This looks really bad, but some reasons it's not as bad as you think. #CatholicChurch 1/12
First, it's partially based on the ecclesiological fallacy that there's one big "Roman Catholic Church" with a singular budget and payroll, when legally and financially it operates as a collective of small, often vulnerable parishes and institutions. 2/12
So most of this money went to help keep the pay and healthcare of the largely lay employees of parishes, charities, and schools who suddenly lost most of their donations, not to some bishops sitting back and cackling with a cat on their laps. 3/12
rather than to some central deposit called "the Catholic Church in the US." In fact, lots of it probably went to small organizations and institutions just to keep their doors open and, I repeat because it's so important, their _mostly lay staff_ with families paid. 4/12
Second, the assistance in applying for aid may have given parishes an advantage compared to other small businesses that weren't part of any larger networks or already existing banking systems. 5/12
But this is, I expect, similar to what was done to assist for-profit chains as well as branches of other distributed non-profits like the Red Cross or Habitat for Humanity that have nationwide identities/brands and local affiliates. 6/12
That's a flaw in the bill, though - not providing enough money for everyone who needed it, and not providing enough systematic assistance to help everyone who needed it apply, on time, before the $ ran out. 7/12
And yes, the $$$ went to dioceses that have gone bankrupt due to clerical sexual abuse of minors. But these funds weren't going to pay for abuse settlements, as far as I can see from the reporting, but to keep the soup kitchens open and the parish HVACs working. 8/12
So, in short - there are lots of reasons to critique the way the Catholic Church in the US operates and lobbies Congress. _Lots._ 9/12
But here, Catholic church leaders acted like responsible supervisors of nonprofits to protect the welfare of their employees and clients, and indirectly their communities, in the midst of an immediate collapse in cashflow, 10/12
and did so at a time when the communities Catholic institutions serve - Catholic institutions are one of the largest providers of direct social services in this country - most needed assistance. 11/12
So call out the Catholic Church in the US for lots of reasons, and I could name and have named a bunch - but the image of a shadowy cabal trying to game the system doesn't seem accurate this time around. 12/12
Since this got what counts as traction for academics, come hear me talk about Pope Francis on Monday evening: crowdcast.io/e/pope
