Document Type
Brief
Case Name
Payne-Elliott v. Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis, Inc.
Publication Date
2-22-2022
Abstract
No. 22S-CP-302
Payne-Elliott v. Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis, Inc.
Court of Appeals Case No. 21A-CP-00936
Appeal from the Marion Superior Court 1
Trial Court Case No. 49D01-1907-PL-027728
The Honorable Lance Hamner, Special Judge
From the Summary of Argument
This case challenges a decision that is manifestly ecclesiastical: a directive from the Archbishop of Indianapolis regarding what policies a religious school must follow in order to be faithfully Catholic and to remain formally part of his Archdiocese. That is a question of exclusively religious concern. In the religious traditions of the Archdiocese and amici, it is a question which is entrusted to the care of bishops as the successors to the Apostles of Jesus Christ. This theological understanding of the bishop is defined in particular ways through canon law, which details the rights and duties that pertain to his sacred office. The bishop’s performance of those duties cannot be understood or evaluated in any way that is not religious.
Recommended Citation
Meiser, John A., "Brief of Amici Curiae Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles and the Orthodox Church in America in Support of Appellee's Petition to Transfer" (2022). Court Briefs. 55.
https://scholarship.law.nd.edu/sct_briefs/55
Comments
In the religious traditions of both Our Lady of Lebanon and the OCA, bishops carry the sacred duty to serve as the primary shepherds for the faithful believers entrusted to them within their diocese or eparch. Amici seek to ensure that bishops are guaranteed the fundamental freedom to fulfill this pastoral calling without the interference of civil courts.