BOSTON (MA)
Boston Globe
By Michael Paulson, Globe Staff | October 22, 2005
The Catholic Archdiocese of Boston intends to disclose everything about its finances, ''in living color," Archbishop Sean P. O'Malley said yesterday, insisting that every fund he controls will be explained and detailed for the public next year.
In an interview after making the announcement, O'Malley said he believes that transparency will bolster public confidence in the church. That confidence has been shaken in recent years because of the clergy sexual abuse crisis, and some state officials have become so concerned about archdiocesan management that they are pushing legislation to require all religious denominations to regularly make financial reports to the state attorney general.
Starting next spring, O'Malley said, the archdiocese will publicly disclose all of its finances, regardless of whether the Legislature passes a law. He said the reporting will include the assets, as well as the revenues and expenditures, of all organizations that make up the archdiocese or are controlled by the archbishop.
''I think people will be satisfied that we're doing a reasonable job managing the goods of the church," O'Malley said. ''It will be helpful for people to see what the fiscal situation of the parishes are and how that impinges on the diocese, which provides a lot of services to those parishes. And my hope is that when people realize there are not any great mysteries here, that they will be more confident in their willingness to continue supporting the works of the church."