Opinion ID: 1560403
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Whether our courts may exercise subject matter jurisdiction over Plaintiffs' intentional-misrepresentation claim against Father Carver.

Text: ¶ 46. Plaintiffs allege that Father Carver made intentional misrepresentations in soliciting contributions for the rebuilding of St. Paul. The crux of Plaintiffs' allegation is that Father Carver knew that the St. Paul church would be closed, but continued telling potential donors that the church would be rebuilt. ¶ 47. The cloak of religion does not shield religious institutions from civil responsibility for fraud. Morrison, 905 So.2d at 1237 (quoting Gen. Council on Fin. And Admin. of the United Methodist Church v. Superior Court, 439 U.S. 1355, 1372-73, 99 S.Ct. 35, 58 L.Ed.2d 63 (1978)); see also U.S. v. Rasheed, 663 F.2d 843, 847 (9th Cir.1981) (the First Amendment does not protect fraudulent activity performed in the name of religion) (citing Cantwell v. Connecticut, 310 U.S. 296, 306, 60 S.Ct. 900, 904, 84 L.Ed. 1213 (1940)). Moreover, the First Amendment does not protect fraudulent statements that concern neither religious doctrine nor practice. Bassett, Religious Organizations and the Law § 8:5, n. 1 (1997) (citing Van Schaick v. Church of Scientology, 535 F.Supp. 1125 (D.Mass.1982); Christofferson v. Church of Scientology, 57 Or.App. 203, 644 P.2d 577 (1982)); Tilton v. Marshall, 925 S.W.2d 672, 678-80 (Tex.1996). ¶ 48. Plaintiffs here assert a common-law tort which can be decided on neutral principles of law without excessive entanglement in ecclesiastical affairs. Intentional or fraudulent misrepresentation requires: (1) a representation, (2) its falsity, (3) its materiality, (4) the speaker's knowledge of its falsity or ignorance of its truth, (5) his intent that it should be acted on by the hearer and in the manner reasonably contemplated, (6) the hearer's ignorance of its falsity, (7) his reliance on its truth, (8) his right to rely thereon, and (9) his consequent and proximate injury. McCord v. Healthcare Recoveries, Inc., 960 So.2d 399, 406 (Miss.2007) (quoting Franklin v. Lovitt Equip. Co., Inc., 420 So.2d 1370, 1373 (Miss.1982)). ¶ 49. In Maffei v. Roman Catholic Archbishop of Boston, 449 Mass. 235, 867 N.E.2d 300 (2007), the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts asserted jurisdiction over claims that the Archbishop and clergy members had misrepresented certain facts as they solicited gifts. Maffei, 449 Mass. at 251, 255-56, 867 N.E.2d 300. One group of plaintiffs asserted that they had transferred property to the archbishop based on a priest's oral representation that the property would forever be used as a church. Id. at 251, 867 N.E.2d 300. When the church was closed years later, plaintiffs filed suit requesting, in part, the imposition of a constructive trust based on fraud. Id. at 236, 251, 867 N.E.2d 300. The Maffei court considered plaintiffs' claim under neutral principles of law, but found the claim to be without merit. Id. at 251-52, 867 N.E.2d 300. Another plaintiff asserted a claim of negligent misrepresentation against the archbishop and a certain priest. Id. at 255-56, 867 N.E.2d 300. Similar to the to the case before us, the plaintiff alleged that the Archbishop and priest had solicited donations to sustain the church's future existence, while having knowledge that the church would soon be closed. Id. at 255-56, 867 N.E.2d 300. The Maffei court considered the merits of the claim, but found no supporting evidence. Id. at 256, 867 N.E.2d 300. ¶ 50. We find that subject matter jurisdiction exists over Plaintiffs' claim of intentional misrepresentation; therefore, we reverse the chancellor, and remand this issue for further proceedings consistent with this opinion. By doing so, we do not suggest that Father Carver did, in fact, act fraudulently. But `[w]hen considering a motion to dismiss, the allegations taken in the complaint must be taken as true. ...' Scaggs v. GPCH-GP, Inc., 931 So.2d 1274, 1275 (Miss.2006) (quoting Lang v. Bay St. Louis/Waveland Sch. Dist., 764 So.2d 1234 (Miss.1999)).