Clerical abuse - Pope must clear the air

The idea that the Americans could summon Pope Benedict XVI to testify in relation to the role that the Vatican played in the cover-up of clerical paedophilia in the US seems preposterous.

Three men who claimed that priests sexually abused them originally filed the case in 2004 in the state of Kentucky. They are now suing the Vatican for negligence.

The lawyer representing the plaintiffs says “the sole objective” of the case is “to hold the Vatican accountable for all the priest abuse ever committed” in the US. The whole thing almost invites the suspicion that it could be an April Fool’s prank.

In the spirit of openness and transparency, however, the Pope should address questions in relation to his own involvement in relation to clerical paedophilia. He should make himself available in the Vatican to answer questions in order to clear the air as much as possible.

Otherwise, inevitable questions could tend to lend substance to the speculation of those who have been ready to believe the most outrageous allegations against the Catholic Church, and especially against the Vatican.

The level of revelations in recent months has shocked even the most ardent Catholics, so it is vital that these issues should be addressed in a spirit of transparency.