The US supreme court decision paves the way for other suits to be filed against priests accused of paedophilia, which will in turn involve the Vatican. Jeff Anderson, the lawyer representing the claimant, is already understood to have more cases against the Holy See in the pipeline. The combination of potentially thousands of victims in numerous jurisdictions, and the economic incentive for lawyers seek-out cases (particularly in America where so-called "ambulance-chasing" is rife), could result in enough cases to have devastating implications for the church.

The Vatican's response so far has been to deny liability, and last week it said it would prove it can't be held responsible for the priest's actions. But how the law will deal with such strong political, religious and economic powers challenging what is in legal terms an uncertain and evolving area, remains to be seen.

https://www.theguardian.com/law/belief/2010/jul/01/without-immunity-can-vatican-survive