SPOKANE (WA)
Seattle Post Intelligencer
By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
SPOKANE, Wash. -- A recent Vatican ruling that the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston is not automatically entitled to the assets of closed parishes is being closely watched in Spokane, where sex abuse victims are demanding the church sell parishes to pay claims.
Spokane Bishop William Skylstad has argued in court that he does not control individual parishes within the Diocese of Spokane, and cannot sell them to raise money for people who were molested by priests.
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Patricia Williams is expected to rule by Sept. 1 on whether the parishes belong to the diocese, but the Vatican decision is encouraging, said Shaun Cross, an attorney for the Spokane Diocese.
"It reaffirms the position of Bishop Skylstad in that he does not own the parishes," Cross said. "He has no unfettered discretion to deal with parish assets."