(Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday allowed the Boy Scouts of America's $2.46 billion settlement with sexual abuse victims to move forward, lifting a temporary pause imposed in response to an appeal by 144 former scouts who opposed the agreement.

The court's order supersedes one issued by Justice Samuel Alito on Feb. 16 temporarily freezing the settlement to give the full court more time to consider a Feb. 9 request by abuse claimants who sought to block the Boy Scouts settlement from moving forward while they pursue appeals.

(Reporting by Andrew Chung in New York; Editing by Will Dunham)