Self-admitted Sodomite priest charged with stealing $1.3 million from parish

[awatkins69]

“Woe to the world because of scandals. For it must needs be that scandals come: but nevertheless woe to that man by whom the scandal cometh.”

Mary, please convert this poor soul.

 

[jenkiedad]

The church administration was at fault for not using common accounting controls to avoid embezzlement like this.

There’s plenty of blame to go around, although the pastor of this parish is obviously the major guilty party.

The Diocese administration has a fiduciary role in seeing that local parish monies are handled properly. Where was the oversight to make sure that the parish had a pastoral council and finance committee? Where was the regular audit that should be required of each parish on an annual basis?

If the Pastor was the only one to have computer access to financial records, then obviously the pastor kept his own parish staff out of the loop in the handling of finances. But what about parishoners, particularly those that are active in the parish. Shouldn’t they be asking for an annual accounting of income and expenses? Shouldn’t they be asking why there is not a finance council or pastoral council?

And as far as “orthodox” priests goes, if you go back to the pre-Vatican II days and you consider all those priests as being “orthodox”, then the way that Father Gray handled his parish’s finances (i.e., all by himself), then that was in the “orthdox” way of doing things.

 

[cknick]

I can’t imagine it would be simple to carry on with two sets of books. What a heavy burden. I’m glad he isn’t carrying it anymore, and can pay his debt through the correctional system. Hopefully he will find Christ, again.

 

[sidbrown]

Rather than spending all of this money on male escorts, why not give even a small amount of this million dollars to some of the poor widows who are trying ro raise children after their father has passed on? I wonder if this ever occurred to Father Gray?

 

[OriginalJS]

A couple quick points.

(3) Some months ago two prominent Catholic laymen tried to introduce a bill in the CT legislature that would have guaranteed lay control over finances, since another CT priest had earlier run off with $1 million or more. The hierarchy raised such a fuss that the bill was withdrawn. But this case helps the public understand why such a bill was introduced, as unwise as it may have been for the state to interject itself into shuch affairs.

If the hierarchy doesn't care enough to use commonly accepted management controls in handing monies received, what good would a bill do anyway?  Here's a news flash - if you trust one person to have access to all aspects of funds management the chances of embezzlement are great.  Sure, after enough depredation has taken place the deficiencies will be found.  But by then it is too late.  The money is gone, gone, gone.  It is better to keep people honest by using standard controls that discourage larceny.

 

[Dave_in_Dallas]

Oh…greeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaattttttttttt:shrug:

Yet another scandal !!

How can we not say that something is seriously amiss here? I LOVE the Church but this getting ridiculous…

We lay folks MUST come to the realization that WE need to be responsible for righting this ship. We need to pray constantly for our priests, we need lay men to be friends and support for our priests. We need to not blindly trust that these holy men are… well… holy. They act (name removed by moderator)ersona christi but are not Christ nor are they sinless. Yes they are called to holiness and to be holier than their congregations… but they are still human, and make no doubt that satan takes straight aim at them…

Are we so infested with gays and perverts in the priesthood?

(my wife is having a field day with this one since it’s all over the radio news… she’s saying once again how priests should be married and how too many Catholic view the priests as untouchable and semi-divine).

 

[YADA]

If the hierarchy doesn’t care enough to use commonly accepted management controls in handing monies received, what good would a bill do anyway? Here’s a news flash - if you trust one person to have access to all aspects of funds management the chances of embezzlement are great. Sure, after enough depredation has taken place the deficiencies will be found. But by then it is too late. The money is gone, gone, gone. It is better to keep people honest by using standard controls that discourage larceny.

Canon law requires a financial [administrative] council so the parishioners and diocese were failing in their responsibilities and thus enabled the priest in his theft

ptdiocese.com/our-offices…non%20Laws.pdf

Look in the mirror … we are the Church … its not just ‘the hierarchy’ or ‘the priest’ … this priests parishioners enabled him to do this …

Know your faith … read up … does you parish have a finance council?
I believe that most do … in my diocese all do … following Canon Law … So you should …Ask for an accounting - a report … Ask who is on the council … then talk to them

if a parish does not - whose fault is that? Someone else or you?

Get involved, support your paris: financially and with your time … and be accountable and transparent … then you won’t complain about what others failed to do … only those people who are disengaged blame entities like the ‘hierarchy’ … is the Church just like a theater to you … some place to drop by when its convienent and you want something? Or is it your home, a place you love and care for?

 

[stinkcat_14]

I think the Archdiocese screwed up here by not having a more active role in oversight, particularly in this situation where the annual reports were not being filed. However, I think that the archdiocese erred on the side of compassion because the man did claim that he had cancer. They did cut him way to much slack and it came back to bite them big time.

 

[Dave_in_Dallas]

How much longer can the Catholic Church claim to be the one true church… if we are known by our fruits, and we stress the priesthood so much… I don’t see why anyone would want to convert to Catholicism…

Grant it NO church is perfect… but this run of bad priests really shows how insidious and how deep the evil runs in our Church

It will require a great renewel… pray for our leaders!