ALBANY (NY)
Albany Times Union
First published: Saturday, April 15, 2006
Bishop Howard Hubbard's plea for school tax credits for parochial school students is a noble goal, but it should be viewed in light of the church's handling of finances.
The most recent report of the Catholic bishops says that they have spent more than $1 billion on sexual abuse case settlements. There have been few public church reports nationally or locally on these expenses.
For years, parishioners were not told that settlements had been made and that priests were abusing children. The financial condition of the church from Albany to Rome is still secret.