The Louisville layman's share

By Phil Lawler ( bio - articles - email ) | Jun 11, 2003

There are about 200,000 Catholics in the Louisville archdiocese, which has just agreed to pay $25 million to sex-abuse victims. The math is pretty straightforward: that means an average family of 4 Catholics will pay $6,000. True, they won't get a bill in the mail. But what money does the archdiocese have, except what the laity contributes? (Insurance companies aren't involved in this settlement; and anyway, insurance premiums are ultimately paid by guess who.)

Two questions:

1) Was this the best possible use of the donations from the laity?

OK, that one was too easy. Next:

2) The next time laymen in Louisville (or anywhere else) receive a fundraising letter from the diocese, should they ask themselves whether the bishops are likely to be good stewards of their donated resources?