95 year-old Pope emeritus Benedict XVI will be represented by his lawyers at the civil trial that will take place in Bavaria. The lawyers will respond to accusations the Pope emeritus failed to deal appropriately with four cases of abuse, between 1977 and 1982, when he was archbishop of Munich and Freising.
The lawsuit was filed by a 38 year-old man who claims he was abused by a priest when he was a child. He accuses then Archbishop Joseph Ratzinger of knowing that the priest, identified only as “Fr. H.,” was a pedophile and not doing enough to stop him.
Earlier this year, the Pope emeritus replied to these accusations in writing. His personal secretary, Archbishop Georg Gänswein made the text public in his name.
ABP. GEORG GÄNSWEIN
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI's Secretary
Once again, I can only express to all the victims of sexual abuse my profound shame, my deep sorrow and my heartfelt request for forgiveness. I have had great responsibilities in the Catholic Church. All the greater is my pain for the abuses and the errors that occurred in those different places during the time of my mandate.
The case also involves Cardinal Friedrich Wetter, successor as head of the Munich archdiocese.
No date has yet been set for the hearing, and Pope emeritus Benedict XVI will not himself appear in court. But his lawyers are likely to confirm that in none of the cases analyzed by experts, was then Archbishop Joseph Ratzinger aware of any actual, or suspected, sexual abuse committed by priests.
RM
TR: KG
