Weekly Collections for the weekend of October 28, 2012

 

Five additional pledges, now 740 families.  However total pledges only increased by $151.00.  Might there have been pledge withdrawls?

Judge lets Milwaukee archdiocese bankruptcy abuse ruling stand

 

federal judge on Monday handed partial victories to both the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and the sex abuse victims who make up the vast majority of creditors in its bankruptcy.

The ruling, by U.S. District Judge Rudolph Randa, lets stand a February decision by U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Susan V. Kelley dismissing one victim's claim and allowing two others to move forward, at least for now.

The three cases were seen as test cases in which the archdiocese argued that a significant number of victims of clergy sexual abuse had enough information on the church's handling of cases to have filed fraud claims years earlier

Click on the following for more details:   Judge lets archdiocese bankruptcy abuse ruling stand

Austrian priests share our concerns. Association of Catholic Priests

 

Helmüt told me how the Initiative began in 2006. It arose because many priests felt that the Austrian Bishops and the Holy See are not addressing the serious crises which are affecting the Catholic Church right across the globe, but particularly in Austria. Furthermore, Helmüt argues that the Catholic Church shows little respect for the dignity of the baptized and refuses to allow priests and lay people to have any genuine involvement in the decision making processes of the Catholic Church.

…One of the senior officials agreed that none of the positions taken by the movement were heretical. However, a younger official declared that almost everything the movement was looking for was heretical.

Membership of the Initiative is open to all priests, including those who have left active ministry. The number of members now stands at around 500 priests out of a total of 3,000 priests in Austria.

Initiative is probably most famous for the Call to Disobedience which it published in 2010. This emerges from the reality that most priests will routinely give communion to couples in second relationships. Priests also regularly invite lay people, men and women to preach at Mass. These and other such pastoral responses are currently against the Canon Law of the Church, yet most priests silently continue with these practices. 

READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE BY CLICKING ON THE FOLLOWING: Austrian priests share our concerns. Association of Catholic Priests

Father Geary: October 28 Bulletin

Weekly Collections for the weekend of October 21, 2012

No Change.

No change in total pledges.

Milwaukee native James Harvey to become cardinal - JSOnline

 

By Annysa Johnson of the Journal Sentinel

Milwaukee native Archbishop James Harvey, who has served as head of the papal household since 1998, will be elevated to cardinal in November, Pope Benedict XVI announced today.

Click on the following for more information:  Milwaukee native James Harvey to become cardinal - JSOnline

Vatican postpones departure of church mission to Syria - The Washington Post

 

The Vatican’s No. 2 official, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, said Tuesday the delegation, which had been expected to depart for Damascus this week, will leave at a date still to be decided. He said the composition of the group will also be changed, but gave no details.

CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING FOR MORE DETAILS:  Vatican postpones departure of church mission to Syria - The Washington Post

Kansas City-St. Joseph Diocese settles 2 lawsuits - SFGate

 

The Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph has settled lawsuits brought by a former worker who claimed sexual harassment and a former contractor who claimed the diocese retaliated against her by making it impossible to do her job, attorneys for the plaintiffs and diocese said.

Attorneys for plaintiffs and the diocese declined to discuss details of the settlements, The Kansas City Star reported Monday (http://bit.ly/QBDQz8 ).

"Both cases have been resolved to the parties' mutual satisfaction," said Rebecca Randles, the Kansas City lawyer whose firm represents the plaintiffs.

Click on the following for more details:  Kansas City-St. Joseph Diocese settles 2 lawsuits - SFGate

Parishes' assets targeted in archdiocese bankruptcy case

By Annysa Johnson of the Journal Sentinel

Thursday's hearing was the first since a court-ordered mediation aimed at reaching a settlement broke down this month.

Judge Susan V. Kelley voiced disappointment in the outcome. She laid out an aggressive schedule for tackling the outstanding issues in the case, including the archdiocese's efforts to throw out what could be hundreds of victims' claims for compensation, and a pending lawsuit over whether $57 million in a cemetery trust could be used to pay settlements.

"I continue to believe that a negotiated settlement is going to be the best resolution for everyone here," she said.

Click on the following for the complete story:  Parishes' assets targeted in archdiocese bankruptcy case

Weekly Collections for weekend of October 15, 2012

 

 

 

No change in the number of families however Total Pledges increased from $2,754,304 in previous week to $2,756,265. An increase of $1,961.

Milwaukee archdiocese, abuse victims can't reach mediated agreement | MinnPost

 

Milwaukee archdiocese, abuse victims can't reach mediated agreement

 

By Brian Lambert | 10/15/12

That other very expensive battle for the Catholic Church, all those sexual abuse cases, isn’t getting any cheaper in Wisconsin. Annysa Johnson of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports: “The court-ordered mediation between the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and victims of sexual abuse has failed, sending the parties back to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court to resume what one court official has called a scorched earth legal battle. The church and victims — at 575 members, they represent the largest class of creditors in the bankruptcy — have been in court-ordered mediation since July 20. Victims attorney Jeffrey Anderson [of St. Paul] confirmed Monday that the mediation had failed but declined to elaborate on the sticking points, citing the confidentiality of the proceedings. He said victims would now move forward to force the disclosure of thousands of pages of documents now under court seal, and to scrutinize the transfer of millions of dollars off the church’s books into trusts in the years before the bankruptcy

Milwaukee archdiocese, abuse victims can't reach mediated agreement | MinnPost

Cardinal Dolan to Show Solidarity With Syrians | NBC New York

 

Pope Benedict XVI is sending a delegation, including top Vatican officials and New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan, to Damascus to express solidarity with the Syrian people suffering in their country's civil war.

The group will consist of seven churchmen, including Dolan and the Holy See's top official for inter-religious dialogue, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran.

Bertone said church leaders "cannot be simple spectators" given the "immense" suffering in Syria, and said they are convinced the solution must be a "political" one.

Click on the following for the complete story:  Cardinal Dolan to Show Solidarity With Syrians | NBC New York

Former nun to be ordained as first female Catholic priest in Georgia | The Citizen

Sunday, October 14, 2012 - 6:52pm
Submitted by Ben Nelms

For Diane Dougherty, it is a way to live up to her calling and to challenge the hierarchy of the Catholic Church. It is a hierarchy that Dougherty maintains is sexist. Though not recognized by the Vatican, the Coweta County resident and longtime former nun will be ordained next week and will become the first female Catholic priest in Georgia.

Dougherty on Oct. 20 will be ordained a priest in the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests (ARCWP) at a ceremony at First Metropolitan Community Church in Atlanta. Asked earlier this week at her home near Newnan if the ordination is valid, Dougherty said, “I’m being validly ordained in the line of Peter, but it is not recognized by the church hierarchy.”

Click on the following for the complete story:  Former nun to be ordained as first female Catholic priest in Georgia | The Citizen

Jim Caccamo put the kids first — always - KansasCity.com

Bishop Finn:  What really happened in Kansas City if the IRB was not told of the abuse case?

By MARY SANCHEZ

The Kansas City Star

resigning as chairman of the Kansas City-St. Joseph Diocese’s Independent Review Board, which is charged with handling allegations of sexual abuse.

Caccamo held the post when it was discovered that the church hierarchy had been a barrier to the board’s delicate work. The board was never given the specifics of the allegations against the Rev. Shawn Ratigan. Board members were not told many things they needed to know, details that are entwined in the allegations against Ratigan and Bishop Robert Finn, who is accused of failing to report suspected abuse.

Caccamo was outraged when he heard some of those details. No one, not even the bishop, escaped his assessments of their actions, or inaction.

And yet, he was always appropriate, always professional, always a gentleman.

Read the entire story by clicking on the following:  Jim Caccamo put the kids first — always - KansasCity.com

BBC News - German Catholics lose church rights for unpaid tax

 

Alarmed by their declining congregations, the bishops were also pushed into action by a case involving a retired professor of church law, Hartmut Zapp, who announced in 2007 that he would no longer pay the tax but intended to remain within the Catholic faith.

Continue reading the main story

Tax on Germany's Christians

• 25 million Catholics
• Tax worth 5bn euros (2010)
• 24 million Protestants
• Tax worth 4.3bn euros
• German population 82 million

The Freiburg University academic said he wanted to continue praying and receiving Holy Communion and a lengthy legal case between Prof Zapp and the church will reach the Leipzig Federal Administrative Court on Wednesday.

"This decree makes clear that one cannot partly leave the Church," Germany's bishops' conference said last week, in a decision endorsed by the Vatican.

'Wrong signal'

Unless they pay the religious tax, Catholics will no longer be allowed receive sacraments, except before death, or work in the church and its schools or hospitals.

Without a "sign of repentance before death, a religious burial can be refused," the decree states. Opting out of the tax would also bar people from acting as godparents to Catholic children.

Read the whole story by clicking on the following:  BBC News - German Catholics lose church rights for unpaid tax

More about the church tax in Europe from WIKIPEDIA

Church tax

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

A church tax is a tax imposed on members of some religious congregations in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Sweden, some parts of Switzerland and several other countries.

Contents

[hide]

• 1 Germany
• 2 Denmark
• 3 Sweden
• 4 Austria
• 5 Switzerland
• 6 Finland
• 7 Iceland
• 8 Italy
• 9 See also
• 10 References

[edit] Germany

About 70% of church revenues come from church tax. This is about €9.2 billion (in 2010).

Article 137 of the Weimar Constitution of 1919 and article 140 of the German Basic Law of 1949 are the legal basis for this practice.

In Germany, on the basis of tax regulations passed by the communities and within the limits set by state laws, communities may either

• require the taxation authorities of the state to collect the fees from the members on the basis of income tax assessment (then, the authorities withhold a collection fee), or
• choose to collect the church tax themselves.

In the first case, membership in the community is entered onto a tax document (Lohnsteuerkarte) which employees must surrender to their employers for the purpose of withholding tax on paid income. If membership in a tax-collecting religious community is entered on the document, the employer must withhold church tax prepayments from the income of the employee in addition to other tax prepayments. In connection with the final annual income tax assessment, the state revenue authorities also finally assess the church tax owed. In the case of self-employed persons or of unemployed taxpayers, state revenue authorities collect prepayments on the church tax together with prepayments on the income tax.

If, however, religious communities choose to collect church tax themselves, they may demand that the tax authorities reveal taxation data of their members to calculate the contributions and prepayments owed. In particular, some smaller communities (e.g. the Jewish Community of Berlin) choose to collect taxes themselves to save collection fees the government would charge otherwise.

Collection of church tax may be used to cover any church-related expenses such as founding institutions and foundations or paying ministers.

The church tax is only paid by members of the respective church. People who are not members of a church tax-collecting denomination do not have to pay it. Members of a religious community under public law may formally declare their wish to leave the community to state (not religious) authorities. With such a declaration, the obligation to pay church taxes ends. Some communities refuse to administer marriages and burials of (former) members who had declared to leave it.

The money flow of state and churches is distinct at all levels of the procedures. The church tax is not meant to be a way for the state to directly support churches, but since expenses for church tax are fully deductible (as are voluntary expenses for the Church, for charity or a bundle of other privileged aims) in fact such support occurs on a somewhat large scale. The effort of collecting itself, done by the State, is entirely paid for by the Churches with a part of the tax income.

The church tax is historically rooted in the pre-Christian Germanic custom where the chief of the tribe was directly responsible for the maintenance of priests and religious cults. During the Christianization of Western Europe, this custom was adopted by the Christian churches (Arian and Catholic) in the concept of "Eigenkirchen" (churches owned by the landlord) which stood in strong contrast to the central church organization of the Roman Catholic Church. Despite the resulting medieval conflict between emperor and pope, the concept of church maintenance by the ruler remained the accepted custom in most Western European countries. In Reformation times, the local princes in Germany became officially heads of the church in Protestant areas and were legally responsible for the maintenance of churches. Not until the 19th century were the finances of churches and state regulated to a point where the churches became financially independent. At this point the church tax was introduced to replace the state benefits the churches had obtained previously.

Taxpayers, whether Roman Catholic, Protestant or members of other tax-collecting communities, pay between 8% (in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg) and 9% (in the rest of the country) of their income tax to the church or other community to which they belong.^[1]

For example, a single person earning 50,000 euros may pay an average income-tax of 20%, thus 10,000 euros. The church tax is then 8% (or 9%) of that 10,000 euros: 800 (or 900) euros.

[edit] Denmark

Main article: Church of Denmark

The members of national Church of Denmark pay a church tax, which varies between municipalities, but can be as large as 1.51%. The tax is generally in the vicinity of 1% of the taxable income. The tax doesn't cover the entire budget of the church. An additional 13% is paid by the government. This means even people who are not members of the church finance the church through taxes.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Sweden

The members of Church of Sweden pay church fee, which varies between municipalities, but can be as much as 2%. Church and state are separated as of 2000, however the burial tax (begravningsavgift) is paid by everyone regardless of membership.

In a recent development, the Swedish government has agreed to continue collecting from individual taxpayers the annual payment that has always gone to the church. But now the fee will be an optional checkoff box on the tax return. The government will allocate the money collected to Catholic, Muslim, Jewish and other faiths as well as the Lutherans, with each taxpayer directing where his or her taxes should go. It is possible to leave the church with the help of a web page [1].

[edit] Austria

Church tax is compulsory for Catholics in Austria, with a rate of 1.1%. This tax was introduced by Hitler. After World War II, the tax was retained in order to keep the Church independent of political powers.^[2]

[edit] Switzerland

There is no official state church in Switzerland. However, all the 26 cantons (states) financially support at least one of the three traditional denominations – Roman Catholic, Old Catholic (in Switzerland Christ Catholic), or Evangelical Reformed – with funds collected through taxation. Each canton has its own regulations regarding the relationship between church and state. In some cantons, the church tax (up to 2.3%) is voluntary but in others an individual who chooses not to contribute to church tax may formally have to leave the church. In some cantons private companies are unable to avoid payment of the church tax.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Finland

All members of either the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland and the Finnish Orthodox Church (the two state churches of Finland) pay an income-based church tax of between 1% and 2%, depending on the municipality. On average the tax is about 1.3%.

Formerly, to stop paying church tax, one had to formally leave the church by personally going to local register office and waiting during an allowance of time for reflection. This requirement was removed in 2003 and currently a written (but not signed) statement to the church suffices. The majority of resignations since 2005 are now handled through a web site, Eroakirkosta.fi. If one is member of church when year begins, he/she will pay taxes for the whole year; however, these are later returned as a tax refund.

In addition to personal taxation, the state divides some of the money collected by taxing private companies to the two state churches. It does not matter if company is owned by church members or non-members. It has been argued that the churches use this money to upkeep cemeteries, to which they are obligated by law.

[edit] Iceland

Taxpayers in Iceland are obligated to pay a congregation tax^[3] (Icelandic sóknargjöld) to the recognized religious organization of their choice. Those who do not belong to any recognized religious organization pay the same amount to the State. The Church of Iceland receives governmental support beyond the congregation taxes paid by its members.

[edit] Italy

Main article: eight per thousand

Taxpayers in Italy are obligated to pay the so-called eight per thousand tax. This tax amounts to 0.8% of the total income tax (IRPEF) and every taxpayer can choose on their tax form the recipient of the contribution. Currently the choices are

• The State
• Catholic Church
• Tavola Valdese
• Unione Italiana delle Chiese Avventiste del Settimo Giorno
• Assemblee di Dio in Italia
• Union of the Jewish Communities in Italy (Unione delle comunità ebraiche italiane)
• Lutheran Evangelical Church (Chiesa Evangelica Luterana in Italia.)

If the choice is not expressly declared in the tax form, the tax is distributed according to the percentages of the taxpayers that have declared the beneficiary. The State uses its own share of the 0.8% tax for social or cultural purposes.

Green Bay diocese defends itself in Las Vegas abuse case - JSOnline

 

Diocese of Green Bay gets under way Thursday in Las Vegas, where one of its former priests, John Patrick Feeney, was accused of molesting a boy in the 1980s -- a development that could affect ongoing settlement talks in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee bankruptcy.

The Green Bay diocese is accused of declaring Feeney fit for ministry in Las Vegas despite knowing about his long history of sexual abuse allegations

Click on the following for more details: Green Bay diocese defends itself in Las Vegas abuse case - JSOnline

Cardinal George Pell of Australia drawn into churches sex inquiry | The Australian

 

AUSTRALIA'S most powerful Catholic, Cardinal George Pell, was present when a boy raped by a Christian Brother described to another priest what happened, a parliamentary inquiry has been told.

The Victorian government's inquiry into the handling of child abuse by religious and other organisations has been told Cardinal Pell was present when the grade three student at a Ballarat school in the 1960s described to another priest what happened to him.

Cardinal Pell may be asked about the incident after indicating in August he will attend the inquiry if asked.

Click on the following for more details:  Cardinal George Pell drawn into churches sex inquiry | The Australian

Weekly contributions fro the week of October 7, 2012

 

Number of families pledging increases by two however there there is no increase in Total Pledges.

 

Update on New Church Project

 

Sshhhhhhhh........ (LCWR 101) - Solidarity with Sisters

 

keep wishing for LCWR to send out bulletins from their quiet. I got spoiled during the Assembly, with its powerful, beautiful, nourishing addresses by Sisters Pat Farrell and Sandra Schneiders and its gracious press releases.
But they remain quiet.  And in that, I do hear a message. What are the sisters doing? They are busy with their missions, living out their charisms! They know that response to the CDF mandate is NOT their reason for existence.

Click on the following for the complete story:  Sshhhhhhhh........   (LCWR 101) - Solidarity with Sisters

Film Fest: A Cry for Justice | Urban Milwaukee

 

The release of the film comes at an interesting time. The Milwaukee Archdiocese filed for bankruptcy in 2011, citing the large number of claims – 570 – brought by victims of abuse. A federal judge ordered all parties to mediate the dispute. The October 2 deadline for resolving the issue has been extended 10 days but it appears that the court battle will continue.

Budzinski and Smith are among those who filed claims. Their friend, Bob Bolger, died before getting his day in court.

The film, done for HBO, will premiere on 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 5, at the Oriental Theatre. Gibney, who has won an Oscar, an Emmy, a Peabody and a Grammy for his earlier work, will be present at the showing.

Click on the following for more details: Film Fest: A Cry for Justice | Urban Milwaukee

St. James School to host rummage sale in 2013

 

Previously an annual event the rummage sale is returning after a several year absence.

The following is taken from the October 7, 2012 St. James Bulletin.

 

It's not about religious freedom - Catholic Sentinel - Portland, OR

The Catholic Sentinel is published twice monthly by Oregon Catholic Press, and is the official newspaper of the Archdiocese of Portland.

To the Catholic Sentinel:
I am saddened that the U.S. bishops have chosen to deal with their disagreement with the Obama Administration over the insurance/contraception issue in the public and emotional way they have.

rious disagreement over public policy, but not a question of religious freedom. I would be interested in how the bishops would respond if the Jehovah’s Witness religion had the same political power as the Catholic Church and chose to deny coverage for blood transfusions to all who worked in their institutions?
I am curious as to why the American bishops have not released full information on who funded the expensive Fortnight for Freedom program.
Gerald Stanley, Yachats

The above is taken from :  It's not about religious freedom - Catholic Sentinel - Portland, OR

Documentary details abuse of deaf boys in Catholic boarding school

"You think, it's a movie now. Maybe people will finally understand."

Budzinski of West Allis and Smith of Milwaukee are among five alumni of the now defunct St. John's School for the Deaf in St. Francis who are featured in the film (one posthumously), which recounts one of the most sordid chapters in the American Catholic Church.

Murphy, who worked at St. John's from 1950 to 1974, is believed to have molested as many as 200 deaf boys before his death in 1998. Bishops had known about the abuse for decades but did not move to defrock him until he was near death.

Murphy's victims are believed to be the first to publicly protest the church's inaction when they distributed fliers outside Milwaukee's Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in 1974. And Smith was among the first to sue his abuser and the church, dropping that lawsuit for a $5,000 settlement he says he did not understand

Click on the following for more details:  Documentary details abuse of deaf boys in Catholic boarding school

Weekly collections for the weekend of September 30, 2012

 

 

No change in pledges from prior week in pledges.

This fiscal year’s Sunday Collections

7/3/2011 $14,605 7/1/2012 $15,592

7/10/2011 $12,914 7/8/2012 $14306

7/17/2011 $11,891 7/15/2012 $12,730

7/24/2011 $11,319 7/22/2012 $13,032

7/31/2011 $15,422 7/29/2012 $12,223

8/6/2011 $12,902 8/6/2012 $14,049

8/14/2011 $14,168 8/13/2012 $12,376

8/21/2011 $11,553 8/19/201 $11,880 $14,279     

8/28/2011 $11,806 8-26-2012 $12,226

9/4/2011  $14,279   9-2-2012 $14,133

9/11/2011  $12,694  9/9/2012   $14,125

9/18/2011    $11,578   9/16/2012   $12,266

9/25/2011      $12,867  9/23/2012  $12,318

10/2/2011  $14,804    9/30/2012   $11,820

Thousands Sign Online Petition Urging Resignation of Bishop Finn

 

some members of the church not only want Bishop Robert Finn to resign his position as leader of the Kansas City-St. Joseph Diocese, they are putting their names on the dotted line.
Nearly 90,000 people have signed an online petition urging Bishop Finn to resign.
The petition is posted on the website change.org and organizers hope to appeal to the top leaders of the church, all the way to Italy.

Thousands Sign Online Petition Urging Resignation of Bishop Finn

Here is the petition website:  https://www.change.org/petitions/bishop-robert-finn-resign-as-bishop-of-the-catholic-diocese-of-kansas-city-st-joseph-mo

Church is 200 years out of date, top cleric claims - National News - Independent.ie

 

Co Mayo priest Fr Brendan Hoban, one of the leaders of the organisation, has spoken of how the church needs to face its current crises such as the series of child sex abuse scandals and the fall in vocations.

And speaking ahead of two conferences aimed at increasing the participation of lay Catholics, he said bishops and priests can't solve the church's problems on their own, that it needs the help of ordinary Catholics.

Church is 200 years out of date, top cleric claims - National News - Independent.ie