Attorney Wants Pope to Testify on Clergy Sex Abuse

During his disingenuous visit to the USA last month, Pope Benedict XVI gave lip service about sarrow for the sex abuse scandal involing thousands of victims in the USA alone. Now, based upon a Raw Story article, Benedict could have an opportunity to demostrate that he was exhibiting more than mere crocodile tears. Namely, he can testify in a pending lawsuit in Louisville, Kentucky, against the Archdiocese of Louisville aleging that top church officials should have warned parishioners about sexual predator priests. It will be interesting to see what excuse Benedict comes up with to avoid having to come clean about what he (and probably several prior Popes) knew and covered up - my guess is that he will claim to be the head of state of a sovreign nation, i.e., the Vatican City. Here are some highlights:

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Pope Benedict XVI should be questioned soon about clergy sex abuse in the Catholic church because he is the most knowledgeable person on the topic and his advanced age makes future testimony unlikely, an attorney said Monday.
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This request comes as part of a lawsuit by three men claiming top church officials should have warned about sexual abuse by priests in the Archdiocese of Louisville. A federal judge last year let those claims stand while dismissing other aspects of the lawsuit. It's now pending before the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati.

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Attorney William McMurry said Pope Benedict XVI has an unparalleled knowledge of the scope of sex abuse complaints because before becoming pope, he led Vatican offices that were directly involved with the investigation of sexual abuse by clerics. "The pope has certain knowledge relevant to this case," said McMurry, who on Monday filed the motion seeking a court order for the pope's testimony.

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Along with the accusations against the Vatican, the lawsuit challenges the constitutionality of the U.S. Foreign Sovereign Immunity Act, which generally gives immunity to foreign countries from most lawsuits. McMurry said the law violates the plaintiff's rights to a trial on the merits of the case. McMurry also claims that the law doesn't apply to the Holy See because of its dual role as a religious institution and country.