The Catholic church in America 经济学人年度精选文章.docx
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The Catholic church in America 经济学人年度精选文章.docx
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TheCatholicchurchinAmerica经济学人年度精选文章
TheCatholicchurchinAmerica
Earthlyconcerns
TheCatholicchurchisasbigasanycompanyinAmerica.Bankruptcycaseshaveshedsomelightonitsfinancesandtheirmismanagement
Aug18th2012|BOSTON,NEWYORKANDSANDIEGO|fromtheprintedition
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OFALLtheorganisationsthatserveAmerica’spoor,fewdomoregoodworkthantheCatholicchurch:
itsschoolsandhospitalsprovidealifelineformillions.Yeteventakingthesevirtuesintoaccount,thefinancesoftheCatholicchurchinAmericaareanunholymess.Thesinsinvolvedinitsbook-keepingarenotasvividorgrotesqueasthoseondisplayinthevarioussexual-abusecasesthathavecosttheAmericanchurchmorethan$3billionsofar;butthefinancialmismanagementandquestionablebusinesspracticeswouldhaveseenwidespreadresignationsatthetopofanyotherpublicinstitution.
Thesexual-abusescandalsofthepast20yearshavebroughtshametothechurcharoundtheworld.InAmericatheyhavealsobroughtfinancialstrains.Bystudyingcourtdocumentsinbankruptcycases,examiningpublicrecords,requestingdocumentsfromlocal,stateandfederalgovernments,aswellastalkingtopriestsandbishopsconfidentially,TheEconomisthassoughttoquantifythedamage.
Relatedtopics
Boston
Italy
Rome
Cultureandlifestyle
RomanCatholicism
Thepicturethatemergesisnotflattering.Thechurch’sfinanceslookpoorlyco-ordinatedconsidering(orperhapsbecauseof)theircomplexity.Themanagementofmoneyisoftensloppy.Andsomepartsofthechurchhaveindulgedinungainlyfinancialcontortionsinsomecases—itisalleged—bothtodivertfundsawayfromusesintendedbydonorsandtofrustratecreditorswithlegitimateclaims,includingitsownnunsandpriests.Thediocesesthathavefiledforbankruptcymaynotbetypicalofthechurchasawhole.Butgiventheoveralllackofopennessthereisnowayofknowingtowhatextenttheyareoutliers.
Thousandsofclaimsfordamagesfollowingsexual-abusecases,whichtypicallycostthechurchover$1mpervictim,accordingtolawyersinvolved,haveledtoaliquiditycrisis.Thisseemstohaveencouragedapre-existingtrendtowardsreplacingdollarsfromthefaithfulwithpubliclyraiseddebtasawayoffinancingchurchbusiness.Thechurchisalsoincreasinglykeentodefenditsaccesstopublichealth-caresubsidieswhileclaimingarightnottoprovidecertainmedicalservicestowhichitobjects,suchascontraception.Thisincreasedrelianceontaxpayershasnotbeenmatchedbyincreasedopennessandaccountability.Thechurch,likeotherreligiousgroupsinAmerica,isnotsubjecttothesamedisclosurerequirementsasothernon-profitsorprivateentities.
LittleisknownabouttheCatholicchurch’sfinancesoutsideAmerica.JPMorganChaserecentlyclosedtheVaticanBank’saccountsunderpressurefromtheUSTreasury.TheHolySeehasalsostruggledtogetitselfplacedonlistsofjurisdictionsthataredeemedtohavestronganti-moneylaunderingcontrols.Thismayreflectbadorganisationratherthanaconcertedattempttohideanything,thoughdocumentsleakedbyPopeBenedictXVI’sformerbutlertoanItalianjournalistsuggestthatmaladministrationintheVaticangoesbeyondmerenegligence.ButAmerica,notleastthankstoitsbankruptcyprocedures,providesaslightlyclearerwindowonthechurch’sfinances.AndAmericaissoimportanttothechurchthatitmeritsparticularexamination.
Onlythreecountries—Brazil,MexicoandthePhilippines—havelargerCatholicpopulationsthanAmerica,andnowherehasalargerCatholicminority.Almost100mAmericans,athirdofthenation,havebeenbaptisedintothefaithand74midentifythemselvesasCatholic.DiscriminationagainsttheCatholicminority,andstrongleadershipfromRome,encouragedAmericanCatholicstocreateasortofparallelsocietyinthe19thand20thcenturies,withtheresultthattherearenowover6,800Catholicschools(5%ofthenationaltotal);630hospitals(11%)plusasimilarnumberofsmallerhealthfacilities;and244collegesanduniversities.Manyoftheseinstitutionsareknownforexcellence:
sevenoftheleading25part-timelawschoolprogrammesinAmericaareCatholic(fivearerunbyJesuits).Aquarterofthe100top-rankedhospitalsareCatholic.Alltheseinstitutionsaresubjecttotheoversightofabishoporareligiousorder.
TheEconomistestimatesthatannualspendingbythechurchandentitiesownedbythechurchwasaround$170billionin2010(thechurchdoesnotreleasesuchfigures).Wethink57%ofthisgoesonhealth-carenetworks,followedby28%oncolleges,withparishanddiocesanday-to-dayoperationsaccountingforjust6%andnationalcharitableactivitiesjust2.7%(seechart).Intotal,Catholicinstitutionsemployover1mpeople,reckonsFredGluck,aformerMcKinseymanagingpartnerandco-founderoftheNationalLeadershipRoundtableonChurchManagement,alayorganisationseekingtoimprovethewaythechurchisrun.Forpurposesofsecularcomparison,in2010GeneralElectric’srevenuewas$150billionandWalmartemployedroughly2mpeople.
Thechurchisthelargestsinglecharitableorganisationinthecountry.CatholicCharitiesUSA,itsmaincharity,anditssubsidiariesemployover65,000paidstaffandserveover10mpeople.Theseorganisationsdistributed$4.7billiontothepoorin2010,ofwhich62%camefromlocal,stateandfederalgovernmentagencies.
TheAmericanchurchmayaccountforasmuchas60%oftheglobalinstitution’swealth.Littlesurprise,then,thatitisthebiggestcontributortoheadoffice(aheadofGermany,ItalyandFrance).EverythingfromrenovationstoStPeter’sBasilicainRometothePontificalGregorianUniversity,thechurch’sversionofWestPoint,islargelypaidforwithAmericanmoney.
Wherethatmoneycomesfromishardtosay(thechurchdoesnotreleasenumbersonthiseither).Someofitisfromtheofferingsofthefaithful.AnecdotalevidencesuggeststhatAmerica’sCatholicsgiveabout$10perweekonaverage.Assumingthatone-thirdattendchurchregularly,thatwouldputtheannualoffertoryincomeataround$13billion.MorecomesfromelitegroupsoflargedonorssuchasthePapalFoundation,basedinPennsylvania,whose138memberspledgetodonateatleast$1mannually,andLegatus,agroupofmorethan2,000CatholicbusinessleadersthatwasfoundedbyTomMonaghanofDomino’sPizza.
Thereisalsoincomefrominvestments.TimothyDolan,thepresidentoftheUnitedStatesConferenceofCatholicBishops(USCCB)andCardinal-ArchbishopofNewYork(a“corporationsole”,meaningalegalentityconsistingofasingleincorporatedoffice,occupiedbyasingleperson),isbelievedtobeManhattan’slargestlandowner,ifoneincludestheparishesandorganisationsthatcomeunderhisjurisdiction.Anothersourceofrevenueislocalandfederalgovernment,whichbankrolltheMedicareandMedicaidofpatientsinCatholichospitals,thecostofeducatingpupilsinCatholicschoolsandloanstostudentsattendingCatholicuniversities.
Wagesandsin
ThemolestationandrapeofchildrenbypriestsinAmericahasresultedinmorethan$3.3billionofsettlementsoverthepast15years,$1.3billionofthatinCalifornia.ThetotalislikelytoincreaseasmorestatesfollowCaliforniaandDelawareinrelaxingthestatuteoflimitationsonthesecrimes,mostofwhichwerereportedlongaftertheyhappened.Foranorganisationwithrevenuesof$170billionthatmightseemmanageable.Butsettlementsaremadebyindividualdiocesesandreligiousorders,whosepocketsarelessdeepthanthoseofthechurchasawhole.
ThefactthatfarfewerCatholicsareansweringthecalltobecomenuns,monksandpriests(theminorseminaries,oncethefirststepoftherecruitmentprocess,arealmostempty)addstothepressure.Itsavessomecurrentcosts,butreducesinperpetuitythepoolofverycheaplabourthatthechurchhasreliedon.Diocesesincreasinglyneedtopaypeoplemarketratestogetjobsdonethatwerepreviouslyassignedtoclergyandmembersofreligiousorders.Thispushesrunningcostsup.
Ontherevenueside,donationsfromthefaithfularethoughttohavedeclinedbyasmuchas20%.Thescandalsprobablyplayedapartinthis:
fewpeoplewanttodonatemoneythatwillgotoclearingupthedamagedonebypredatorypriests.Butmanyinthechurchalsofeelthatcompetitionforcharitabledollarshasincreased.
Overthepasteightyears,acombinationofthesestresseshasdriveneightdioceses(includingSanDiego,TucsonandMilwaukee)todeclarebankruptcy,aswellastheAmericanarmoftheIrishChristianBrothersandaregionalbranchoftheJesuits.MoreofAmerica’s196diocesescouldbeforcedtodothesame.EffortsareunderwayinthelegislaturesofArizona,Illinois,NewYork,Florida,Wisconsin,Minnesota,Colorado,Pennsylvania,OhioandCalifornia(again)toextendstatutesoflimitations,accordingtoJeffAnderson,alawyerwhorepresentsmanyvictimsofabuse.Ifanyoftheseeffortssucceeds,theexpectationamonglawyerslikeMrAndersonisthatsomeoftheaffecteddioceseswouldseekChapter11protectionwhiletheyattempttosettlethecases.(Troubleddiocesesgenerallysettlesuitsjustbeforethebishopisdueincourt.)ThedioceseofHonolulucouldbethenexttogobankrupt.InMayitwashitbyapairofnewlawsuitsaftertheextensionofHawaii’sstatuteoflimitationsforvictimsofabuse.
VarioussourcessaythatCardinalDolanandotherNewYorkbishopsarespendingasubstantialamount—estimatesrangefrom$100,000ayeartowellover$1m—onlobbyingthestateassemblytokeepthecurrentstatuteoflimitationsinplace.Hisofficewillnotcommentontheseestimates.Thisisi
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