Vatican ruling frees 8 Western New York parishes from Buffalo diocese settlement payments
A Vatican ruling has freed eight Catholic parishes in Western New York from contributing to the Diocese of Buffalo's bankruptcy settlement.Summary
A Vatican ruling has freed eight Catholic parishes in Western New York from contributing to the Diocese of Buffalo's bankruptcy settlement, according to advocates with Save Our Buffalo Churches. The group stated that the Vatican decision overturns a directive issued by Bishop Michael Fisher that had required certain parishes to help fund the settlement, which is tied to hundreds of clergy sexual abuse claims. The affected churches are located in Erie, Genesee, and Cattaraugus counties. The Diocese of Buffalo has been seeking financial contributions from parishes as part of its effort to meet the terms of a $150 million bankruptcy settlement related to clergy abuse allegations. The requirement had placed financial strain on some congregations, and several of the parishes impacted by the now-reversed payments had already been facing the possibility of closure or merger under prior restructuring considerations.
(Source：Buffalo)