Earlier this year, federal prosecutors in Manhattan
made history by arresting officials at the Federation Internationale de
Football Association, or FIFA, on charges of racketeering and money
laundering.
The case, a groundbreaking example of US authorities
policing far beyond America’s borders, raised an interesting question:
If prosecutors could target FIFA — an organization headquartered outside
the US — could they also take aim at the leaders of another sprawling
international enterprise, say, the Roman Catholic Church?