The Archdiocese St. Paul and Minneapolis is among dioceses around the country whose central offices received loans from a federal Paycheck Protection Program to help retain employees as the COVID-19 pandemic spread, said Tom Mertens, chief financial officer.
U.S. dioceses are crying foul over an investigative report on coronavirus relief funding they say grossly mischaracterized the Catholic Church's finances and unrestricted cash flows, leaving the crass impression the church used the 2020 CARES Act to hoard cash.
If last year's Paycheck Protection Program was like a matching grant, prompting recipients to stretch resources in order to maintain payroll and stay afloat during the pandemic spring, then it achieved that goal, according to one participating church.
Catholic entities that took part in the Paycheck Protection Program said the federal emergency bridge loans translated into rapid assistance for their communities in the early months of the pandemic's economic impact.
The head of National Right to Life and other pro-life leaders criticized Planned Parenthood affiliates for applying for and receiving funds under the Paycheck Protection Program, created by Congress to provide relief for small businesses with fewer than 500 employees.
Paycheck Protection Program loans to parishes did not meet the number of parishes, or the size of the loans, listed in some news reports, according to Patrick Markey, executive director of the Diocesan Fiscal Management Conference.
Two business leaders advised going slow when reopening in a pandemic environment during an April 29 forum sponsored by Jesuit-run Santa Clara University in California's Silicon Valley.
