U.S. Government Weighs in on Vatican Sex Abuse, Siding with the Vatican

Sigh.

I love it when the U.S. Government casts its lot with foreign entities that export child molesters to the United States. The WSJ Law Blog reports:

In a filing made late last week, the U.S. government weighed in, largely siding with the Vatican’s argument that the Ninth Circuit erred by allowing a sex-abuse case to go forward against the Vatican. The move represented a rare foray by Washington into the highly sensitive litigation.

Who knew that our courts were powerless to hold the Vatican accountable for sending us priests with a history of abusing children?

The solicitor general’s office argued that the Ninth Circuit misapplied the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act. By choosing to emphasize a jurisdictional statute, the government avoids taking a stand (one way or the other) on the actual abuse. It keeps the government out of taking a position on whether or not the Vatican is liable for its priests.

Of course, the plaintiffs in the case are trying to get to that exact question:

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The plaintiff’s theory: Since the accused priest had previously been accused of abusing children in Ireland and Chicago, the Vatican should be held accountable for moving the priest to Oregon and continuing to let him serve, where it was conceivable he would continue to abuse. Jeffrey Lena, attorney for the Vatican, noted that the plaintiff has not provided evidence that the Vatican moved the priest in question around, or had control over the priest.

If U.S. courts don’t have jurisdiction over this matter, it seems likely that the Pope will once again escape accountability for the abuse committed by Catholic priests. Is there any court that can make this guy answer for these abuses? What’s The Hague up to these days?

In Brief to High Court, U.S. Supports Vatican in Sex-Abuse Case [WSJ Law Blog]

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