IRELAND
The Irish Sun
By Kieran Dineen
4th May 2017
THE Catholic Church has assets valued at almost €4billion that campaigners say should be controlled and owned by the State.
The future site of the €300million National Maternity Hospital — which will be built on Church land and owned by the Church — has reignited a debate about the role of the Vatican in this country.
And an analysis by the Irish Sun shows that Pope Francis has a far bigger grip on the State than this crisis shows.
We totted up the total value of the schools, hospitals and disability services which are owned and controlled by religious orders in Ireland.
A number of politicians say these should be handed over to the State, and that Rome should have no role.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.