Holy See Gets Immunity From Minnesota Priest Sexual Abuse Case

The Holy See convinced a US federal court to dismiss the lawsuit of four plaintiffs who suffered sexual abuse by Roman Catholic priests as children.

James Keenan, Luke Hoffman, Stephen Hoffman, and Benedict Hoffman, now adults, sued the Holy See for damages in the US District Court for the District of Minnesota in 2019. They alleged that the Vatican City’s sovereign government violated international and Minnesota laws by covering up abuse perpetrated by priests Curtis Wehmeyer and Thomas Adamson.

Wehmeyer pleaded guilty to 20 charges of criminal sexual abuse and possession of child pornography, according to the court. The Star ...