The following comes from a December 22 Crux article by Michael O’Loughlin:
Behind the sensational headlines about a New York priest accused of pilfering church coffers to pay for an extravagant lifestyle – “Priest paid his male ‘sex master’ from collection plate: lawsuit,” as the New York Post put it — is the surprisingly common accusation of a trusted employee or volunteer stealing cash from a parish.
The Rev. Peter Miqueli stepped down as pastor of St. Frances de Chantal in the Bronx Dec. 13 after a group of parishioners filed a lawsuit against him and the Archdiocese of New York. They say the priest embezzled close to a million dollars over the last decade from two parishes, and that the archdiocese refused to take their accusations seriously.
Miqueli says he is not guilty.
“I look forward to my ultimate vindication, and being able to resume my priestly ministry,” he wrote in a letter read at Masses earlier this month.
Miqueli’s case is tailor made for tabloid coverage, but it’s hardly unique. This year alone, a number of high-profile embezzlement cases involving Catholic institutions have been made public. While the reporting to civil authorities has increased, resulting in more publicity about such cases, one thing hasn’t changed: Pastors are too trusting and unwilling to implement strict financial controls.
In California, a mother stands accused of embezzling more than $400,000 from a Catholic grade school to pay for expensive clothes and tuition for her children. Adela Maria Tapia faces up to 14 years in prison for her alleged theft, which authorities say she used to pay off $60,000 in credit card debt by stealing from a school fundraising program she oversaw for a number of years.
That, and other recent cases in Ohio and Michigan, are hardly isolated. A 2007 survey by Villanova University found that 85 percent of Catholic dioceses in the United States had reported financial misconduct in the previous five years, and the author of that study said he doesn’t think the situation has improved much.
Canon law requires that parishes have financial councils, and Charles Zech, the director of the Center for the Study of Church Management at Villanova University, found in 2010 that 93 percent of US parishes report having such bodies. But the quality varies greatly, he said, sometimes just rubber-stamping whatever the priest presents, he said.
“They just go along with what Father wants,” he said.
Another sodomite who has no business in the Church and definitely not the priesthood
YFC where are you ? Canisius ” Thank You”. Sodomites went from molesting boys to all out sex with fellow adult sodomites and surprise look what else comes with it. Because of sodomite sex with boys, Diocese after Diocese have filed for bankruptcy and now the idea that sodomite priests with same sex attractions can help them selves to parish bank accounts for whatever they please, amazing. Then again, “who am I to judge” and “all are welcome, all are welcome”. When will this insanity end ?
Joe, you are welcome, the only real solution is direct action by the laity, and all that suggestion entails, then the Hierarchy might start getting the message. YFC cannot defend this one, as much as he wants.
What do I have to do with this, Joe?
Joe … This is about people straight and gay people etc. ripping off the Church. While Fr. Miqueli had his hand in the till and another part of his anatomy where it didn’t belong, he broke his vow of chastity with an adult. Since most people are straight, Mrs. Tapia and most of the people who steal probably are too.
Having been on our parish finance committee I agree with others here that we need to follow systematic procedures diligently.
You are correct sir.
Right, Canisius. There are at least three distinct issues here. One is the alleged highly immoral homo-sexual life-style of the pastor, a life-style that should certainly disqualify a man from functioning as a priest. Another is the alleged embezzlement of large sums of parish money to support that immoral life-style. The third is the incredible unwillingness of the Archdiocese, despite repeated requests and warnings, to deal with the brewing problem until it finally boiled over into a huge scandal and the parishioners themselves had to act.
So many bishops have an inexplicable eagerness to look favorably on the gay life-style, as if they suddenly had a new revelation about it, shoving aside the Church’s solemn teaching of two…
I firmly believe that all parishes and related entities (schools, charities, etc) should have regular, independent, as well as unannounced audits and reviews of their finances by an outside professional accounting firm, to protect the faithful confidence in the entire operation.
Canon Law essentially “gives” the parish to the Priest and allows him to do what he wants with it. I have served on parish finance councils for many years. But I know of parishes that have finance councils that only meet once or twice a year to review the budget. When I was on a finance council, no expenditure over $100 was made without the approval of the council. In some Protestant denominations the Pastor is not allowed to spend any money. Checks are written by the Treasurer. Many/most parishes now report the previous weeks donations, provide quarterly financial statements and year-end statements and balance sheets. Budgets are prepared and followed and monitored by lay people.
Bob One canon law does not permit sodomite priests to buy homes for cash, have pervert gay orgies with male prostitutes, or keep stock brokerage accounts with over $600k invested in them. I do hope this scandal spells end of this priest and the horrible Cardinal Dolan
Bob One…My biggest worry is that we do way to much business in cash with the collection basket system. However, it’s such an ingrained tradition that I don’t see how’d we change it.
C&H, I agree. In our and many other dioceses, the collection is immediately taken to a safe, locked place by two or three people. Then, on Monday the money is removed by two or more people and taken to the office where it is counted. The counters may not do that job more than once a month. The bank deposit is written out by two or more people and checked by someone else for accuracy. Two other people take the money to the bank for deposit. Everyone is urged to use electronic payment – automatic check withdrawal or credit card payment. The books are audited regularly by a CPA firm.
Steve Phoenix is correct, all Catholic organizations should be audited regularly plus an occasional surprise audit. Even if there is a financial committee, who on a committee is going to demand an outside audit when there is a well-liked pastor present?
Audits should be once a year and certified by a Big 4 public accounting firm which is contracted by the diocese. Professional audits don’t get conducted on a surprise basis. And if the audits are yearly, and people know they’re coming, that would be sufficient. But the individual parishes should not be allowed to independently contract for them.
There is a supposed IRS motto: In God we trust; all others we audit.
So be it with Catholic dioceses and parishes.
It’s the old problem: most apples in the barrel are perfectly fine. The issue is to change the culture so that people who see something say something.
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Michael, of aotm ? anyways, it’s interesting all this concern about the behavior with Parish funds. What about the “sodomite” smut going on using parish finances ? I Love to read your comments !!!
I think seminaries need to be operated more strictly, and bishops need to be very careful whom they accept, for ordination!
It is a shame that Catholics need to file lawsuits to make Diocese Cardinals / Bishops do their job.
Dolan was told about the problem and did nothing. So now he is being sued as well.
Court filing: https://docs.google.com/document/d/12yp-3ZDvMecdw_bjz4_Oa4VhfI59Ww-V2noaZhT_SWI/edit?pref=2&pli=1
More info: https://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/special-report-gay-new-york
Calling , ‘ sodomite ‘ a priest made in the IMAGE of GOD is wrong!
Homosexuals as well Heterosexuals are capable of stealing money from the church. As Steve Phoenix said, ‘have regular, independent, as well as unannounced audits and reviews of their finances by an outside professional accounting firm.’
Not it is not, it is the painful truth. this false priest was vile pervert…he should be defrocked, laicized and thrown in jail
Tony de New York, Catholics have an obligation to speak the TRUTH
CCC: 2467; Code of Canon Law 212.3.
If a particular Priest is a sodomite, he should be called sodomite.
As far as I know all northern California dioceses require an annual audit of parishes, paid for by the diocese. I would say the one for my diocese is very thorough, there wouldn’t be a lot of ability of a rogue priest to spend large amounts of money for very long. That being said, there is still great potential for mishandling of cash that would never be picked up by these audits.
The so-called Big 4 are huge international firms who concentrate on the largest public companies. They tend to have the highest fees. There are many smaller firms who are fully competent for this work. Two major rules: mandatory change of auditors every five years and no parishioner can work for the audit firm. Regular audits sometimes include surprise visits.