Atlanta Bishop apologizes for building himself lavish home

[dixieagle]

First, this money was left for religious purposes. Secondly, it is hard for many Catholics to see this and then to hear on Sunday how Catholic schools and parishes are closing due to a lack of funds. And to my point in the OP, common sense dictates that this does not make sense when the whole world is watching.

Exactly. Pope Francis has repeatedly called bishops to a life of “simplicity and holiness”. Bishop Gregory may well be holy, but there was nothing simple about that mansion. As I’ve said before on the subject, some members of the hierarchy remain tone deaf.

 

[angelic06]

This is very well said.

Lots of Catholics (and non-Catholics too) are mad at the Church, especially the Bishops. Maybe it’'s because of the abuse crisis or maybe it’s because of their politics. Who knows? But there is a strong current of wanting to punish these men of God for their lives of service to the Church.

It makes me sad.

As a person who is generally supportive of our bishops (I am not a liberal or someone angry with the Church), I will say this: if the bishop paid for his mansion with his own money (from his own stipend instead of diocesan money earmarked for other purposes), I would have no complaint no matter how lavish the mansion is. This does not appear to be the case. Sometimes we Catholics forget that while the bishop or parish pastor is in charge of the finances of a diocese or parish, other than his own stipend, he must spend the diocesan or parochial monies for the good of the diocese or parish, just like the manager of a business does not get to spend store money willy nilly.

 

[BigBlueCane]

This is very well said.

Lots of Catholics (and non-Catholics too) are mad at the Church, especially the Bishops. Maybe it’'s because of the abuse crisis or maybe it’s because of their politics. Who knows? But there is a strong current of wanting to punish these men of God for their lives of service to the Church.

It makes me sad.

Punish these men by living modestly? Thats a punishment? Their life is supposed to be in service not to reap the benefits.

 

[esieffe]

I must admit, I have mixed feelings about the whole thing. I am a native of Atlanta, and a member of the Archdiocese of Atlanta.

Buckhead is the Beverly Hills of Atlanta. What is interesting is that a loft in Buckhead five years ago [when this project got started] can cost half a million dollars. The Cathedral of Christ the King sits right in the middle of Buckhead. It is true that they need more parish space on that campus.

I guess what I am saying is, that the land was donated, and the fact that it ONLY cost 2.2 million in Buckhead, to build a 6000 square foot house is nothing short of amazing, especially on Habersham Rd. The Archdiocese could sell it tomorrow for 5 million easy, so it is not a bad investment. But that is not the point is it?

If they needed room on the Cathedral campus, and they did, you can’t get a house of ANY size in Buckhead with hopes of entertaining anyone for less than a Million dollars. The Bishop of Bling spent 45M. I think this is just the price of living near the Cathedral. Atlanta traffic is horrible.

I believe the Arch-Bishop when he says he only lives in a small portion of the house. He is a good man. The Archdiocese did not loose 1 cent on this deal, and they gained a very valuable asset worth double of what was spent. I will however be waiting for an invitation to the first bar-b-que!

PS: The seat of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta, the Cathedral of St. Phillips is right across Peachtree street from Christ the King. All Episcopal Rectors and Bishops get to KEEP their houses, even after they retire. They get a housing allowance, so who is getting the better deal here?

 

[BigBlueCane]

I believe the Arch-Bishop when he says he only lives in a small portion of the house. He is a good man. The Archdiocese did not loose 1 cent on this deal, and they gained a very valuable asset worth double of what was spent. I will however be waiting for an invitation to the first bar-b-que!

PS: The seat of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta, the Cathedral of St. Phillips is right across Peachtree street from Christ the King. All Episcopal Rectors and Bishops get to KEEP their houses, even after they retire. They get a housing allowance, so who is getting the better deal here?

Good men make mistakes and this is a mistake. Thats one thing that separates catholics from other christian denominations. Their pastors live lavishly while their congregation is poor. Priests live modest lives and I believe so should the leadership.

 

[esieffe]

Good men make mistakes and this is a mistake. Thats one thing that separates catholics from other christian denominations. Their pastors live lavishly while their congregation is poor. Priests live modest lives and I believe so should the leadership.

Well, I did say I have mixed feelings about it, and I do. Many of our bishops and priests live in donated houses. The Palace in Buenos Aires that the Holy Father chose not to live in was donated. The stipend that we pay our priests and bishops is not all that great. Our Episcopal cousins do far better, that was my point.

Our AB would have to live in a dump like mine to live modestly in Atlanta and work in Buckhead. He is not going to solicit much money for the AD in a dump. He entertains and dances for the poor, so to speak. Taking care of the poor costs money, and no one supports the poor of the world like the Catholic Church… no one.

 

[SuperLuigi]

dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2593907/Atlanta-Bishop-apologizes-building-2-2million-mansion-church-funds.html?login#readerCommentsCommand-message-field

I know the media’s obsession with attempting to put the Catholic Church in a bad light, and maybe there is some justification for this that I don’t know about, but based strictly on appearance sake, where is the common sense in this decision? Money that was used was an inheritance earmarked for religious purposes only.

They don’t seem interested in reporting on how the construction of mosques are funded from Gulf States oil money.

With fossil fuels and a conservative culture, including oppression of GLBTQ and women, on the docket one would figure would the situation would be ripe for the picking, but alas islamophobia, racism, colonialism ect.

 

[esieffe]

I daresay there would be a sizable group of complainers even if the archbishop had instead purchased a 1500 sq. ft. house built in 1960.

This is true.

Folks, please read the Archbishop’s response:
georgiabulletin.org/commentary/2014/03/the-archbishop-responds/

Archbishop Gregory is truly a wonderful shepherd. Believe me, if I thought he was just out to live the "Life of Riley, I would be hoisting signs right at the Cathedral’s doorstep, but I do not believe this to be true. :knight1:

 

[BigBlueCane]

Well, I did say I have mixed feelings about it, and I do. Many of our bishops and priests live in donated houses. The Palace in Buenos Aires that the Holy Father chose not to live in was donated. The stipend that we pay our priests and bishops is not all that great. Our Episcopal cousins do far better, that was my point.

Our AB would have to live in a dump like mine to live modestly in Atlanta and work in Buckhead. He is not going to solicit much money for the AD in a dump. He entertains and dances for the poor, so to speak. Taking care of the poor costs money, and no one supports the poor of the world like the Catholic Church… no one.

Thats a good point and he probably had those reasons in mind when he was going forward with it but it wasn’t well thought out just for the optics of it. There was probably a better way of doing it.

 

[angelic06]

I must admit, I have mixed feelings about the whole thing. I am a native of Atlanta, and a member of the Archdiocese of Atlanta.

Buckhead is the Beverly Hills of Atlanta. What is interesting is that a loft in Buckhead five years ago [when this project got started] can cost half a million dollars. The Cathedral of Christ the King sits right in the middle of Buckhead. It is true that they need more parish space on that campus.

I guess what I am saying is, that the land was donated, and the fact that it ONLY cost 2.2 million in Buckhead, to build a 6000 square foot house is nothing short of amazing, especially on Habersham Rd. The Archdiocese could sell it tomorrow for 5 million easy, so it is not a bad investment. But that is not the point is it?

If they needed room on the Cathedral campus, and they did, you can’t get a house of ANY size in Buckhead with hopes of entertaining anyone for less than a Million dollars. The Bishop of Bling spent 45M. I think this is just the price of living near the Cathedral. Atlanta traffic is horrible.

I believe the Arch-Bishop when he says he only lives in a small portion of the house. He is a good man. The Archdiocese did not loose 1 cent on this deal, and they gained a very valuable asset worth double of what was spent. I will however be waiting for an invitation to the first bar-b-que!

PS: The seat of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta, the Cathedral of St. Phillips is right across Peachtree street from Christ the King. All Episcopal Rectors and Bishops get to KEEP their houses, even after they retire. They get a housing allowance, so who is getting the better deal here?

Having had time now to read this response and the article, I must retract my last response as I now realize we are not discussing either Archbishop Myers or the German “bishop of bling”. It appears that this mansion was purchased using sales money of the Atlanta archbishop’s last house.

 

[esieffe]

Having had time now to read this response and the article, I must retract my last response as I now realize we are not discussing either Archbishop Myers or the German “bishop of bling”. It appears that this mansion was purchased using sales money of the Atlanta archbishop’s last house.

Thank you. BELIEVE me when I say, I would be the FIRST one to jump on the bandwagon if I thought AB Gregory was after pomp and circumstance. I believe in my heart he is not. My story is one of “riches to rags” so I would have every motive to criticize if there was grounds for it.

What is so very interesting about this is that many of the congregants of Christ the King are among the wealthiest parishioners in the Atlanta Archdiocese, yet they are the loudest complainers. It seems like if anyone were to cry “foul” in an abusive situation, it would be from the churches serving Atlanta’s poor that would cast the first stone, as it was with the Bishop of Bling.

 

[ringil]

I believe the Arch-Bishop when he says he only lives in a small portion of the house. He is a good man. The Archdiocese did not loose 1 cent on this deal, and they gained a very valuable asset worth double of what was spent. I will however be waiting for an invitation to the first bar-b-que!

And that has to be the deal for me. What I know of Gregory is that is a very holy and humble man. He led the Bishops through the worst of the US abuse scandal in a positive way. He was a student and devotee of the Late Cardinal Bernadine who, in my view, may be sainted some day.

I trust him and I hope this doesn’t hurt his reputation much.

As a member of the Arch-diocese is he week- liked? I only see him as an outsider.

 

[TEPO]

Well, I’m the head of a family of 6, and we all live in a 900square foot 2 bedroom apartment by the tracks. I’ve even cleared 175,000 every year for the last 5 years straight and have nothing to show for it but a bad back. I’m going straight to heaven!

I’m holy!

 

[Corki]

Punish these men by living modestly? Thats a punishment? Their life is supposed to be in service not to reap the benefits.

Wow, way to twist my words around. (and prove my point in the process)

It is, of course not a punishment for a bishop to live modestly,** if he chooses to do so**. It IS a punishment for people to try to force a particular lifestyle on a man who has given his life to the Church or to say such things like he should live with the homeless. It is also an attack on a man of the cloth, and an underserved one.

 

[punisherthunder]

1. That Archbishop should be knocked down to having the title level of just, priest. Or just excommunicate him.
2. There is ZERO LOGIC in trying to say what he did was right. It was 100% WRONG.
3. As Pope Francis has reiterated, he and other members of the clergy are not “superstars”. They do not need to live these extravagent lifestyles. It sets a bad example for parishoners, the Chruch, and makes us all look weak and dumb to militant atheist media progressives.
4. The vow of poverty ( and probably chastity ) is gone. Satan is in the Church.

 

[Corki]

1. That Archbishop should be knocked down to having the title level of just, priest. Or just excommunicate him.

1. Being a Bishop is not a “title”, it’s a degree of ordination.
2. Once a Bishop, always a Bishop. You can’t “undo” ordination.
3. At the VERY WORST, what Archbishop Gregory did was imprudent (and I am not entirely convinced it was). It certainly wasn’t sinful let alone include any excommunicable offense.

Excommunications are rare and spelled out in canon law – not the court of public opinion.

 

[MtnDwellar]

At the VERY WORST, what Archbishop Gregory did was imprudent (and I am not entirely convinced it was). It certainly wasn’t sinful let alone include any excommunicable offense.

The Archbishop himself has apologized. What does it take to convince you that buying a mansion to live in with charitable donations is imprudent?

 

[Corki]

The Archbishop himself has apologized. What does it take to convince you that buying a mansion to live in with charitable donations is imprudent?

I said it might be imprudent, just that it wasn’t an excommunicable offense. Are you trying to say that it is?

 

[TRH1292]

1. That Archbishop should be knocked down to having the title level of just, priest. Or just excommunicate him.
2. There is ZERO LOGIC in trying to say what he did was right. It was 100% WRONG.
3. As Pope Francis has reiterated, he and other members of the clergy are not “superstars”. They do not need to live these extravagent lifestyles. It sets a bad example for parishoners, the Chruch, and makes us all look weak and dumb to militant atheist media progressives.
4. The vow of poverty ( and probably chastity ) is gone. Satan is in the Church.

That is absurd.

 

[chadair]

I am part of the Atlanta Archdiocese. and honestly have a hard time trying to justify this. I had a church member ask me about this last week at lunch. The man had just converted to Catholicism. and I was stunned to begin with and then extremely disappointed.

Can anyone here explain what kind of “entertaining” the church does? as far as needing that kind of sq footage. how many priest live there? and who else could have been staying in that house?