Court: Catholic Group Can 'Intervene' In Montana Dispute Over Jesus Statue On Public Land

According to a Montana federal judge, a Catholic benefits organization has the right to intervene in an attempt to keep a statue of Jesus Christ on Forest Service land on Big Mountain. U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen in Missoula, Montana, ruled that the Knights of Columbus group "has a protectable interest in the lawsuit since it holds a special use permit for the statue," as reported by the Courthouse News Service.

"Should the plaintiff obtain the relief it seeks, the resulting removal of the statute from federal land would constitute a serious impairment of the ability of the Knights of Columbus to protect their interest in the special use permit," Christensen wrote. "This matter has not been set for trial and no pretrial schedule is yet in place; thus, the application to intervene is timely."

The statue has remained at this 25-by-25 plot of land since 1954, and been renewed without question every 10 years. However, earlier this year Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), a national organization of agnostics and atheists, sued the U.S. government for the placement of this statue at a memorial commemorating the U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division...more