March 21, 2005

Sunday Mass collections may pay for clerical abuse claims

IRELAND
Irish Examiner

By Jim Morahan
SUNDAY Mass collections may be used to help meet clerical abuse costs which are expected to reach €25 million over the next five years.

Abuse claims cost nearly €5m in the last two years, the Catholic Church revealed this week.

During the period the country's 26 dioceses contributed €6.3m to the central fund.

Irish bishops have announced a review of the central fund, declaring its coffers were "almost depleted".

New resources "need to be provided", said the bishops. The fund, named the Stewardship Trust, was set up in 1996 with the four archbishops as trustees.

Posted by kshaw at March 21, 2005 07:17 AM