PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philly.com
Sister Maureen Paul Turlish
PRICE TAG to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia? $10 million to $15 million?
That’s the figure that Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput mentioned as the cost of hosting the Catholic Church’s World Meeting of Families in 2015, especially if it includes a visit by Pope Francis.
Morally, how can any religious denomination consider spending that kind of money, no matter who the contributors are?
One can understand the financial benefit to the city and to the entire area that hosting such a high-profile international meeting would have.
What mayor or governor would not be interested in figures with seven or eight numbers before the decimal point? After all, that’s to be expected; it’s their job. And if Pope Francis attends – Mon Dieu! Of course, Mayor Nutter and Gov. Corbett are going to Rome with Archbishop Chaput to seal the deal.
But for the church? Morally?
The people of the Archdiocese have had a pretty rough time of it these past 10 years, what with the revelations of two grand-jury reports on the Archdiocese’s conspiracy in enabling and covering up the sexual abuse of so many children, the merging of their parishes and the shuttering of their churches. And then there are the school closings.
Shouldn’t it be a very different story for a church in trouble?
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