For readers in the Boston archdiocese, the new weblog Boston Catholic Insider is certain to be of interest: it's got a skeptical perspective on the diocesan bureaucracy's inner circle and its public and private maneuverings.
At the moment, the top issue of various questionable dealings is the proposed sale of the Catholic hospital system Caritas Christi to a for-profit company. The institutions' Catholic identity and medical ethics would have slim protection in the transaction: after a waiting period, the buyer could turn around and absolve himself of any Catholic obligations by merely paying an extra fee (estimated at 3% of the capital amount), at any time of the buyer's choosing.
Richard, thanks for the post and mention. Indeed, the protections for Caritas are slim, and all indications are that much is being withheld about their plans, as you'll see from some of the follow-on comments other people with inside information have shared.
I'm glad you've picked up on this new blog. It's posting some amazing facts that the Archdiocese has not disputed.
[Thanks for the note. By the way, for future reference, I ask commenters to use some nickname or 'handle' with your comments instead of "Anonymous", to make it easier to distinguish one person from the next. --RC]
Hi,
There have been several updates in the Boston Catholic Insider story that merit another look. The response of the archdiocese to a Boston Globe reporter's questions about the allegations in the blog is all too typical of the way things work in my hometown.