The Archdiocese of Milwaukee said Thursday that it will cut off financial subsidies beginning Oct. 1 to nine priests found to have credible allegations of sexual abuse against them, a move expected to save the archdiocese at least $90,000 a year.JSOnline
Archbishop Jerome Listecki said Thursday that the subsidies for basic living expenses, in place for at least one priest since 2002, were never meant to be permanent.
"My reading of canon law is that these were meant to cover a period of transition, it didn't mean the rest of their lives," he said.
Victims advocates voiced outrage that the church was continuing to support abuser priests.
"These nine would have been immediately fired in any other job once their employer had determined they had raped and assaulted children," said John Pilmaier, co-director of the Midwest chapter of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.
The archdiocese is not naming the priests, who were notified by letter in recent weeks.
It said all of the nine are in the process of being laicized, which can take years in the Vatican legal system, or have been ordered to spend the rest of their lives in prayer and penance, a punishment usually reserved for older or infirm clergy.
At least four men are above retirement age and eligible for Medicare and Social Security benefits, according to Jerry Topczewski, chief of staff for Listecki. The remainder either have found or should have found secular employment by now, he said.
Topczewski said the archdiocese had been considering ending the subsidies for several years.
"Considering the challenges the archdiocese is facing, this is another way to eliminate costs," he said.
All fine and dandy but hypothetically speaking, if the priest can't get a job then SNAP would rather have the taxpayer dishing out the costs for the priests rather than the Church? Anything to get in the news I guess.
2 comments:
Not in defense of SNAP, but you stated:
"SNAP would rather have the taxpayer dishing out the costs for the priests rather than the Church?"
Yet it appears that the Archdiocese would prefer to "have the taxpayer dishing out", as well, since the Archdiocese WILL cut off the priests' support as of October 1st.
Another thing....if these priests have never worked 'secular' jobs, they will NOT be eligible for SS/MC benefits, as churches are not required to pay SS/MC on priest's salaries, nor are priests required to have it withheld from their salary.
The church has it's own retirement program (so to speak...it's essentially that the church 'takes care of' them in their retirement years.)
The parishes where this priest served would have paid amounts annually to the diocese for that 'retirement program'.
Thanks Anon, I was not aware that churches are not required to pay SS/MC on priest's salaries, nor are priests required to have it withheld from their salary
I guess if it falls on some charity then, it still seems that if anybody must foot the bill for derelict priests it would be the diocese that trained them. I only mention it because of their old age and likely inability to start a career.
I suppose the argument could be made that if law enforcement had the evidence available that they should have been in jail and thereby taxpayer supported anyway...
Post a Comment