tap dance before he took off.
Not only do I agree with the U.S. Court ruling, I think that the Vatican ought to be sold to the highest bidder to pay damages to all those victims harmed by the pope sanctioning the sex abuse cover-up.
I look at this guy and think, “trick or treat!”