Holding the Pope accountable for the actions of his priests; that is what a new lawsuit intends to do on behalf of two priest abuse survivors.
The legal action is aimed at stopping the abuse of children at the hands of Catholic priests by forcing the Vatican to reveal everything it has on the subject.
“The real problem is at the top,” Attorney Jeff Anderson said. “It is at the Vatican. It is at the Pope. The present Pope and the past Popes. “
Anderson explains why he believes the Pope is culpable for the behavior of priests all over the world.
“This suit alleges the Pope, the Vatican, and every predecessor to him are engaged in a large-scale systemic violation of the human rights of children and allowing children to be raped and be violated by reason of their choice to adhere to strict secrecy and iron-fisted protocol.”
The plaintiffs are James Keenan of St. Paul, Minnesota and Pinole resident Kathleen Stonebraker.
“I was repeatedly raped, molested, over that two-year period, multiple times,” Stonebraker said.
“And if we were talking about any other industry that industry would be shut down,” Keenan said. “If we were talking about waiters at a local restaurant, always fondled kids as they went into the restroom, would anybody go to there? No! That place would go out of business, but somehow, these men in power in this church for hundreds of years have come to the conclusion that they are above the law.”
Anderson admits he has tried and failed at suing the Vatican twice before.
He is hoping this time will be successful.
“We can and we will disclose all of these dangerous secrets that are being kept,” Anderson said. “We are calling danger, danger, danger today. That’s not words because this is action.”