UNITED STATES
Christian Catholicism
Jerry Slevin
1. The double standard continues among the Catholic hierarchy on financial accountability. Cardinal Dolan reportedly “buried” millions in a Milwaukee cemetery trust, seemingly to avoid paying priest abuse survivors. He now is closing many schools and churches in NYC, as he reportedly plans to spend nearly $200 million to renovate his elite Cathedral and residence, all with minimal oversight and accountability.
2. Pope Francis, after almost two years as pope, reportedly has failed so far even to select an independent outside auditor for the Vatican’s financial assets and operations. Meanwhile, his “financial czar”, Cardinal Pell apparently stumbles over hundreds of millions of “newly found” Vatican assets, conveniently a few days before the announcement of the latest Vatican Bank embezzlement scandal.
3. Yet an anti-abortion priest advocate is being faulted by +Dolan and the Vatican for lack of financial accountability, that is by hierarchs who themselves appear generally quite thin on accountability.
4. Cardinal Dolan, who has reportedly stated that he had been asked by the Vatican to help anti- abortion activist , Fr. Frank Pavone, “restructure” his big fundraiser, Priests for Life, has now reportedly said that he has informed Rome that “I am unable to fulfill their mandate, and want nothing further to do with the organization.” The Cardinal indicated he had “no idea” what the Vatican intends to do now.
5. What +Dolan’s action does make clear, however, is that the Vatican is micro-managing US cultural warriors like Pavone. This appears to be part of Pope Francis’ ramping up of his US election push to help elect in 2016 a “US bishops’ friendly” right wing US president and Congress, and thereby preserve a “Vatican friendly” US Supreme Court majority as priest child abuse related litigation and prosecution risks continue to proliferate.
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