Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) Tuesday was the deadline for local parishes to make millions of dollars in payments toward the Buffalo Diocese's clergy abuse settlement.
The question remains, did most parishes pay the amounts requested by Diocesan leadership?
The Diocese released a statement, supplied by WKBW TV.
“We are extremely grateful for the level of cooperation and support among the parishes of the Diocese of Buffalo as we work toward fulfilling the terms of our agreement with the creditors' committee. Parish leaders have a clear understanding of our collective responsibility that we can only conclude this long and arduous journey, and begin a new, more hopeful one, if we do so together as a committed family of faith. the shared concern for those harmed by past crimes of sexual abuse and their healing continues to guide our efforts and remains our highest priority.
We are fully confident that we will be able to meet our obligations to the creditors' committee as agreed to in principle, allowing the diocese to soon emerge from Chapter 11 reorganization in a way that allows us to define a new era of Catholic faith and impact across Western New York. We will continue to communicate our progress and as developments warrant."
Mary Pruski with Save Our Buffalo Churches, an organization dedicated to fighting church closings and settlement payments, told us she's pretty sure that some parishes did make the payments, some are refusing to pay, while others are waiting for re-negotiated amounts, or they are tied up in a lawsuit.
Regarding the statement indicating that the Diocese is grateful for the cooperation of parishes, Pruski doesn't buy it.
"They're putting a spin on making a bad situation sound as good as they possibly can. It's not cooperation, parishes are being coerced." Adding, "they're extorting money from these struggling parishes."
Pruski compares the situation to hanging onto a tow line off a boat. "we're hanging onto a tow line as tightly as we can. We're getting swamped and the lifeguard is in the beach house getting a Pepsi, looking the other way. That's what's so heinous about the way they're taking this money."