Victims of sexual abuse by members of the clergy, a U.S.-based organization for abuse survivors and a U.S.-based human rights organization formally asked the International Criminal Court in the Hague to investigate Pope Benedict XVI and other top Vatican officials. The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests and their attorneys from the Center for Constitutional Rights, a New York-based organization, presented their petition to the court on Sept. 13. They allege that “Vatican officials tolerate and enable the systematic and widespread concealing of rape and child sex crimes throughout the world.” The petition claims the church leaders who bear “the greatest responsibility” for such cases of abuse are Pope Benedict; Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College of Cardinals and former Vatican secretary of state; Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, secretary of state and former secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith; and Cardinal William J. Levada, current prefect of the congregation. The parties filing the petition said, “This could be the first time that an international court asserts jurisdiction over the Vatican for crimes committed by its agents worldwide.”
Abuse Victims Petition International Court
Show Comments (
)
Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.
The latest from america
It is fair to say that the global tab for addressing the world’s acute humanitarian or ecological needs pales in comparison to the eye-watering amounts governments unabashedly dole out for bombs and bullets.
This week on “Inside the Vatican,” hosts Colleen Dulle and Gerard O’Connell and producer Ricardo da Silva, S.J., answer listener questions about the conclave and the first month of Pope Leo XIV.
Abuse experts and survivors express a mix of tentative hopes and low expectations for how Pope Leo might address disciplining abusers, supporting victims and ensuring that the church is a safe environment for all.
“It literally felt like kidnapping. I saw three of those ‘kidnappings’ happen in the span of 20 minutes.” That is how Angel Mortel described detainments she witnessed outside of a Los Angeles courtroom.