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Dublin archdiocese 'on brink of financial collapse'

Internal documents reveals cost of child sex scandals

DARA KELLY,

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Wednesday, August 17, 2011, 8:03 AM

Updated Wednesday, August 17, 2011, 9:55 AM

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Dublin Archbishop Diarmuid Martin

The Dublin archdiocese, the largest in Ireland, is on the brink of financial collapse a report in the Irish Catholic newspaper, quoting an internal church document, has revealed.

The document from the Council of Priests states “We are in a precarious position in many parishes and in the diocese, close even to a state of financial collapse,” according to the document.

It also reveals that “reserves the diocese had built up over decades have been spent on seeking to compensate, somewhat, victims of child sexual abuse by priests.”

“This means the diocese will have to go into debt for a considerable period and will not have resources for other projects unless we fundraise for them specifically,” the document states.

The document notes: “Collections in the diocese have been decreasing in recent years. In a time of economic downturn, as well as declining participation at Sunday Mass, this is not surprising.”

A proposed levy on Catholic families is put forward and also a plan to secure €20m from parishes with “surplus funds.”

Adminsitrative costs of the archdiocese are also set to be slashed. The document warns that any proposed changes “must include an assessment of all central administration posts” and adds that pay cuts in line with public service pay reductions must be considered at diocesan agencies and for parish pastoral workers.

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41 Comments

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butlerreport | Feb 23, 2012, 09:01 AM EST

No levies. If money is needed get it from Rome. Asking Irish Catholics for money is asking them to pay for the Church's crimes. That the CC exists at all anymore in Ireland is a poor reflection on Irish people.

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seanomelbourne | Aug 19, 2011, 08:27 PM EDT

Irish catholics led like lambs to the slaugther by the hierarchy. So much for the "lamb of god".I wonder Jacer if you try to analyse how the bishops live in their mansions,sipping their french wine and waited on with servants,It's your dollar Jacer.

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barneyjo | Aug 19, 2011, 02:49 PM EDT

@ Everyone - I highly recommend the movie "The Shoes of the Fisherman" starring the late Anthony Quinn. It is a wonderful movie deserving of a full viewing. However, the closing scene is worth viewing alone as it relates closely to this article. .@JACERSAGAIN - "I am totally amazed at the stupidity of most of the comments below. I am a member of the RCC in Ireland. In my whole lifetime to this day, I have never ever been “taxed” by the Church or forced to give it money or ever had my money extracted by it" - OH REALLY!! So you wont be familiar with Parish Priests lobbying their congregations, and in particular those in business or in trade, to sign up to a Direct Debit scheme whereby monthly church contributions would be debited directly from parishoners bank accounts. It was suggested that this would be a more efficient way of supporting their church it was claimed. You'll not be surprised to hear that in my parish, a building contractor who had declined to participate in the scheme but continued to make voluntary contributions was excluded when he tendered for a building project. The contract was won by another contractor from the locality,yes. However, he was a NON-CATHOLIC!!!!! Wheels within wheels Jacers, dont you think?????

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barneyjo | Aug 19, 2011, 02:45 PM EDT

@Jacersagain - "I am totally amazed at the stupidity of most of the comments below. I am a member of the RCC in Ireland. In my whole lifetime to this day, I have never ever been “taxed” by the Church or forced to give it money or ever had my money extracted by it" - OH REALLY!! So you wont be familiar with Parish Priests lobbying their congregations, and in particular those in business or in trade, to sign up to a Direct Debit scheme whereby monthly church contributions would be debited directly from parishoners bank accounts. It was suggested that this would be a more efficient way of supporting their church it was claimed. You'll not be surprised to hear that in my parish, a building contractor who had declined to participate in the scheme but continued to make voluntary contributions was excluded when he tendered for a building project. The contract was won by another contractor from the locality,yes. However, he was a NON-CATHOLIC!!!!! Wheels within wheels Jacers, dont you think?????

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JuneAnnette | Aug 19, 2011, 12:38 PM EDT

P.S. Memo to the Roman Catholic faithful: Such a deal . . THEY PREY and YOU PAY!

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JuneAnnette | Aug 19, 2011, 12:27 PM EDT

RELATED: "Father Stephen Rossetti, a priest-psychologist prominent in the treatment of sexually offending priests at St. Luke Institute, told some victims of Fr. James Porter, "the church will not change until it is threatened with bankruptcy." He made that statement in response to their question, "what will it take for the church to change?" / Source: RichardSipe.com Article: AN OVERVIEW OF THE SYSTEM OF SEXUAL ACTIVITY AND ABUSE WITHIN THE CLERICAL CULTURE OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE USA / Those who truly are advocating for REFORM must PROTEST by refusing to PAY, PRAY & OBEY and instead of putting cash in the collection plate, leave a LETTER OF RESIGNATION!

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eiriamach | Aug 19, 2011, 09:08 AM EDT

When a corporation faces bankruptcy, company officers pay off creditors and employees as well as they can, and then they cease operations and shut their doors. <-- That's only financial bankruptcy. The RCC in Ireland is in moral bankruptcy as well. Do the bishops have a plan for dealing with both? If they don't, then it's time to do the right thing: pay off what they can and shut their doors.

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eiriamach | Aug 19, 2011, 08:48 AM EDT

"eeezee peezee money for the greedy," Jacersagain? No, the Dublin Archdiocese is facing bankruptcy because it has had to pay out millions of Euro to victims of priests and nuns. This is not greed money, and it cannot really compensate anyone. It's hardly more than a symbolic gesture of remorse toward those who have probably spent a great deal on counseling and other help in dealing with the aftermath of abuse. I may not fully understand the situation, but I'm under the impression that the Irish people are also being taxed by the government to contribute part of the victims' compensation fund. The sale of just one diamond-encrusted gold and silver papal tiara, a gift from an organization that sought a favor from the Vatican, would reduce each person's share in the taxation required for the victims' compensation. Why wouldn't the Church be willing to give up some of its immense wealth to reduce the burden on those who are paying for the crimes of others? Are YOU and other Dublin parishioners willing to pay the "proposed levy" mentioned in this article to keep your Archdiocese from bankruptcy, or will you blame the victims for this financial burden?

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jacersagain | Aug 18, 2011, 08:50 PM EDT

(...more) Those who think the Church is rich should remember that it is the feeble, almost inconequential humble donations of the billion-odd faithful of the RCC which keep parish churches working for us, including the Vatican through our donations towards the ‘Peter’s Pence’ once a year. Some posters have said that the Vatican should sell its paintings, its gold- and silver-encrusted items in various parish churches etc. Well, I think that those ignorant people should recognise that all such items have been DONATED to the church by the faithful and others. Even the moon rocks in the Vatican Museum were donated by American Astronauts. Items like these are literally PRICELESS – i.e. incapable of having a price. It’s MY donation youze are talking about and yez can feck off if you think I’m gonna let my donations to the upkeep of my Catholic Church’s parish or diocese be eeezee peezee money for the greedy. It’s too easy for people to forget that all donations to the Church are based on one single event: the arrival of three wise men at a stable in Bethlehem where they donated gifts of gold, myrrh and frankincense to the new-born king and his family. Those three men knew what they were doing. It’s why we of the faithful uphold and should continue to uphold the sense of their generosity to the Saviour and His places of our worship today and always.

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jacersagain | Aug 18, 2011, 08:44 PM EDT

I am totally amazed at the stupidity of most of the comments below. I am a member of the RCC in Ireland. In my whole lifetime to this day, I have never ever been “taxed” by the Church or forced to give it money or ever had my money extracted by it. I have a home; it costs money to run. I earn a working wage to pay for that. The Government of my (and any) country needs money to run it but taxes me beyond reasonableness to run it. Likewise, the Church needs money to run and maintain it and its services but it has never forced me to help it financially. I voluntarily donate to the Church’s upkeep... towards the heating in the Church during Masses and other sacramental ceremonies like funerals, weddings, baptisms, confirmations; towards the flowers and candles to be placed in prayer or thanksgiving before statues commemorating Our Lady, her Son’s Sacred Heart and saints like St. Theresa or St. Dominic. I have no qualms in making such donations, none whatsoever. (More...)

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rainbowbrew | Aug 18, 2011, 01:16 PM EDT

How much money do you think they extracted from the Irish. Then ho much of that money went to Rome? Well Rome taxes all parishes and bishopdoms. So maybe he should send a request to Rome. There was a priest in Madelia Minnesota who received a million dollars from a dead parishiner to go to the Church in the town. well no one ever heard of that money again and were told it was not their business. Well the priest drives a fancy 80,000 car and has all new dresses. What did the church get? Your right not a dime. The person who donated the money was betrayed. So if it happens here it probably happens in ireland. Tell them to give back the trillions they have taken so far.

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TiocfaidhArmani | Aug 18, 2011, 03:27 AM EDT

Well said pilib, they're the enemies of republicanism, always have been.

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walter3ca | Aug 17, 2011, 10:14 PM EDT

Oh, boo hoo. I feel sooo bad. Gee, maybe all of the priets will have to live in one house, instead of each having their own. Or do their own cooking and cleaning. They can take the bus, instead of having cars. In other words, act like the rest of us.

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pilib04 | Aug 17, 2011, 09:35 PM EDT

Yeah, you'll see real big tears from me if the Dublin Diocese goes belly up. Good riddance. The fatcat bishops have been preying on the Irish people for centuries. These are the swine who sold out the Irish Nation in 1801 at the Act of Union and again in 1916 and 1919. They actually excommunicated members of the IRA during the first war of independence! Not one tear of these swine!

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JuneAnnette | Aug 17, 2011, 08:46 PM EDT

RED FLAG ALERT to the Roman Catholic “faithful” continued***”Weakland explains that Berlin addressed the U.S. bishops in 1985 and urged them against removing pedophiles from the priesthood. Of course, no one, or virtually no one, especially the Vatican and John Paul II, was making such a recommendation, and Berlin as the company doctor was simply telling the CEO’s what they already wanted to hear. And, not surprisingly, as the bishop’s psychiatrist, Berlin still remains actively opposed to reporting sex offenders to the civil authorities, although all major psychiatric and mental health organizations and professional associations have strongly supported mandatory reporting for decades.”***SNAP Wisconsin website***"Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." God's Word - Revelation 18:4

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