'Boston Herald' Probes Diocese Property Holdings

By: (AP) The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, which has said it cannot afford a sex abuse settlement valued at up to $30 million, owns nearly $160 million in unused land and buildings, according to a three-month investigation by the Boston Herald.

The Herald reviewed assessor and tax records in the 144 cities and towns in the archdiocese. It also looked at deeds, titles, and other records in the five counties covered by the archdiocese.

The newspaper found the archdiocese owns slightly less than $160 million in property unrelated to active church, school, cemetery, or hospital work. The survey calculated only the assessed values of the properties, not their market value, which could be considerably higher.

Archdiocese spokeswoman Donna Morrissey did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment Tuesday.

The archdiocese backed out of a settlement in May with alleged victims of former priest and convicted molester John Geoghan, saying the deal would cause dire financial problems and hinder the church's ability to settle future cases. The plaintiffs and the archdiocese are awaiting a decision from a judge on whether the settlement agreement is binding.