Does the Pope Have Sovereign Immunity?

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In 2005, a federal judge in a Texas sex-abuse case ruled that the pope is immune from prosecution as the sovereign leader of Vatican City.

Not so fast, said the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals more recently.

If lawyers can prove that the offending priest is a direct employee of the pope, the Vatican may be vulnerable. Since the United Nations doesn't officially recognize Vatican City as a state, some lawyers make the long-shot argument that the pope lacks soverign immunity. From Suing The Pope: A Guide
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