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	Clergy Abuse Crisis Continues Financial Depletion of the Diocese Worcester Voice January 23, 2006 http://worcestervoice.com/Wor%20Diocese/fyi2004_diocese.htm#financial%20depletion 23 Priest removed for sexual misconduct receive salaries totaling $391,000.00. In reviewing the annual financial report for the 2005 fiscal year of the Worcester Diocese, it is obvious to those who can read between the lines that clergy sexual abuse crisis is depleting cash from diocese. The Office of Healing, whose director resigned early last year, still registered an expense of $179,000.00. Therapeutic assistance was recorded at $65,000.00 and legal services were listed at $144,000.00 dollars. Total expenses were $388,00.00. This figure seem extremely disproportionate with the actual services provided to clergy abuse victims in the Worcester Diocese. Not one new clergy abuse victim reported receiving services by the Office of Healing. One alleged victim did contact the Office, was dissatisfied with the interaction and never returned. The Worcester Diocese has the lowest clergy abuse settlements in all of the United States, averaging $5,000 to $10,000.00 per victim, before attorney fees. Many cases still sit in limbo awaiting a judicial ruling from Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Locke. What is not listed plainly for all the Worcester Faithful to see in the annual financial report is that $391,000.00 was spent on annual salaries for 23 Worcester diocese priests that have been removed from ministry due to inappropriate sexual misconduct. This figure does not reflect additional fees for medical insurance which is also supplied. Bishop McManus stated without the donation of $1million dollars by an anonymous individual the diocese would be in financial crisis. Nearly half of that money went to maintain priest who have sexually deviant records. The other half of million was spent to maintain the effects of the clergy abuse crisis. Perhaps it is time the Worcester diocese undertakes the task of defrocking priests who harmed our most innocent of children. It would also seem much more appropriate to make honorable and fair settlements with those clergy abuse victims who have yet to settle and stop spending the faithful's collections on supporting those individuals with sexual misconduct records. The decrease in revenue and in church attendance truly reflects the lack of moral and ethical leadership from within the diocese. The old boy intimation factors implied ten years ago still exist today. Until the direction of the chancery changes, collection and attendance will continue to decrease.
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