Posted on 05/25/2010 7:49:32 PM PDT by Laissez-faire capitalist
The Obama administration in a brief to the Supreme Court has backed the Vatican's claim of immunity from lawsuits arising from cases of sexual abuse by priests in the United States.
The Supreme Court is considering an appeal by the Vatican of an appellate court ruling that lifted its immunity in the case of an alleged pedophile priest from Oregon.
In a filing on Friday, the solicitor generla's office argued that the Ninth Circuit court of appeals erred in allowing the lawsuit brought by a man who claims he was sexually abused in the 1960's by the Oregon priest.
The unnamed plaintiff, who cited the Holy See and several other parties and defendants, argued the Vatican should be held responsible for transferring the priest to Oregon and letting him serve there despite previous accusations he had abused children in Chicago and Ireland.
The solicitor general's office, which defends the position of president Obama's administration before the Supreme Court, said the Ninth Circuit improperly found the case to be an exception to the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, a 1976 federal law that sets limits on when other countries can face lawsuits in US courts.
"Although the decision does not conflict with any decision of another court of appeals, the court may wish to grant the petition, vacate the judgment of the court of appeals and remand to that court for further consideration."
... the Vatican plans to argue that Catholic Dioceses are run as seperate entities from the Holy See, and that the only authority that the Pontiff has over bishops around the world is a religious one...
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
Read the first sentence of the article again.
“Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, a 1976 federal law that sets limits on when other countries can face lawsuits in US courts”
PING
Since priestly pedophilia is minuscule compared with that by teachers (or so I’ve read elsewhere), my guess is this is really about protecting his teacher union buddies ...
I don’t
I’m not so sure sure about that. Most crimes of this nature were not reported. Reports are starting to surface, but we will never know the true number of lives that were destroyed due to these pedofiles in the church, schools, or wherever.
Already did.
Now read and comprehend that the Vatican has backed itself into a wall.
The Vatican HAS expelled Bishops, priests, etc. Yet the Vatican wants to now say that dioceses are run independently.
They can’t have it both ways.
If the Vatican can expel Bishops, priests, etc, and they have, then they can also stop a priest who was accused of sexual abuse in Ireland from coming to Oregon.
That is the heart of the matter here. If The Vatican knew that he was sexually abusing in Ireland then they could and should have kept him from coming to Oregon.
No, the heart of the legal matter, is as noted in the first sentence, immunity.
Yeah, right.
Pedophilia refers to sex with prepubescent children. Most of these cases involve adolescents. The priests are what used to be referred to in gay circles as "chicken hawks:" men who pray on young men or adolescents. And by the way, please do note how this is always referred to as "pedophilia" in the lamestream media. Can't have people thinking this is just plain homosexual rape/assault. That would vindicate the BSA.
“Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, a 1976 federal law that sets limits on when other countries can face lawsuits in US courts”
Are they a state or a religion. It seems to me if you act in both arenas then one can and one can’t face a lawsuit. If the Pope wears both hats he can be sued. Separation of Church and State seems better to me each message I read.
That has become the foundation of a main liberal argument; however it's moot as regards the US law on foreign heads of state, etc.
I don’t agree, but I do hope there is reserved place in hell for anyone who uses their position to prey upon any child for sexual gratification, regardless of their sexual orientation. Teachers and priests both took an oath to serve and I would hope protet the community. I still believe that children within the church would be much more reluctant to come forward than kids at school. The student victims are many times teens as well and they are very vulnerable as well and it is quite illegal. How about if I use the term child sex offenders to better describe all of the creeps who prey on kids under 18 y/o.
Which is why I said that there should be no immunity for the Vatican if the Vatican knowingly lets accused priests come to the US (like Oregon) from foreign countries (like Ireland).
The key is knowingly. Ignorance is another matter.
There needs to be some immunity for foreign powers and that would be tanatmount to keeping it for the US, too - but no immunity for any foreign power for knowingly enabling.
BTW, the solicitor general that is defending the Vatican here is Elena KAGAN.
Remember her?
You seem not to understand the legal meaning of immunity. Either for the US or Foreign Powers.
ping
It's payback since 54% of Roman Catholics voted this crumb-bum loser into office.
One crook hiding another one.
If there have been any Bishops that the Vatican has expelled, then that undermines the argument that the diocese is run locally.
When it's convenient, the Vatican lies.
"So, then, if anyone says that the Roman Pontiff has merely an office of supervision and guidance, and not the full and supreme power of jurisdiction over the whole Church, and this not only in matters of faith and morals, but also in those which concern the discipline and government of the Church dispersed throughout the whole world; or that he has only the principal part, but not the absolute fullness, of this supreme power; or that this power of his is not ordinary and immediate both over all and each of the Churches and over all and each of the pastors and faithful: let him be anathema."Pope Pius IX, Vatican Council, Session 4, Chapter 3, #9:
Apparently since Ratzinger denied this very notion we should conclude he has just anathematized himself.
lol. Pitiful.
Meant to ping you to 37
lol. This has NOTHING to do with any teacher pedophiles (unless they are teachers from Iceland on a sabbatical in Peoria)
Yeesh. Any straw will do; just don't point a finger at the one man most responsible for the past 25 years of hiding pedophile priests in unsuspecting churches - pere Ratzinger.
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