We have largely stopped reporting about thefts and embezzlement by religious leaders. How many times can you write about what has unfortunately become the same story? But today we were struck by the magnitude of the allegations. According to an Associated Press report, two priests were accused of stealing millions of dollars in gifts and offerings over a several year period. Laura Wildes-Munoz, Authorities: 2 Priests Stole From Parish, Associated Press, Sept. 28, 2006.
One was arrested and authorities are searching for the second. Millions?
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Yes, ...millions. According to prosecutors, $8.6 million. The money was used to purchase property, take vacations, and to acquire other assets. The report includes allegations that one of the priests took gambling trips to Las Vegas and the Bahamas. Apparently one of the priests had an intimate relationship with a former church bookkeeper.
The alleged wrongdoing was uncovered as a result of an anonymous tip in June 2005 that led to an audit. The alleged thefts were apparently perpetrated through the creation and use of several slush accounts allegedly designed to hide the money from the Palm Beach Diocese. An attorney for one of the priests described the $8.6 million number as “over sensationalized.” The attorney said court documents suggested that the amount involved was about $325,000, as if that is just chump change.
The last line of the article sums up why this continues to happen. A parishioner leaving the church following mass said, "You can't judge because you haven't walked in their shoes."
Sorry, we don’t buy it. At a San Francisco conference several months ago, our very own Jack Siegel was talking on a no-names/no-location basis about a priest in New Jersey who had been accused of a large theft from his church. Someone said, “Oh you mean Father so and so. He was sentenced last week....” As we said, we monitor nonprofit theft and fraud through an Internet clipping service and we see these church thefts on a regular basis. They often involve thousands, if not tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars.
It is that trusting and forgiving attitude reflected in the quote that permits these thefts to continue unabated. That parishioner has every right to forgive, but she should also keep in mind the good that the money could have done. Being willing to forgive does not excuse failure to audit on a regular basis or failure to implement adequate financial controls.
Book 'em Dano
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