Pope immune from lawsuits, Vatican official notes
April 01, 2010
Although American lawyers have sought Pope Benedict's testimony in cases involving sexual abuse, the Roman Pontiff cannot be compelled to testify-- nor included as the defendant in a lawsuit-- because as a head of state he enjoys sovereign immunity, a Vatican official has reminded reporters.
"The pope is certainly a head of state, who has the same juridical status as all heads of state," said Giuseppe dalla Torre, who heads the tribunal of the Vatican city-state. The 170 nations that have formal diplomatic relations with the Holy See would recognize the Pope's immunity, he said.
Dalla Torre also pointed out that Pope Benedict is not legally responsible for the administration of individual dioceses or the superivision of diocesan priests. The Catholic Church, he observed, is not like a "multinational corporation" with a single chief executive. Each bishop is solely responsible for the administration of his own diocese.
For all current news, visit our News home page.
Further information:
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
