Posts Tagged church finances
Dana Point parishioner’s lawsuit claims diocese mismanaged funds
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Catholic Bishops, Catholic Church Finances, Voice of the Faithful on February 2, 2015
“It was one thing when the faithful at St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church raised $8 million to build a new parish center, then heard little more about the project.
“But when they learned that the Diocese of Orange planned a $3 million renovation of their beloved church sanctuary – perched on a Dana Point precipice and designed to showcase spectacular ocean views – dozens balked, saying it seemed like a colossal waste of money. They sent a letter to church leadership, trying to stop the renovations and demanded a detailed accounting of money raised and spent.
“They didn’t get far. And so last week, with a heavy heart, one longtime parishioner filed a lawsuit against the church and its administator, the Rev. Brandon Manson, along with Bishop Kevin Vann and the Diocese of Orange, claiming breach of trust.
“‘I have struggled greatly over filing this action,’ said Bill Robinson, a parishioner for 39 years, who works in the legal field. ‘In the end, I have to follow my conscience. We saw what happened in the child abuse scandal in the early 2000s. The shame brought upon the Church was not because of a handful of bad priests, but because of the arrogance of the bishops who considered themselves above the law and not accountable to their congregants.’”
By Teri Sforza Orange County Register — Click here to read the rest of this story.
Pope Set to Open Meetings on Vatican Finances, Family / Associated Press
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in church reform, Pope Francis, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on February 18, 2014
Meetings this week between Pope Francis and his cardinals will deal with some of the thorniest issues facing the church, including church finances and the rejection by most Catholics of some of its core teachings on premarital sex, contraception, gays, and divorce.
“Cardinal Walter Kasper of Germany, who has called for ‘‘changes and openings’’ in the church’s treatment of divorced and remarried Catholics, will give the keynote speech Thursday (Feb. 20) to the pope and cardinals attending a preparatory meeting for an October summit on family issues.”
By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press, in The Boston Globe — Click here to read the rest of this story.
Secret Accounts Paid for Clergy Misconduct But Left Church Open to Financial Abuse / Minnesota Public Radio
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Catholic Church Finances, Clergy Sexual Abuse, Clericalism, Voice of the Faithful on January 27, 2014
The Rev. Stanley Kozlak served nearly three decades in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. But then he fathered a child and the archdiocese needed him gone.
“Removing Kozlak quietly wouldn’t be cheap, but church leaders knew how to move money discreetly. The archdiocese held two secret accounts, controlled by the archbishop, designed to make problems like Kozlak disappear.
“To get him out of active ministry, Archbishop Harry Flynn agreed in 2002 to pay the fallen priest $1,900 a month ‘disability’ for life, plus $800 a month in rent for life, and $980 a month ‘to replace the social security payment until Father Kozlak reaches age 67 when he would receive his full social security.’
“Kozlak’s package was part of a secret financial system that let archdiocese leaders divert millions of dollars away from traditional church work to deal with clergy misconduct.”
By Tom Scheck, Minnesota Public Radio — Click here to read the rest of this story.
Financial Transparency: Now It’s the Bishops’ Turn / La Stampa
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Catholic Church Finances on August 1, 2013
All it took was one day and both Archbishop of Ljubljana Anton Stres and the Archbishop of Maribor Marjan Turnsek were out of the picture: Today (July 31) Francis accepted both their resignations in accordance with paragraph 2 of Canon 401 of the Code of Canon Law, which states: “A diocesan bishop who has become less able to fulfill his office because of ill health or some other grave cause is earnestly requested to present his resignation from office.” The Vatican’s decision to wave goodbye to the archbishops of two of Slovenia’s six Catholic dioceses, after reports of financial mismanagement, is a very serious one indeed. And it comes after Benedict XVI accepted Archbishop Franc Kramberger’s resignation on 3 February 2011, in accordance with the abovementioned paragraph of Canon law. Kramberger preceded Turnsek’s as Archbishop of Maribor.” By Giorgio Bernardelli, Vatican Insider, La Stampa
Read all of Bernardelli’s article in La Stampa by clicking here.
Cleric and Two Others Arrested in Vatican Bank Inquiry / The New York Times
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in church reform, Vatican, Women Deacons on June 28, 2013
A Vatican official. A private plane. And 20 million euros in cash. Claiming to have foiled a caper worthy of Hollywood, or at least Cinecittà, the Italian police on Friday arrested a prelate and two others on corruption charges as part of a complex plot last summer in which they say the priest — already suspected of money laundering — plotted to help wealthy friends sneak the money, the equivalent of about $26 million, into Italy while evading financial controls.”
Read The New York Times article by Rachel Donadio and Elisabetta Provoledo article, “Cleric and Two Others Arrested in Vatican Bank Inquiry,” by clicking here.
Voice of the Faithful
A lay movement for governance reform in the Roman Catholic Church, responding to the clergy sexual abuse scandal and supporting survivors.
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