-Caveat Lector- Euphorian spotted this on the Guardian Unlimited site and thought you should see it.
------- Note from Euphorian: More abuse by the "Church" ------- To see this story with its related links on the Guardian Unlimited site, go to http://www.guardian.co.uk LA cathedral stirs wrath of the faithful $200m wasted as city's poor suffer, say Catholic protesters Duncan Campbell in Los Angeles Monday September 02 2002 The Guardian The first cathedral built in the United States for three decades opened yesterday amid protests from Roman Catholics who say that the $200m cost of the building should have been spent on the poor. All-night vigils were held by protesters describing the building as a "fat cats' cathedral" and by others critical of the church's handling of the sex scandals engulfing it. The dedication of the cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels comes at an awkward moment for the church. Seventy-two current or former priests from the LA diocese alone are under criminal investigation and the church is embroiled in costly settlements with abuse victims. The city's Catholic archbishop, Cardinal Roger Mahony, has been widely attacked for not acting more speedily. "We think it is totally inappropriate to spend $200m on a building like this," said Catherine Morris of Catholic Worker, which has been working with the poor in LA since 1970. The protesters claim that the cost of building has led to cuts in church social programmes. The cathedral is situated in LA's civic, business and entertainment centre, close to what is possibly the largest Skid Row in the US, with around 4,000 people, many mentally ill, sleeping on the streets. The city and the church have been accused of ignoring them and the thousands of others who live in homeless hostels in the area. Ms Morris said there were nearly 300 other churches in the archdiocese which could have been converted into a cathedral and the $195m thus saved could have been spent "in more productive ways". She added: "We have layers and layers of poverty in this country and layers and layers of poverty in this city that could have been addressed. There are so many needs. It is unconscionable to make a spectacle out of the spending of money on a building. "The cathedral is being built in the part of the city associated with government, business and culture but the church's founder, Jesus, lived in the margins." Alice Callaghan, of Las Familias del Pueblo, which works with the homeless, agreed. "They are spending $200m on the cathedral but how much on God's poor? In response to the criticism, they have hired one nun - one nun - to do outreach. It's ludicrous ... I think it's very appropriate that they have built it in the entertainment district." The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests also attacked the lavish nature of the opening ceremony which was attended by 3,000 guests. Money for the cathedral has been raised with the help of high-profile donors including Rupert Murdoch, who gave $10m, Bob Hope and Roy Disney. Money will also be raised by selling resting places in the crypts for $50,000 each. Cardinal Mahony said yesterday that he hoped the cathedral would be "the new people's church", representing "a new beginning" that would outlast scandals. Designed by the modernist Spanish architect Jose Rafael Moneo, the new cathedral has taken five years to build. The previous cathedral was damaged by the 1994 earthquake. Visually, the new building has won some plaudits. The 25-tonne bronze doors and the sculpture of Mary above them have been widely praised. But some critics have nicknamed the building "the yellow armadillo". Copyright Guardian Newspapers Limited <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/";>ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
