Priest indicted in Edgewater church theft

Chicago Tribune ^ | August 9, 2008

[Gamecock]

A Chicago-area Roman Catholic priest was charged Friday with stealing from his former North Side parish.

Rev. Steven Patte, 64, pleaded not guilty in Cook County Circuit Judge William Lacy's courtroom....

The eight-count indictment charged Patte stole a little more than $12,000 from St. Ita's Parish....

A Chicago police detective who belonged to the parish's finance committee grew suspicious about accounting discrepancies and placed a marked $100 bill in the collection plate, sources familiar with the case said.

Later, when the bill disappeared, Patte was confronted and allegedly admitted that he took the money for his personal use, the sources said.

[Opinionated Blowhard]

Doesn’t it all depend on what the definition of “Vow of Poverty” really is?

[the invisib1e hand]

an accusation proves nothing.

Still, some I've come to expect about anything from Chicago's clergy.

[VidMihi]

Opinions are better when informed by facts. As a secular priest he most likely never took any “vow of poverty”

[Radl]

It must be Sunday, the Lords day...Christians staying at home to provide any dirt they can find on the Catholic church.... in Jesus name...amen.

[dangus]

So Coleus isn’t allowed to report the horrific abuses of Protestants, Gamecock still reports this? I can see how the sheer volume of Coleus’ reports cast a negative pall over FR, but how is the substance of this any different, other than that Gamecock finds fewer cases to report?

[dangus]

Actually, diocesan priests do not take a vow of poverty.

[Gamecock]

Coleus provided a service to all of us who need to be aware of wolves in sheep's clothing, and I am grateful that s/he made those posts.

That being said, I was under the impression that sex abuse posts were no verboten, which this clearly isn't.

FWIW, I am posting articles from across the spectrum Christianity, not just Catholicism.

[Judith Anne]

I agree with you. This post is inflammatory. There’s no problem with that, unless Catholics are not allowed to post same regarding the sins of Protestant ministers.

[Gamecock]

To 8

[Judith Anne]

As I understand it, Diocesan priests have total control of parish finances.

[Judith Anne]

Sorry, I don’t buy that excuse.

[Gamecock]

As you wish.

[trisham]

This post is inflammatory. There’s no problem with that, unless Catholics are not allowed to post same regarding the sins of Protestant ministers.

*********************

Has Coleus had threads removed?

[Judith Anne]

I’m not sure exactly what happened. Perhaps another poster knows.

[trisham]

I confess I haven’t been keeping up lately.

[Religion Moderator]

The pastor/priest sex scandal thread war was stopped. The latest threads in that flame war were pulled.

Posting of current sex scandal news may be allowed in the future, but not yet. It would be "picking at a scab."

This article does not deal with a "sex scandal" and is therefore not forbidden.

[trisham]

Thanks, RM.

[Mad Dawg]

"Secular" clergy, guys not in an outfit like the Franciscans or whatever, do not take a vow of poverty.

I like it when the loot is counted by one group, taken to the bank by another group, and checks take a couple of signatures. It's just a good way of covering one's, ah, donkey.

[tiki]

I’m shocked, I tell ya! Shocked.