A legal battle centred on sex abuse ended in a victory for the Holy See, writes John Breslin in Chicago

The Vatican won a major victory yesterday in an Oregon federal courtroom, where a judge ruled that the Holy See is not the employer of molester priests.

The Vatican, reeling from criticism over its handling of sexual abuse cases in Ireland, has taken the unusual step of publishing its internal files about a priest accused of molesting youngsters in Ireland and the US.

A lawsuit against the Vatican that was dismissed as a publicity stunt moved forward when the US Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal from the Holy See.