Citing the economic downturn as the cause, the hard-hit Los Angeles Catholic archdiocese and the Orange diocese are in the throes of budget cutting for the fiscal year ahead. The Los Angeles Times reported April 11 that Orange diocese’s earnings from investments had dropped from $26 million in 1999-2000 to zero in 2002.

In Los Angeles, last year’s $4.3 million projected budget shortfall more than tripled to $13.4 million, “because of $7.7 million in one-time costs, much of it related to the sex abuse scandal,” stated the Times.

In the case of one of the Southern California priests alleged to have contributed to the scandal, the bail for Fr. Carl Sutphin, held in Ventura County Jail since last month on sexual abuse charges dating back to the 1970s has been doubled to $200,000. The Times reported that Ventura County prosecutors considered Sutphin a flight risk, though he had been unable to raise the earlier $100,000 bond.

-- Arthur Jones

National Catholic Reporter, April 25, 2003