WASHINGTON − The Supreme Court is staying out of a case about whether the Catholic Church misled parishioners about the purpose of an annual collection, passing up a chance to probe the independence churches have from government interference.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops says that autonomy means courts should dismiss a lawsuit from a Rhode Island churchgoer who claims that funds raised by the "Peter’s Pence" collection went not for humanitarian work but were spent on luxury condominium developments and other investments.

"Such disputes are beyond the ken of civil courts," lawyers for the church wrote in the appeal the court rejected on May 26. "The Religion Clauses of the First Amendment ensure churches can decide for themselves, free from state interference, matters of church governance."

Even the initial stages of a lawsuit can be too intrusive, they argued. In this case, for example, the bishops are being asked to turn over internal communications with the Vatican, to provide donor lists and details of how the pope has spent the money.

But a federal judge said the lawsuit raised a "purely secular" dispute to which the courts can apply neutral principles of law without getting involved in religious matters.

And the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit said it could not get involved at this stage of the lawsuit.

"This case remains at the earliest stages of litigation with many more steps before the finish line," Judge Harry Edwards wrote.

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Religious groups representing Jews, Muslims, Seventh-day Adventists, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints backed the Catholic Bishop’s appeal to the Supreme Court.

"If the Catholic Mass is not safe from government intrusion, courts next may make themselves superintendents of the Jewish Tefillah, the Adventist Sabbath, the Orthodox Divine Liturgy, the Muslim Jum’ah, and all other faiths’ worship services," lawyers representing some of the groups wrote.

The suit was filed in 2020 by David O’Connell, who said he donated to Peter’s Pence because the church said the money would be used to help people in need, including victims of war and natural disasters. Instead, O’Connell alleges, the church knew most of the funds would be invested in ventures like Hollywood movies or luxury real estate, or used to cover administrative expenses.

He wants the Catholic Bishops to return past donations and to limit how the church describes and uses future contributions.

"It’s regrettable and tragic that such a trusted and well-respected organization has been taking advantage of the generosity of Catholic donors," attorney Marc R. Stanley said when announcing the class action lawsuit. "USCCB must come clean and give back the money it took from well-intentioned people who thought they were giving urgently-needed funds to help the destitute around the world."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Supreme Court avoids Catholic Church 'Peter's Pence' case