Posted on 01/22/2020 6:10:21 PM PST by ebb tide
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (ChurchMilitant.com) - The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is being sued for obtaining millions of dollars in charitable donations under false pretenses and privately investing that money into ventures such as luxury condominium developments and Hollywood movies.
Texas-based legal firm the Stanley Law Group filed a class-action lawsuit against the USCCB on Wednesday, alleging the organization fraudulently promotes Peter's Pence as a papal charity when recent reports show as little as 10% of donations are used for its stated purpose.
The lawsuit against the USCCB touches on two items the Catholic Church teaches are sins requiring restitution: stealing and lying.Tweet
"The purpose of the Peter's Pence Collection is to provide the Holy Father with the financial means to respond to those who are suffering as a result of war, oppression, natural disaster and disease," according to the USCCB website.
The law group is encouraging U.S. residents who donated to Peter's Pence from 2013–2019 and wish to join the suit to share their stories at "Join the Lawsuit."
"This is about transparency and accountability," Marc Stanley, the firm's lead attorney, told Church Militant.
"People work hard for their money and give from their heart; this is a real gift. That money being diverted is just wrong," he added.
Peter's Pence poster
The USCCB promotes Peter's Pence in many ways, such as offering diocesan and parish resources, social media kits and web ads.
Italian daily Corriere della Sera reported in December 2019 that $1.1 million from Peter's Pence was invested into producing the movie Rocketman, a story about homosexual singer Elton John's life that contains "the most explicit gay love scene since Brokeback Mountain in 2005."
L'Espresso reported in October 2019 that the Vatican spent $200 million from Peter's Pence towards the purchase of property on Sloane Avenue in London's Chelsea district where a former warehouse was converted into 50 luxury apartments.
Peter's Pence is collected on June 29, the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, or the Sunday nearest the Solemnity.
The lawsuit against the USCCB touches on two items the Catholic Church teaches are sins requiring restitution: stealing and lying.
Section 1293 of the Baltimore Catechism (1293) states: "All sins of cheating, defrauding or wronging others of their property; also all sins of borrowing or buying with the intention of never repaying are equivalent to stealing."
Section 2454 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church echoes this teaching, adding the necessity of restitution: "Every manner of taking and using another's property unjustly is contrary to the seventh commandment. The injustice committed requires reparation. Commutative justice requires the restitution of stolen goods."
The Baltimore Catechism, in section 1297, maintains: "A person may be guilty of dishonesty in getting money or goods by false pretenses and by using either for purposes for which they were not given."
The Catechism of the Catholic Church again adds, in section 2509, the necessity of reparation: "An offense committed against the truth requires reparation."
"[The] USCCB must come clean and give back the money it took from well-intentioned people who thought they were giving urgently-needed funds to help the destitute around the world," said Stanley.
In a March 2019 settlement, Stanley Law Group obtained $37 million as a refund for donors in a class-action lawsuit against Gospel for Asia that lasted three years.
The class-action lawsuit against the USCCB was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island.
Church Militant reached out to the USCCB through different media multiple times for comment but received no response as of press time.
The law group is encouraging U.S. residents who donated to Peter's Pence from 2013–2019 and wish to join the suit to share their stories at "Join the Lawsuit."
Bergoglio assumed the papal chair in 2013.
Ping
The USCCB does not have the use of Peter’s Pence funds. They simply promote it. The papal charities spend the money. The lawyers have sued the wrong party.
figures
It’s a start even if it does turn out to be a non-starter.
figures
Abuse of funds is not just among so many so-called "prosperity preachers." The 10% must the "tithe."
Pope Francis calls each of us to witness to charity and to show God's mercy to one another. He encourages us to "open our eyes and see the misery of the world, the wounds of our brothers and sisters who are denied their dignity, and let us recognize that we are compelled to heed their cry for help!" (Misericordiae Vultus [MV], no. 15). The Peter's Pence Collection unites us in solidarity to the Holy See and its works of charity to those in need. Your generosity allows the Pope to respond to our suffering brothers and sisters.
The USCCB National Collections Committee oversees the promotion of the Peter's Pence Collection. http://www.usccb.org/catholic-giving/opportunities-for-giving/peters-pence/
The Roman Catholic Church and The Heretic Pope must live and travel in the grandest of fashion so the poor must give everything they have to support their lavish life. At this point though anyone who still remains catholic must accept their guilt by continued association by this evil church now led by man who believes he is above god.
your point?
The point is what I said.
This is a mistaken assertion. Guilt-by-association does not pertain to the Church, since it is 99.9% composed of sinners, always was, and always will be, this side of Heaven.
What we do owe to the Church, by the vows of our Baptism and the grace of our Confirmation, is to remain with Her in the order of grace, and to oppose ALL heresy, apostasy, schism and all sinfulness --- bottom to top---in the moral order.
Christ didn't say that when wolves appear in the sheepfold itself, everybody needs to head for the exits and go AWOL. He expects his disciples to STAND THEIR GROUND, to thwack the wolves and protect the lambs.
John 10:12
The hireling, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters them.
My husband and I have not put $$ into the (unfortunately)fungible general fund in over 15 years. Our Catholic giving dollars,such as they are, go the parish St.Vincent de Paul Society (aiding local people in need), the parish Respect Life committee, and the independent Catholic media such as Catholic Culture and LifeSiteNews. The pastor knows and knows why--- and he's cool with that.
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