White House To SCOTUS: The Vatican Should Be Immune To U.S. Lawsuits

The White House has issued a brief to the Supreme Court backing the Vatican's claim that they should be immune from child molestation lawsuits brought in the United States.

The Supreme Court is considering an appeal by the Vatican of an appellate court ruling that lifted its immunity in the case of an alleged pedophile priest from Oregon. In a filing on Friday, the solicitor general's office argued that the Ninth Circuit court of appeals erred in allowing the lawsuit brought by a man who claims he was sexually abused in the 1960s by the Oregon priest. The unnamed plaintiff, who cited the Holy See and several other parties as defendants, argued the Vatican should be held responsible for transferring the priest to Oregon and letting him serve there despite previous accusations he had abused children in Chicago and in Ireland.

The Vatican argues that they have no legal relationship American dioceses, only a religious one.