The Economist Estimates the Catholic Church Spent $171,600,000,000 in 2010

UNITED STATES
Friendly Atheist

[The Economist]

August 17, 2012 By Hemant Mehta

The Economist has attempted to paint a picture of what the Catholic Church’s finances look like, especially in light of the sexual abuse scandals. I’ll admit it. I may have salivated a bit at this paragraph:

By studying court documents in bankruptcy cases, examining public records, requesting documents from local, state and federal governments, as well as talking to priests and bishops confidentially, The Economist has sought to quantify the damage.

They estimate that the church spends about $171,600,000,000 a year. Not a typo.

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