Archdiocese to seek $200 million from parishoners to pay for scandal

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles is seeking ways to raise $200 million to help pay expenses related to the sex abuse scandal and cover up perpetrated by Cardinal Mahony and others in the hierarchy. Archbishop Gomez has contracted with a New York firm to study the feasibility of a fundraising campaign.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Archbishop Gomez and Catholics across the archdiocese are seeking to put behind them the sex abuse scandal that has stemmed from abusive priests who molested children during the 1970s and 80s. Those incidents of abuse were systematically covered up and unreported to authorities as Cardinal Mahony and other church officials sought to protect the reputation of the church.

Those cases and their cover up resulted in a civil suit in which a judge leveled a $660 million verdict against the archdiocese. To pay the costs, the archdiocese has already sold numerous assets and tapped into financial reserves. Still, the archdiocese needs additional finds to satisfy the judgment.

The possible fundraiser will try to raise $175 million pay outstanding debt from the verdict. The archdiocese is still paying off loans that it took to pay the initial part of the settlement.

The funds generated by the new drive will be split between paying off the settlement as well as various projects which will provide general upkeep and repair of the churches and school facilities.

If the campaign moves forward, it will be the first such campaign since 1949. In 1949, a church fundraising campaign brought in $3.5 million.

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