Court Issues Letters Rogatory Seeking Aid In Serving Process on Pope, Cardinals

In an unusual move, a Wisconsin federal district court in Doe 16 v. Holy See, (ED WI, Sept. 24, 2010), issued Letters Rogatory to "the appropriate judicial authority of the Holy See," requesting its assistance in serving process on Pope Benedict XVI and two cardinals named as defendants in a civil suit seeking damages and and other relief growing out of sexual abuse plaintiff suffered at the hands of Rev. Lawrence Murphy who taught at St. John's School for the Deaf. (See prior posting.) Here is the full text of the court order granting the motion for Letters Rogatory and the Letters relating to Pope Benedict, Cardinal Bertone (Vatican Secretary of State) and Cardinal Sodano (Bertone's predecessor). Raw Story carries its own and the AP report on the court orders. SNAP also issued a press release on the court's action.