Pope Benedict XVI will face a lawsuit for not wearing a seatbelt in the Popemobile during his latest visit to Germany, Freiburg municipality has confirmed.
Lawyer Johannes Christian Sundermann has filed papers in Dortmund on behalf of an unknown citizen against the Pope, saying the head of the Catholic Church did not put on his seatbelt while being driven around Freiburg at the end of September.
The plaintiffm named Baden-Württemberg Minister-President Winfried Kretschmann and Archbishop Robert Zolltisch as witnesses in the case and asked that they provide statements. I B Times
The lawyer, a member of the socialist Left party, took on the case after several other attorneys rejected it. Both Sundermann and his client are no longer members of the Catholic Church.
In a worst-case scenario the pope would have to pay a fine of between €30 and €2,500. However, if the pope enjoys diplomatic immunity, even a miracle won’t help this case. The Local
Both the attorney and the plaintiff have said the move to press charges was not an attack on the church, but rather an effort to raise awareness of the seat belt law and increase enforcement.
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