Catholic diocese declares bankruptcy

[anthson]

Now what is up with this? You're telling me the richest religion in the world can have certain pockets of itself claim bankruptcy? What is this going to do to the legitimate legal claims of the abused? Will they just get the shaft while the Vatican sits on a mountain of gold? This is shit nuts.

http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchas...it-for-san.php
A US bankruptcy judge on Wednesday ordered an independent audit of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego [bankruptcy materials], which filed for Chapter 11 protection [JURIST report; diocese Q&A] in light of some some 140 sexual abuse lawsuits currently pending against the diocese. The judge accused the diocese's lawyers of conspiring with the diocese to move funds into the bank accounts of independent parishes and called the church's accounting system Byzantine. A lawyer for the church said the money transfers were not an attempt to shield funds from the bankruptcy court, but were part of the normal course of business for the church, which regularly distributes funds throughout the parishes. AP has more.

Four other dioceses nationwide have filed for bankruptcy to compensate the victims of clergy sex abuse [JURIST news archive]. The US Roman Catholic Church announced on Tuesday that sex abuse claims decreased in 2006 [JURIST report].

They rake in the money left and right and when they want to build something or add something, they hold EXTRA fund drives to help pay for it. Some of my relatives think they're going to get to heaven quicker because they went into financial hurt to buy a whole new pew for the old church.

[xaxer]

I don't know about this for sure,but, I think it is set up as a Franchise type of organization so though the Vatican could sell a golden cross from 500 ad and get $50 million, the local diocese can't tap into that resource.
But they will probbly have "Monte Carlo or Vegas Night" and raise a bunch of money anyhow I'm sure.
I recovered from Catholicism a decade ago and found solice elsewhere now myself, though I am not saying they don't spread the word.. I just didn't find it was for me.