Non-Catholics in Boston Oppose Disclosure Requirements

According to this story in the Boston Globe, "[t]he major mainline Protestant and Orthodox churches of Massachusetts have decided unanimously to oppose legislation that would force religious organizations to make public their finances, throwing an obstacle in the path of efforts by some Catholics to require greater disclosure by the Archdiocese of Boston."

A bill proposed by Senator Marian Walsh -- who is, we're assured by the Globe, "a long time ally of the Catholic Church" -- "would require religious organizations, including churches, to disclose financial information now required of other nonprofit organizations.  The reports would include a summary of financial data and the salaries for the five highest-paid employees and the five highest-paid consultants.  The bill would also require all charitable organizations, including churches, to list their real estate holdings on an annual financial report."

Apparently, "Walsh . . . began to explore greater legislative oversight of the archdiocese because of her concern about the clergy abuse crisis."  Walsh said that many of her constituents "wanted to have a dialogue about what happened, and they found those conversations to be unproductive. Maybe they [archdiocesan officials] are closing food pantries and viable schools when they own land on the waterfront -- maybe we should learn what their revenue is, what their salaries are, and what they're paying their p.r. firm."

Sigh.  An "ally of the Catholic Church" thinks it advisable to subject Church decisions about food pantries and viable schools to "greater legislative oversight"?  Thankfully, "the Massachusetts Council of Churches, an umbrella organization representing about 1,700 non-Catholic Christian congregations" is stepping up to remind legislators -- and Boston-area Catholics -- that "the proposed legislation would violate the independence of religious organizations promised by the federal and state constitutions."

Rick