VATICAN CITY
Digital Journal
By Brett Wilkins
Feb 20, 2013
Rome – By remaining in the Vatican after resigning later this month, Pope Benedict XVI will enjoy immunity from prosecution in connection with the global epidemic of clergy sex abuse claims.
The Pope’s decision to live in the Vatican City, a sovereign state, after his retirement means that he will be protected by both Vatican security and diplomatic immunity.
“His continued presence in the Vatican is necessary, otherwise he might be defenseless,” a Vatican official told Reuters under the condition of anonymity. “He wouldn’t have his immunity, his prerogatives, his security if he is anywhere else.”
The source added that the pontiff should lead a “dignified existence” for the rest of his life.
Under the Lateran Pacts, the 1929 treaty between Italy and the Holy See that established the Vatican City as a sovereign state, those with Vatican citizenship enjoy immunity even if they travel into Italy. The Pope also enjoys diplomatic immunity as an official head of state. Efforts by renowned British evolutionary biologist and atheist Richard Dawkins and the late British-American author Christopher Hitchens to have Benedict arrested and prosecuted during a 2010 visit to Britain came to naught because of the Pontiff’s diplomatic immunity.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.