Catholic church sells off properties after sex abuse payouts
Pastor Dale Morgan
Catholic church sells off properties after sex abuse payouts*
From correspondents in Boston
May 25, 2007 09:27am
Article from: Agence France-Presse
THE archdiocese of Boston, struggling financially after paying out
millions of dollars in a child sex abuse scandal, has decided to sell
its headquarters, the Boston Globe reported today.
The offices of the Roman Catholic Church were to be sold for $US65
million ($79m) to a local university, Boston College, according to the
report.
Church officials were not immediately available to comment.
In September 2003, the archdiocese agreed to pay $US85 million to settle
more than 500 civil suits accusing priests of sexual abuse and church
officials of covering up the scandal.
A year later, the archdiocese announced it was closing some 65 parishes
- representing around a fifth of its churches - due to financial
problems and a fall in congregations.