BOSTON (MA)
The Eagle-Tribune
By Edward Mason
Staff writer
BOSTON — North of Boston religious leaders are concerned about a proposal to make the finances of religious institutions open to the public.Rooted in the Catholic clergy sex-abuse scandal, lawmakers want religious groups to comply with laws that require charities to be audited and to report their finances to the state attorney general. The push follows efforts by the Boston Archdiocese to shutter or sell properties to pay for settlements of legal cases brought over alleged priest molestation.But local religious leaders say their congregations would suffer. They note their houses of worship are less centralized than the Catholic Archdiocese and worry that compliance would cost many small congregations thousands of dollars and strain already-stretched budgets. If approved by lawmakers, religious institutions would file an annual, 13-page financial report with the attorney general.