The Case of the Pope

2010 book by Geoffrey Robertson

The Case of the Pope: Vatican Accountability for Human Rights Abuse[1]

First edition

Author| Geoffrey Robertson
Genre| Political/legal nonfiction
Publisher| Penguin Books

Publication date

| 14 September 2010[1]
Publication place| Australia
Pages| 228
ISBN| 978-0241953846

The Case of the Pope – Vatican Accountability for Human Rights Abuse is a book written by Geoffrey Robertson in 2010 which examines the Roman Catholic Church's responses to allegations of sexual abuse in the Catholic church. The book analyzes the legal, moral, and ethical implications of the issue.

Robertson argues that the Vatican should be held to the same standards of accountability and justice as any other state or institution.[2][3][4][5]

## Reception

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A review in The Economist described The Case of the Pope as a book which offers readers "a better understanding of the serious problems that can arise when two legal systems, one secular and the other religious, operate in parallel".[6]

The New Statesman said, "Geoffrey Robertson's scalding j'accuse against priestly paedophile perpetrators, the Vatican and the current Pope [Pope Benedict XVI] will likely infuriate most devout Catholics..."[7]

The Monthly called The Case of the Pope a "fiery" argument that "the Vatican should be treated as a kind of 'rogue state' until it stops using statehood and the ancient rules of canon law to protect paedophile priests".[8]

## References

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1. ^ a b Geoffrey Robertson (2010). The Case of the Pope – Vatican Accountability for Human Rights Abuse (publisher's website). Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0241953846. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
The Case of the Pope at the Internet Archive
2. ^ Morss, John R. (1 November 2015). "The International Legal Status of the Vatican/Holy See Complex". European Journal of International Law. 26 (4): 927–946\. doi:10.1093/ejil/chv062. hdl:10536/DRO/DU:30081648.
3. ^ Eagleton, Terry (10 September 2010). "The Case of the Pope: Vatican Accountability for Human Rights Abuses by Geoffrey Robertson". The Guardian (book review). Retrieved 6 February 2019.
4. ^ "The Case of the Pope". The Sydney Morning Herald. 1 October 2010. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
5. ^ Pepinster, Catherine (17 September 2010). "The Case of the Pope by Geoffrey Robertson QC: review". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
6. ^ "Bedside table: A catholic reading list". The Economist. 13 September 2010.
7. ^ John Cornwell (20 September 2010). "The Case of the Pope: Vatican Accountability for Human Rights Abuse". New Statesman (review). Archived from the original on 5 April 2015.
8. ^ "Knight in shining Armani". The Monthly. 1 September 2011.