Bishop Pilla testifies in Cleveland
Former Cleveland Bishop, Anthony Pilla, testified yesterday in the corruption trial involving former diocesan officials. Prosecutors called Pilla to testify, but when the defense attorney sought to press Pilla on whether he personally benefited from sweetheart deals, the judge, Ann Aldrich, ruled in favor of the prosecutors’ objections and shut down this line of questioning.
One exchange in court was memorable, if only for Bishop Pilla’s demonstration that he is not a fan of movie classics. When asked by Assistant U.S. Attorney, John Siegel, about his reaction to a letter he received in January 2004 informing him of allegations (and corroborating evidence) of a kickback scheme in the diocese, Pilla said he was “Shocked, Shocked” because he had complete trust in his chief financial officer. As any Casablanca fan knows, Inspector Renault is “shocked, shocked, to find gambling” at Rick’s Café.
The front-page story from today’s Cleveland Plain Dealer can be found here.
on August 30th, 2007 at 10:44 am
You don’t think Bishop Pilla is capable of irony?
on August 30th, 2007 at 6:42 pm
As this trial has gotten under way, it is clear that a climate of financial mismanagement has been established in the Diocese of Cleveland and that they are now trying, like a disfunctional family, to hang a former employee out to dry as the “problem child” needing to be fixed. In my opinion, the Diocese of Cleveland needs to be fixed. The sex abuse scandals were bad enough, now we have coming to light a profound lack of good stewardship for diocesan finances, for their own employees, and the trust of the Catholic laity. I think it is ironic that it was the Diocese of Cleveland that initiated this legal action in the first place, and now that the cat’s out of the bag, I think that Bishop Pilla and the Rev. John Wright have been to the diocesan finance punch bowl one too many times.
on August 30th, 2007 at 6:45 pm
“What brought you to Casablanca?”
Rick: “The Waters”
“But Casablanca is in the middle of a desert?”
Rick: “I was misinformed.”
And so will go the cat and mouse testimony of Ret. Bishop Pilla.
Is there “an accomodation” for the innocent laity to get ahold of the “letters of transit”, like Lazlo sought, in ‘Casablanca’ towards freedom?
Yes, and again it involves the exchange of money, or rather, lack thereof.
Until the laity, paying 100% of the bills, for lawyers, missing funds, hush monies, settlements, hiked insurance liability premiums, slashed payrolls and ministries, sold off laity paid for property and assets, graft, corruption, enabling, cover-ups, etc., stop donating on a wholeslae basis, the curia will remain in power.
What was Edmund Burke’s famous line? “The only condition for EVIL to exist, is for good men (and women) to do nothing.”
No Bishop Accountability? No laity monies!
Russ Bianchi
Lay Member of the Diocese of Monterey, CA
russ@adepthq.com
PS - For daily vetted coverage of the ongoing global criminal shennigans of the miters and red hats:
www.bishop-accountability.org/abusetracker
on August 30th, 2007 at 7:37 pm
No money to church coffers without accountability and transparency?
Omagod, THAT would destroy the church that we’ve come to know and love!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As a fellow blogger would perhaps put it, “Mercy me!”
:)
on August 30th, 2007 at 7:56 pm
Violence begets violence. Peter Lorre got shot.
Victor Lazlo escaped through righteous living, dialogue and negotiation. Plus he got the girl. So…
on August 30th, 2007 at 8:19 pm
Victor Laszlo?
on August 30th, 2007 at 9:20 pm
Rick Blaine: I congratulate you.
Victor Lazlo: What for?
Rick Blaine: . . . your work.
Victor Lazlo: I try my best.
Rick Blaine: We all try. You succeed.
on August 31st, 2007 at 4:57 am
Russ Bianchi asked:
“Is there “an accomodation” for the innocent laity to get ahold of the “letters of transit”, like Lazlo sought, in ‘Casablanca’ towards freedom?”
Lazlo wanted the letters of transit. Rick held a position of power. There was a stalemate. Love intervened; Rick softened. Rick respected Lazlo. Lazlo sang the Marseilleise. Rick gave Lazlo the letters of transit, even at the risk of his life and reputation.
Sam played “As Time Goes By.”
The Lazlos in the Church will get a lot farther with their goals if they choose to see the bishop as Rick, and talk to him.
on August 31st, 2007 at 9:23 am
Perhaps, Kathy, you can explain to us how to talk to bishops. Your repetition on this subject is meaningless unless you have a plan and, more importantly, show us what you have done. The problem is the bishops have always avoided the conversation and only respond when forced by the courts. What is it that you do not get? So what are you saying?
Am I unfair to question that since you are employed by the church you feel constrained to defend the bishops, albeit without any specific plan?
on August 31st, 2007 at 10:07 am
Bill, yes, calling someone a coward is usually considered unfair in civilized conversation.
on August 31st, 2007 at 2:13 pm
I have done it before Kathy. But you avoided it. As your recent post shows. Where do you see that we will not talk to bishops? How can you present the opposite. Be specific.
on August 31st, 2007 at 2:35 pm
Bill, about the issue: it’s likely to come up again, and you might understand my mind on this better. Perhaps you will be satisfied, or perhaps we can discuss it politely. But I have no intention of responding to an inquiry posed in this very insulting manner.
on August 31st, 2007 at 8:27 pm
Kathy, Ok. Can you specifically show how it is not the bishops who do not want to speak to us. The courts got them to talk to us, it seems. Can you respond to this. Without generalities and platitudes.
on August 31st, 2007 at 8:34 pm
Kathy
You don’t get it. The name is Victor Laszlo.
on August 31st, 2007 at 8:46 pm
Ah. Laszlo. Thank you, Joseph.
What is it with this blog and Paul Henreid movies?
Bill:
Let’s cover this the next go-round. Although I didn’t mean to be party to an object lesson, it is interesting to me that we have reached a point in our dialogue where you won’t back down from your hostile demands that I become totally transparent, and I no longer trust in your goodwill. So let’s take it up next time.
Maybe we could call it a “synod.”