Federal judge vindicates Cardinal Dolan, rules Milwaukee archdiocese right to shield cemetery funding

via Catholic Culture

A federal judge has ruled that the Milwaukee archdiocese was justified in setting up a $50 million trust fund for the care of cemeteries.

Creditors of the archdiocese, which is now in bankruptcy, had argued that Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who was then Archbishop of Milwaukee, acted improperly to set up the trust fund. The creditors argued that the fund was created in order to shield archdiocesan funds from plaintiffs in sex-abuse lawsuits. Cardinal Dolan had replied that establishing the fund was mandated by state laws, which require secure funding for cemeteries.

Federal Judge Rudoph Randa sided with the archdiocese, ruling that the cemetery funds could not be included in a listing of assets available for payment of archdiocesan creditors.

 Photo 

Arch Mil statement