A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY
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| Volume 6 Number 26 - Tuesday, June 29th, 2004 |
A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY |
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The Orthodox Christian News Service |
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Archdiocese Pays $1.5 Mil to Sex Abuse Victims
BOSTON - The Archdiocese has spent $1.5 million in the last three years to pay the victims of sexual misconduct by some of its clergy. The monies were borrowed from banks, according to a financial report submitted two months ago to the Archdiocesan Council. The report states: “over the last years, approximately $1.5 million has been borrowed from our banks to pay legal settlement relating to Clergy sexual misconduct issues.” Names of the clergy or their victims are not mentioned in the report, nor are the number of victims, or the amount each victim has received. In addition to the $1.5 million that was borrowed, “approximately $260,000 is owed to individuals for legal settlements. This amount is being paid by the Archdiocese in monthly installments,” according the Archdiocesan report. Archbishop Demetrios of America did not respond to the National Herald because he was on his way to the airport heading to Seoul, Korea to officiate at the enthronement of his friend, Soterios Trambas, who was recently elevated to the rank of Metropolitan of Korea. Instead, Bishop Savas of Troas, Chancellor of the Archdiocese, spoke to the Herald on behalf of the Archbishop. Initially, he said he had to speak with Archdiocese attorneys before making any comment. A day later, Bishop Savas told the Herald, “I spoke with legal counsel, they related to me the information that it is not our policy to publish settlement information without the explicit consent of the victim.”
Approximately
$260,000 is owed According to the Archdiocesan financial report, dated April 23, 2004, the total operating debt as of December 31, 2003, was $6.5 million: “This is an increase of approximately $900,000 from 2002,” the report states, and provides an explanation of the major components of the $6.5 million debt. Above and beyond the $1.5 million borrowed for the clergy sexual misconduct victims, the Archdiocesan financial report states that: “Approximately $1.2 million of our debt is the remaining amount from the $1.9 million of bank loans from 1999 and prior.” Approximately $400,000 relates to the remaining amount owed to the Ecumenical Patriarchate for the 2003 Archdiocesan annual obligation of $500,000, while $250,000 relates to the remaining amount owed to Hellenic College for 2003 the Archdiocesan annual obligation of $1.3 million. Roughly $300,000 relates to the remaining balance due or loans from approximately two years ago for improvements to the technology infrastructure at Archdiocese headquarters, and approximately $426,000 relates to short term financing of Archdiocese insurance premiums, which the Archdiocese expects to pay in full in August, 2004. Approximately $260,000 is owed to individuals for legal settlements, which is being paid by the Archdiocese in monthly installments. Adding to the debt are a number of departments and ministries of the Archdiocese that went over their approved budgets. According to the report, the following departments went beyond their initially approved appropriations: “Communications department was over budget by $175,000. Interment Ministries was over budget by $110,000. Orthodox Observer was over budget by $199,000. Stewardship Ministries was over budget by $74,000. Department of Parish Renewal, Outreach and Evangelism was a new department created in 2003 and had no 2003 budget amount. Expenses for the year ended December 31, 2003, were $115,000. However, the Archdiocese received $20,000 in donations to offset expenses for that department. “The Office of the Secretariat and Department of Correspondence were one department during 2002, and were made into two separate departments in 2003. There is a combined over-budget amount for those two departments totaling $180,000. “The Department of Institutional and Charitable Organizations was over budget by $72,000.” The report also states that the total commitment paid by the parishes to the Archdiocese for the year ended December 31, 2003, exceeded 2002 collections by nearly $1 million.
The report also states: “the financial security of
our Archdiocese relies on the success of our Total
Commitment program, as well as the realization of
the Faith Endowment Fund.” |
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