Louisiana High Court: Priests Have a "Property Right" Not to Be Sued For Sexual Abuse

[localroger]

21. It's important to understand this only makes sense with regard to the Catholic Church

This isn't about protecting the priest's supposed 'property right', it's about protecting the Church. Unlike most Christian denominations, Catholic priests take vows of poverty and have no possessions of their own, so it's really impossible to sue a Catholic priest for money damages without suing the Church. And the Church has deep pockets, which makes it an attractive target for lawsuits. (deservedly so in this case, but I digress.) This ruling is obviously meant to protect the Church from these sex abuse lawsuits. The reasoning is still bullshit, but the court didn't pull this rabbit out of its left nostril to protect Pastor Dumbfuck and his congregation of 30 out on Dumbfuck Pass Road. This is about protecting an institution that is so important in this state that we have parishes instead of counties. I doubt anyone thinks it will hold up under appeal, but it gives everyone a few more years to shuffle shit around and sweep stuff under the rug for when accountability is in vogue again.