Professor of Economics at Villanova University
Expert on church finances, and author of Why Catholics Don’t Give…and What Can Be Done About It and Professor of Economics at Villanova University, a Catholic university in Pennsylvania
PROFILE
Chuck Zech
Guest
FROM Chuck Zech
Which Way, L.A.?
LA Archdiocese Settles Sex Abuse Case LA’s Roman Catholic Archdiocese , insurance companies and the orders of priests who engaged in sex abuse will pay 660 million dollars to settle fifteen suits brought by 508 plaintiffs. This weekend’s settlement was approved today by Superior Court Judge Haley J. Fromholz. After apologizing publicly to the victims yesterday, Cardinal Roger Mahoney sat quietly in the courtroom. Plaintiffs’ attorney Ray Boucher told the court the settlement provides “transparency and sunshine” and assures “victims they did nothing wrong—it was not their fault.
Which Way, L.A.?
Cardinal Roger Mahony and Sex Abuse by Priests Last week, Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony announced the settlement of 45 cases of child-sex abuse by Roman Catholic priests worth a total of $60 million. As many as 500 cases are still unsettled, and some of those victims aren't happy about the precedent that's been set. In Boston, many molestation cases went to trial, and personal documents from within the church were made public, revealing such ugly details that Cardinal Bernard Law was reassigned to the Vatican. In Los Angeles, the process used was private mediation rather than public trial. A retired judge will decide what records ultimately will be unsealed, but advocates say many victims will never know what really happened or how the Church allowed known molesters to be reassigned to positions where they could commit new crimes. We hear from Cardinal Mahony and others.
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To the Point
Human Rights in the era of Donald Trump President Trump’s UN Ambassador, Nikki Haley, said today the US might pull out of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council. Serious violators of human rights are members of the Council itself–and a US resignation could make things worse. Later on today’s show, now that he’s into his second term, comedian turned US Senator Al Franken is telling jokes again.
To the Point
Trump plays scolder-in-chief with NATO allies At the opening of NATO’s dramatic new headquarters in Brussels today, President Trump acknowledged that Article 5 — promising that “an attack on one nation is an attack on all” -- has only been invoked one time: in the aftermath of September 11. But the President failed to provide what 27 other Alliance members have been waiting for: a re-commitment by America’s new leader to Article 5. Instead, they got a scolding.
To the Point
Replacing Obamacare: Now you see it… now you don’t As the Senate deliberates replacing Obmacare, health coverage for millions of people is at stake. There've been no public hearings, and a draft measure won't be made public. Is the House version so unpopular that that Senate is hiding a version that looks much the same?