Posted on 04/02/2004 3:54:29 PM PST by Diago
A Quinn Martin Production … The FBI investigation into the activities of suspended Cleveland Catholic Diocese CFO Joseph H. Smith … who was put on a leave of absence by Bishop Anthony Pilla for allegedly receiving $750,000 in payments from firms that did business with the church … is also actively questioning how Pilla could not have been aware of Smith's activities, according to a source who has had contact with the federal probe. The Free Times hears that the connection between Smith and a well-known insurance broker, who is close to the bishop, is also under study, as well as other businesses possibly run out of the church. In addition, sources tell the Free Times that at least 40 priests were encouraged to take their automobile business, after the monthly car allowance was increased by the bishop, to a relative of the bishop — and what's more, that the Plain Dealer has sat on this story for way more than a year. Word has it that Cleveland, which once had one of the highest churchgoing rates in the country, has seen it drop nearly in half over the last few years. Could it be because of the priest-pedophile issue and how the local diocese has handled it?
Mr. Smith Goes to Church … Word is that suspended Cleveland Catholic Diocese CFO Joseph H. Smith … who was put on leave because of accusations that he allegedly received $750,000 in payment from firms that did business with the diocese… has let it be known to people at St. John's Cathedral that “he's not going to take it alone.” The Nose continues to hear that 60 Minutes II is collecting information about the Smith Affair and has increased interest in doing a follow-up story after Bishop Anthony Pilla's recent comment that he may have transferred “about three” alleged pedophile priests … a statement that was refuted in a Free Times story by former diocese top lawyer Charlie Feliciano … who appeared in a 60 Minutes story in 2002. In regard to Smith, legal sources tell the Free Times that the FBI is looking into self-dealing, as well as expensive, no-bid contracts for services and insurance that were steered to friends and relatives. Feliciano told the FT , “How Smith can avoid being indicted is beyond me.” The Cleveland Diocese ranks with Boston as having one of the biggest pedophile priest problems in the U.S. So why has it been ignored by Cleveland's establishment media ?
Is Part 2 in the Works? … Word reaches The Nose that in the aftermath of the Free Times publication on 12/24/03 of the cover story, “ The Bishop's Lawyer: A Question of Faith ,” 60 Minutes II and Ed Bradley are considering doing a follow-up on the Cleveland Catholic Diocese and its treatment of Bishop Pilla's former in-house legal counsel, Santiago “Charlie” Feliciano … What is also sparking renewed interest by 60 Minutes II are the recent reports about the suspension of diocese CFO Joseph H. Smith for questionable business practices, including allegedly receiving $750,000 in payments from firms who do business with the diocese ... In addition to his other “business,” The Nose has been told by several sources connected with the diocese that Smith allegedly ran a for-profit tax preparation service for priests within the diocese and charged them for doing their taxes. This came about, sources tell The Nose, after Smith had the diocese declare its priests “independent contractors” in order to limit liability in the case of lawsuits. Of course, sanity prevailed when the IRS said priests were employees of the diocese. Previously, The Nose has been told that tax assistance was performed as a free service by the diocese legal office.
Not only is he running a homo den but a racket too? Notice how the homo-friendlies not only degrade the church via sexual deviancy and heresy, but also by scandal as well. Nearly to a person.
Disordered brains, disordered sex, disordered church, disordered flock.
I wonder how many years it will take now before they get rid of him. Maybe this will shorten it by a few.
You've really got the scoop on this stinkbomb. Keep us up to date.
and i almost forgot:
http://www.dioceseofcleveland.org/gayandlesbianfamilyministry/images/glfmlogo.gif 
ping
bump
Interesting.....................and the rest of the story......................
You know that Pilla is not in union wih the Pope and Magisterium. He is allied with a group of highly placed prelates in the Church throughout the world,who have been seeking to destroy it for many,many years.
When you,intentionally or unintentionally,link these scurilous reprobates allied with progressives,modernists,secular humanists,athiests and liberals with the Pope and Magisterium,you are working with them rather than with the One,Holy,Catholic and Apostolic Church that Christ established on earth.
Still waiting...
The abuse of these young adults is primary among the disgraces of the Catholic Church, but a close second is the satanic web that these Bishops have created to keep good, holy, priests on a short leash, and which discourage good, holy men from entering the Seminaries.
I have to really suppress my sense of rage with the likes of Mahoney and this guy. I think strong, holy members of the Laity should be able to go to these mens respective rectories, and drag them by their collars to a Tribunal.
I know it's wrong to have these feelings, but these Bishops continue on, with impugnity, and we have to just sit and watch it all.
The FBI probe into the Cleveland Diocese has been going on for some time. Perhaps, we will have news on this soon
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