Boston Archdiocese sells, mortgages church property to pay scan

BOSTON -- The sex scandal in the Boston Archdiocese has shaken the church almost literally to its foundations.

To help pay the $85 million settlement reached with more than 500 victims of child-molesting priests, the archdiocese has mortgaged its very seat of power -- the Cathedral of the Holy Cross -- and is putting up for sale the archbishop's residence, an Italian Renaissance-style mansion that was a symbol of the church's grandeur and authority. Dozens of churches are also expected to be closed in a move at least accelerated by the scandal.

Some of these steps were almost unthinkable just a year ago, when Cardinal Bernard Law was in charge. The archdiocese fiercely resisted selling property to settle abuse claims before Law finally resigned as archbishop amid fierce criticism of his handling of the sex allegations.

"My sense was this was simply sacrosanct," said attorney Jeffrey Newman, whose firm represents about half the victims in the settlement. "The property had a long tradition here, but it harkened back to an old regime that believed things like molestation by priests should be kept quiet and their reputation should be protected at all costs."

The opulent three-story mansion, built by a former archbishop on the outskirts of Boston during the 1920s, has been valued at anywhere from $14 million to $100 million.

Where previously the mansion had been seen as a shining example of the church's standing and power, it is now regarded by some as an embarrassing symbol of the arrogance of a church that protected child-molesting priests.

Boston College, a Jesuit university across the street, has expressed interest in the property, but it is unknown if any offers have been made.

The archdiocese expects the sale to raise enough that, when combined with insurance payments, the church can cover the settlement cost.

Archdiocese spokesman Christopher Coyne said O'Malley was saddened that the archdiocese would be parting with a piece of its history but thought it was the right thing to do.

For now, with the settlement checks set to go out to victims next week, the money is coming from $75 million in bank loans and a $15 million loan from a clergy retirement fund. The archdiocese mortgaged its 128-year-old, 360-foot neo-Gothic cathedral and St. John's Seminary to secure the loans.

The moves have been praised by victims and priests.

"I think getting rid of the archbishop's house is not only symbolic, but a welcome thing to do," said the Rev. Robert Bullock, president of the Boston Priests Forum. "If there is any inconvenience on the part of the church in having to mortgage and sell property, it is nothing compared to what is necessary to do for victims."

David Clohessy, national director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said O'Malley had little choice.

"He's a smart man who understands that the parishioners and the victims cannot take one more betrayal or excuse or technicality or rationalization," Clohessy said. "Time and time again, we've seen bishops who say, 'I'd love to do what's right, but ..."'

But some Catholics are unhappy with the plan. Former Mayor Ray Flynn, who later served as ambassador to the Vatican, said many Irish Catholics saw the mansion as a revered symbol of their emerging political clout.

"It's not just dollars and cents here -- it's tradition and it's sentimentality. We see a part of our values being taken away from us," he said.

The expected church closings are another disappointment in what has been a disastrous two years. The archdiocese says the closings are part of a restructuring driven by declining church attendance and a shortage of priests.

For parishioners, "the physical home of the church for them is their local parish, so when that closes down, they feel a loss," said Stephen Pope, a theology professor at Boston College. "It's going to be hard for people."

The scandal erupted nearly two years ago when internal church documents were released, showing the archdiocese had shuffled pedophile priest John Geoghan from parish to parish for years, despite allegations he had molested children.

Since then, more than 325 of the nation's 46,000 Roman Catholic priests have either been suspended or resigned, and dioceses have paid out tens of millions in settlements.

Before the more recent $85 million settlement, the Boston Archdiocese paid $10 million to 86 other victims in 2002.