Global TV Toronto
03 May 2013
MONCTON, N.B. – The archbishop of a Roman Catholic diocese in New Brunswick says it wants fair market value for properties it’s selling to help cover the costs of a five million dollar compensation package for people who allege they were sexually abused by priests.
The number of employees within the Moncton Catholic diocese will also be cut to 14 from 20.
Archbishop Valery Vienneau says the diocese will sell its office and a vacant piece of land.
Both are in Dieppe.
Vienneau says the diocese has faced declining revenues, registering a 200-thousand dollar deficit last year.
He says the sex abuse settlement compounded its fiscal problems.
Michel Bastarache, a former Supreme Court of Canada justice, was hired by the diocese last year to conduct a reconciliation and compensation process for alleged victims of sexual abuse by former priests.
Vienneau says Bastarache heard from about 80 people and will deliver a final report this summer.
In January, Bastarache said the payments ranged from 15-thousand to 300-thousand dollars each.
$5 million to the victims – $15,000 to $300,000/victim.
How much for Michel Bastarache? I don’t know, how much would a former justice of the Supreme Court be paid by the Archdiocese of Moncton to broker these settlements?
I fail to see why the assets of the church should be sold to pay compensation. These assets were developed from donations by parishioners over many years in order that Catholics would have a place to worship and celebrate. Would Canadian National have to sell a train if one of the engineers were found guilty of a similar offense?Would CBC have to sell a radio station? Will CTV have to sell an asset to repay the money stolen by Senator Mike Duffy through his expense accounts? Not likely. The offending priest should have his assets taken, be thrown in jail and any bishop or other person who covered up for him should have similar treatment. I would support castration also if that would deter these pedophiles.
@ M.G Walsh:
“I fail to see why the assets of the church should be sold to pay compensation.”
I agree with your comments. The church said they would have to sell assets right from the onset, before Bastarache was in the picture.Why?…It makes them look like a victim, it makes their supporters rally around them and probably contribute more on “Sunday”… It helps other victim rethink taking action “against” the church because they(the victims) will be made to feel even more guilty when they are pointed at and blamed by the “others” in the church, for “forcing” the church to sell assets…
It is all part and parcel of the same attitude and efforts by the church to deflect the blame back on the victims. Not very graceful, not very charitable, not very dignified…
Deceptive!
jg
And, J G just one more attempt by the Church to imply- Oh look at poor us. They ignore the fact they (the spokesperson or clergy) paid one cent towards the purchase or up-keep of the property, and they bemoan it like they lost their life savings. When they do this, they act like even bigger hypocrites.
It should read they did NOT pay one cent towards etc.
Right on Tim. All parishioners everywhere should have the deeds of their properties rewritten to their names, their heirs and descendants!
Keep “Roman” hands out of their pockets, in every way possible!
The church taking possession of the properties occurred because of the ignorance, lack of education they preyed upon. The priest was the lawyer as well, sometimes the only one with some education! Profit by it they did! They are still using the same model ,I’m sure , especially in the poor countries…
Their services and charity was never as free as they pretended: their was a hidden cost to the salvation of the confessional! Even that was used to their sneaky advantage!
Not just vultures but seasoned sexual, financial, emotional predators…
Feel free to add on. They deserve it all since they took it all without permission!
jg
I’m actually more disturbed that Church monies are used to defend pedophile priests, than that they’re used to compensate for the ruined lives of the victims.
I would certainly hope so.
I would hope you do not begrudge the redress given by the Courts to victims.