An Australian Fair Work commissioner has dismissed a Catholic priest’s claim against his religious order, ruling that he was not legally an employee. Father Wieslaw Pawlowski said church leaders left him homeless and destitute after changing the locks on his home and taking his car, following his refusal to comply with an order; the decision limits his ability to pursue the matter through workplace law.

The Polish-born priest spent nearly three years disputing the actions of the Society of Christ Fathers through church processes, including an appeal to Vatican authorities in Rome, before applying to Australia’s workplace tribunal. The tribunal found that his relationship with the order was religious rather than contractual employment, so it did not have jurisdiction over his claim.