Case Name: The ARCHDIOCESE OF MIAMI and Edward A. McCarthy, etc., Petitioner, v. Dolores SAMA, joined by Nicholas Sama, her husband and Robert F. Buksch, Jr., and Joan S. Buksch, his wife, Respondents
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1987-12-08
Citations: 519 So. 2d 28
Docket Number: No. 87-2307
Parties: The ARCHDIOCESE OF MIAMI and Edward A. McCarthy, etc,, Petitioner, v. Dolores SAMA, joined by Nicholas Sama, her husband and Robert F. Buksch, Jr., and Joan S. Buksch, his wife, Respondents.
Judges: Before SCHWARTZ, C.J., and BASKIN and DANIEL S. PEARSON, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 519
Pages: 28–28

Head Matter:
The ARCHDIOCESE OF MIAMI and Edward A. McCarthy, etc,, Petitioner, v. Dolores SAMA, joined by Nicholas Sama, her husband and Robert F. Buksch, Jr., and Joan S. Buksch, his wife, Respondents.
No. 87-2307.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District.
Dec. 8, 1987.
Rehearing Denied Feb. 16, 1988.
Wood, Lucksinger & Epstein and J. Michael Fitzgerald and Juan Carlos Enjamio, for petitioner.
Papy, Weissenbom & Papy and Sheridan Weissenborn, for respondents.
Before SCHWARTZ, C.J., and BASKIN and DANIEL S. PEARSON, JJ.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
Courts are prohibited from resolving church property disputes on the basis of religious doctrine," Galich v. Catholic Bishop of Chicago, 75 Ill.App.3d 538, 31 IJLDec. 370, 394 N.E.2d 572 (1979); see Graffam v. Wray, 437 A.2d 627, 633 (Me. 1981), when, as here, the underlying controversy concerns religious doctrine and only incidentally affects other matters. We therefore conclude that the petitioners have affirmatively demonstrated a lack of jurisdiction in the lower court. English v. McCrary, 348 So.2d 293 (Fla.1977). We are certain that it will not be necessary to issue a formal judgment in prohibition.
Prohibition granted.