MILWAUKEE (WI)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
By Annysa Johnson of the Journal Sentinel
The former vice chancellor of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, now an advocate for clergy sexual abuse victims, has asked the judge in the archdiocese’s bankruptcy to investigate how the church funds its cemetery operations.
In a letter to U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Susan V. Kelley, Fr. James Connell questions whether the archdiocese may have used its cemetery trust funds to subsidize its other operations, contradicting its assertion that the money can be used only for the perpetual care of its cemeteries. And Connell, a canon lawyer and certified public accountant, who previously sat on the archdiocese’s finance council, suggests she pull in the FBI to look into it.
It’s highly unlikely that the judge would do that, according to at least one bankruptcy expert.
But Connell’s concerns echo those likely to be raised by abuse victims if and when a pending lawsuit over the cemetery trust, which the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals refused last week to dismiss on religious liberty challenges, resumes in Milwaukee later this year.
James Stang, lead attorney for the creditors committee, which is composed of victims but represents all of the archdiocese’s creditors, declined to comment on Connell’s assertions. But he said the committee’s financial experts are reviewing his letter.
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