In a major victory for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, a federal judge ruled that funds set aside for cemetery operations cannot be tapped to pay sex abuse settlements in the archdiocese's bankruptcy case. U.S. District Judge Rudolph T. Randa ruled that taking even a portion of the funds would violate the archdiocese's free exercise of religion under the First Amendment. The archdiocese has about $53 million in funds in a cemetery trust created in 2007, from monies it said it held in trust on its books for decades. Victims have accused the archdiocese of moving the money into a trust to keep it from sex abuse victims.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Early this month it was revealed that Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who was then Archbishop of Milwaukee, had asked the Vatican for permission to move the money, saying that the transfer would result in "improved protection of these funds from any legal claim and liability."

Labels: Catholic Church, child abuse, lawsuits, Milwaukee, pedophilia, scams, Timothy Dolan, Wisconsin