BishopAccountability.org
	Catholic Church Raises More Than $42 Million WCSH June 23, 2010 [with video] http://www.wcsh6.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=119349&catid=2 PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- The Catholic Diocese of Portland announced Wednesday that it has nearly completed a major capital campaign and exceeded its fundraising goal by more than $2-million. The Church has raised $42.2 million dollars in pledges since the spring of 2008. The campaign does not end until June 30. Bishop Richard Malone said he was very happy with the total, especially considering the campaign began just a couple months before the financial collapse on Wall Street. The money will be divided among a number of programs that the Church believes will strengthen Maine communities and Catholic faith. 25 percent of it goes towards individual parishes, and other large chunks go towards Catholic Charities of Maine (15 percent) and tuition for Catholic schools (15 percent). The Catholic Church has had a controversial couple of years, not only because of the sex abuse scandal, but also for its decision to actively fundraise against gay marriage during church services in 2008, and later pull its donations to a homeless shelter in Portland that campaigned on the other side. The bishop says none of the funds from this campaign will go toward politics, and he is proud that nearly one-third of active Catholics in the state contributed to this fund. Money from this fund also does not go towards victims of sexual abuse by priests. There is a separate fund for that. The bishop also says the money will not go directly towards keeping churches and schools open, but the hope is that the campaign will strengthen the church, and therefore make fewer closings necessary.
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