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Pilla had hidden account, ex-CFO says Diocese denies charges by indicted financial officer Sunday, February 18, 2007Mike TobinPlain Dealer Reporter Former Cleveland Catholic Bishop Anthony Pilla received $177,000 in money and furniture over a decade from an off-the-books church account set up to hide the transactions, a former diocesan official said. The accusation came in a 40-page motion filed Friday in U.S. District Court by lawyers representing Joseph Smith, the former diocesan chief financial officer. Lawyers for Anton Zgoznik, a former diocesan employee, later joined the motion. Smith and Zgoznik are accused of defrauding the Cleveland Catholic Diocese out...

From clevescene.com Originally published by Cleveland Scene 2006-09-06 ©2005 New Times, Inc. All rights reserved. Crimes Against CatholicsBelieving Pilla didn't know about a kickback scheme takes a giant leap of faith.By BILL FROGAMENI Who / What: Cleveland Catholic Diocese Bishop Anthony Pilla When Joseph Smith left Cleveland, only to resurface in Columbus, the move had the suspicious air of so many similar reassignments within the Catholic Church. For decades, it has covered up widespread pedophilia among its priests, preferring to transfer them to distant outposts whenever things got too hot. But this wasn't about molestation. Smith was the chief...

FUTURECHURCH STATEMENT ON THE APPOINTMENT OF BISHOP RICHARD LENNON TO THE DIOCESE OF CLEVELAND FutureChurch welcomes Bishop Richard Lennon to the Diocese of Cleveland even though we are dismayed that he was named Bishop of Cleveland without any significant consultation process in the Diocese. In the past, Catholic lay leaders, women religious and priests were invited to give their views. Yet, this time, Catholics were given no opportunity to help identify qualities needed in the next bishop of Cleveland. Lay leaders were not asked to participate in the selection process, even though Fr. Wiatrowski, diocesan chancellor, indicated there would be...

This past Sunday, April 30, Robert Petratos, a parishioner of St. Rose of Lima Parish in Cleveland, was shoved by an usher and banned from attending Mass by the new associate pastor of St. Rose, Father William Rooney, O.F.M. Petratos, a longtime parishioner, was accosted for passing out to other parishioners a personal letter he had written concerning the abrupt decision by the new "pastoral team" (including Father Bill Rooney) to end the Traditional Latin Mass at St. Rose. According to Petratos, a humble man and devout Catholic, "after passing out a few letters at the 8:00 am Mass (a...

A friend just e-mailed me with this very sad news: How fitting that as one of his final acts, Bishop Pilla appointed a liberal Pastor to St. Rose of Lima parish. The new pastor's first official act was to end the Latin Mass at St. Rose effective May 14. Happy Mother's Day! St. Rose curently has four Masses, but the Latin Mass draws more people than the other three combined and has a bigger collection than the other three combined. This only makes sense as a punitive act to punish some of his most outspoken critics. Please contact the incoming...

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The Reason Pilla Left? Feds investigating Catholic Diocese financial officers. When Richard Lennon was named the new bishop of Cleveland's Catholic Diocese last week, a Plain Dealer headline noted that "Lennon has always said yes when asked to do tough jobs." His new job may be his toughest yet. Though Lennon, a Boston auxiliary bishop, was in the midst of that diocese's massive pedophile scandal, he'll face a new round of problems in Cleveland: the impending indictments of church financial officials. The U.S. Attorney's Office is reportedly in the midst of an investigation that may involve significant improprieties. Church officials...

To: XXX From: "David M. Cheney" Date: Tue, 04 Apr 2006 10:32:00 -0000 Subject: [catholic-hierarchy] Cleveland, OH, USA Howdy, * Cleveland, OH, USA + Resigned: Anthony Michael Pilla + Named: Richard Gerard Lennon Peace, David

Word has it that Bishop Pilla will be replaced by a man of much younger years as well as strict fidelity to Rome --Bishop Robert Vasa. His Excellency Vasa is only 54 years old, born May 7th, 1951 and well within the circle of those loyal to the Magesterium of the Most Holy Roman and CATHOLIC Church.

Grant Bishop Pilla his leave Sunday, January 08, 2006 Bishop Anthony M. Pilla won't say why he has offered to resign from his position as leader of more than 800,000 Roman Catholics in the nation's 15th-largest diocese. But clearly, Pilla, who is 73, wants to go. And Pope Benedict XVI, who handles such matters, should honor his wish without undue delay. The Vatican's bureaucracy is not known for acting with dispatch. Some letters of resignation spend years wending their way through the bureaucracy. That should not be allowed to happen to Pilla's missive. Pilla's unusual and intriguingly timed request,...

Government is not Religious; Americans Are Fr. Michael Stalla December 10, 2005 Some of you might have had the opportunity to see the broadcasting of the life of Pope John Paul II on television. Our dear Pope was very influential in the collapse of the Communist Regime in Poland and worked diligently to protect the survival of faith during the time of persecution. The Communists worked tirelessly to de-christianize the Polish culture. They would often try to take a Christian Holy Day and our devotions and, consciously attempt to remove the religious or spiritual significance. However, every culture loves their...

FutureChurch Statement on the Ban of Gay Seminarians FutureChurch grieves that the recent Vatican statement banning gay men from the seminary will be wounding and alienating to many good priests who are gay. Like their straight brothers, most are dedicated, effective priests who are faithful to their celibacy promises. The Church needs priests. If the new policy is enforced, the Church will lose a number of good seminarians. This will worsen the already severe priest shortage, limiting even further our ability to meet the immediate and long range pastoral and eucharistic needs of our people. There are no data to...

It was reported in the St. Mark bulletin this weekend that Father Doug Koesel, Pastor at St. Mark Parish in Cleveland, has asked for - and received - a year off from his priestly duties. A very long explanation letter boiled down to "I'm worn out". He encouraged his parishoners to give the incoming priest a warm welcome and to be open to the changes he is likely to make. As has been widely reported, the national headquarters for the dissident group, Futurechurch is located at St. Mark's Parish. A brief history of Bishop Pilla, Futurechurch, St. Mark's, Pope John...

Spirit Daily ___________________________________________Chancellor Defends 'Nude' Statue and Meditations With Potential Occult LinksThe chancellor of a major American diocese has defended the use of both yoga and a form of esoteric therapy called "reiki" as ways of enhancing prayer and healing in a Catholic setting -- a view that appears to be in contradiction of the Vatican.The chancellor, Father Ralph E. Wiatrowski, of Cleveland, says that the diocese does not officially propagate the practices but sees nothing wrong with elements of them. His views first came to light in a letter to a local woman who had complained about  use...

Bishop Says He Reassigned Abusive Priest By JOE MILICIA, Associated Press Writer Tue Jul 19,11:54 PM ET CLEVELAND - Bishop Anthony M. Pilla testified Tuesday in a defamation case against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland that he twice reassigned a priest who allegedly sexually assaulted a minor. Pilla said the decision was made after the priest, the Rev. James Mulica, had been treated for an alcohol problem at a treatment center for Catholic clergy."I was told that the mental experts at Guest House had indicated that Father Mulica could be reassigned to ministry without any restrictions," Pilla said.The bishop...

Christopher Kodger wants Bishop Anthony M. Pilla of the Diocese of Cleveland to resign. ``Bishop Pilla is an evil, wicked man, and I demand his resignation,'' said Kodger, 35, of Alaska. ``If he and other leaders who participated in a cover-up don't resign, then we, good Catholics, must starve them out and take back our church. I believe this is a direct mandate of God.'' Kodger said he was molested by the Rev. F. James Mulica in 1981 at the Chapel of the Divine Word in Kirtland in Lake County, which is part of the Cleveland Diocese. He returned to...

Parishioners sue diocese claiming funds were diverted JOE MILICIA Associated Press CLEVELAND - A lawsuit filed by 36 members of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland accuses Bishop Anthony M. Pilla of allowing three financial officers to divert about $2 million in diocesan funds to their private businesses. The parishioners ask for the diocese to be reimbursed by the officers in the lawsuit filed Monday in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court by attorney Santiago Feliciano Jr., the former director of the Cleveland diocese's legal office. The lawsuit accuses Joseph H. Smith, the former chief financial officer of the diocese, of...

Online edition -- Vol. IV, No. 5: September 1998 ICEL Psalter Lacks SavorHoly See's 1996 Order to Revoke Imprimatur Revealed in August  By Helen Hull HitchcockOn August 6, Bishop Anthony M. Pilla of Cleveland, the president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, issued a decree withdrawing the US bishops' imprimatur from the Psalms translated by the International Commission on English in the Liturgy.Bishop Pilla was acting on instructions conveyed in April 1996 by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The imprimatur is an official recognition that a work is suitable for publication.In...

Following years of vocal protests all the way to Rome concerning the existence of the heretical group Futurechurch's national headquarters on property owned by the Diocese of Cleveland, Bishop Anthony Pilla issued a phony statement condemning Futurechurch just days before his final ad limina visit with Pope John Paul II. Sadly, Pilla had no intent of enforcing the phony statement which was never enforced and the national headquarters of Futurechurch remains on diocese of Cleveland property From http://www.futurechurch.org/ : FutureChurch 15800 Montrose Avenue Cleveland, Ohio 44111 USA Phone: 216.228.0869 | Fax: 216.228.4872 E-mail: info@futurechurch.org _______________________________ From http://www.cleveland.catholicnet.com/parish/stmark/ St. Mark Church...

NewsNet5.com Bishop Pilla Attends Healing Service Catholics Teach That Miracles Are Possible UPDATED: 1:16 pm EST February 24, 2005CLEVELAND -- At a faith-healing service in Westlake recently, there were Jews, Muslims, Protestants, Catholics and Agnostics. The event was presided over by four faith healers, all of whom are Catholic. NewsChanel5's Ted Henry said that doesn't seem to matter much to those who attend the events. Video Hands-On HealingHealing PatientsDr. Issam NemehBishop Respnse However, he said, there is one question being asked about these services: What does the bishop of Cleveland have to say about all of this? St. Bernadette...