Catholic bishops condemn finance bill

Bridgeport (AP) - Connecticut's Catholic bishops are condemning a bill that they claim would strip the church over control of its finances.

The bill introduced by the Legislature's Judiciary Committee would allow local parishioners to control their individual church's financial affairs.

Bridgeport Bishop William Lori Sunday delivered a harsh rebuke to the proposal, saying it jeopardizes the religious liberty of the church.

Lori and Hartford Bishop Henry Mansell are calling on Catholics to attend a Judiciary Committee public hearing Wednesday in Hartford to protest the bill.

Stamford State Sen. Andrew McDonald says that any parish wishing to could leave its affairs under diocesan control.

McDonald says a prime mover behind the bill is the financial mismanagement in which a priest was convicted of stealing up to $1.4 million from a Darien church.

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Information from: Connecticut Post