Authorities say the assaults took place from 1997 to 2002, when Shissler was arrested on charges of sexually assaulting two other boys at his home.

The assaults in the new case are alleged to have started when the boy was a 6-year-old first-grader and continued to age 11.

However, in a ruling issued Thursday, Velasquez found that the national church "has not added anything legally material" to the original complaints.

Velasquez dismissed suits by the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles against the churches last year.

In his rulings, Velasquez said that neither the local diocese nor the national church has a rightful claim on land, buildings or items such as hymnals and prayer books used in worship by the congregations of the three churches.

Our Continued Duty for Christian Love

As our brothers and sisters who wish to depart make this difficult and painful decision, our thoughts and prayers can only be that they find a spiritual place more suited to the judgments they make. The Diocese of Florida, and every one of you individually, must continue to view those departing as Christian brothers and sisters - loved by our God and deserving our continuing prayers.

The most serious charge against Dr Kunonga, however, was that he asked members of the Zimbabwe secret police — the CIO [Central Intelligence Organisation] — to “have certain people, whom he named, killed”. The Bishop allegedly marked for death 10 troublesome priests and lay people.