To settle its claims, the Spokane Diocese filed for bankruptcy, and if a bankruptcy plan is approved in late April every Catholic in the Diocese will be asked to contribute to a $48 million settlement for more than 150 abuse victims. The parishes must come up with $10 million. This money will come from the people in the pews. It might surprise some non-Catholics, but strong-arm tactics and guilt aren't used to collect money from Catholics, because neither works anymore. I may well be proved wrong, but I have a hunch that the $10 million will be pledged and raised quickly, even if, as expected, more than half of Catholics here don't participate. Some who won't participate are angry about the settlement terms. Some are angry that lawyers will get a chunk of the money. And some are angry at the victims, believe it or not -- Rebecca Nappi/Spokesman-Review.
Question: Would you want to contribute to a $10M fund-raiser to pay reparations for victims of sex abuse?
D.F. Oliveria started Huckleberries Online on Feb. 16, 2004. Oliveria's Sunday print Huckleberries is a past winner of the national Herb Caen Memorial Column contest.
Diocese filed for bankruptcy, and if a bankruptcy plan is approved in late April every Catholic in the Diocese will be asked to contribute to a $48 million settlement for more than 150 abuse victims. The parishes must come up with $10 million. This money will come from the people in the pews. It might surprise some non-Catholics, but strong-arm tactics and guilt aren't used to collect money from Catholics, because neither works anymore. I may well be proved wrong, but I have a hunch that the $10 million will be pledged and raised quickly, even if, as expected, more than half of Catholics here don't participate. Some who won't participate are angry about the settlement terms. Some are angry that lawyers will get a chunk of the money. And some are angry at the victims, believe it or not -- Rebecca Nappi/Spokesman-Review.
