Court: Vatican can be sued for sex abuse

tools.goldcoast.com.au...

A US appeals court has ruled that the Vatican can be sued for the sex abuse committed by American priests.


The Vatican had tried to block a class action lawsuit alleging that it orchestrated a cover-up of sexual abuse by clergy with the argument that it was protected by laws granting sovereign states immunity from most US civil proceedings.

Central to the case is a 1962 Vatican mandate, unearthed in 2003, which outlined a policy of "strictest" secrecy regarding allegations of sexual abuse by clergy and threatened those who spoke out with excommunication.

A US federal appeals court ruled that the case brought by three Kentucky men can proceed because exceptions in the law allow the Vatican to be held liable for the actions of church employees acting within the scope of their employment in the United States.
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So can they indict, extradict and try the Pope or maybe a Cardinal? Will the Vatican pay for the crimes of their underling priest homophobes and pediphiles? THis should be interesting.

I find this to be intriguing. Vatican City is a self governed city within a city, nearly a nation unto themselves. The city and the church are run more like a corporation than a religious house. They have no embassy in any country, unless you count every Catholic Cathedral and Church house an embassy.
They also have a fairly extensive legal team, which means that this will probably come down to a scoundrel for the church representing a scoundrel of the church. Since there is supposed seperation of church and state and the laws seem only to apply to the church when it is convenient, the proceedings and outcome of this should be "scandalous". I can only wonder what they are plotting.

Originally posted by wheresthetruth
I find this to be intriguing. Vatican City is a self governed city within a city, nearly a nation unto themselves. The city and the church are run more like a corporation than a religious house. They have no embassy in any country, unless you count every Catholic Cathedral and Church house an embassy.

The Vatican is an independent City State which has an independent presence as an observer at the UN. The Pope is given the pomp and circumstance on official visits to countries, (such as the US recently) as a head of State not a religious leader.
The Vatican has it's own Secretariat of State with diplomatic connections with many countries in the world. It has embassies in many countries, called Nunciatures, with a fully credentialed ambassador called the Nuncio. Many countries have Embassies to the Vatican, similarly credientialed by their countires as ambassadors to the Holy See.

en.wikipedia.org...
en.wikipedia.org...

So can they indict, extradict and try the Pope or maybe a Cardinal?

Oh, come on. The Pope would never harm children.

I can't see civil suits as a deterrent. They're pretty well cashed up.

They probably just see it as an expensive form of prostitution. If they get caught...