BOSTON (MA)
GoLocalProv [Providence RI]
January 5, 2023
On Thursday, as the Vatican was holding funeral ceremonies for Pope Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI, top sexual abuse attorney Mitchell Garabedian issued comments about the ongoing cover-up of sexual abuse that took place.
Born in Germany, Benedict served as the head of the Catholic Church from 2005 to 2013.
Benedict, who was the first pontiff in almost 600 years to resign his position rather than hold office for life, passed away on Saturday, according to a statement from the Vatican.
Garabedian said in a statement:
I have represented childhood clergy sexual abuse victims worldwide for decades.
For the most part, Pope Benedict continued the cover-up of clergy sexual abuse by saying the right things but not taking substantive action. Respectfully, Pope Benedict did very little to alleviate the suffering and loneliness of childhood sexual abuse victims. The here and there limited action by Pope Benedict compounded the pain of clergy sexual abuse victims everywhere.
Many childhood sexual abuse victims uncomfortably feel that Pope Benedict continued the cover-up of clergy sexual abuse through inattention and avoidance.
Garabedian was the lead attorney is the lawsuits against the Diocese of Boston and was featured in the movie Spotlight.