(8)     Thu 15 Jun 95  1:03
By: Robin Murray-o'hair
To: All
Re: Church Exemptions Probed
St:
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@EID:228a 1ecf0860
@MSGID: 1:382/1006.0 882F11EC
@TID: WILDMAIL!/WC v4.11  94-0279
TAX EXEMPTION PROBED IN CATHOLIC ELECTORAL CASE

by Conrad F. Goeringer

     Two Roman Catholic organizations may have violated tax exemption and
election codes, according to a report in Tuesday's (June 13) edition of
the Philadelphia Inquirer. The complaints filed with the IRS involve St.
Philomena's Elementary School in Lansdowne and the Home and School
Association which is affiliated with St. Cyril's School in East
Lansdowne, Pennsylvania.  A spokeswoman for the Roman Catholic
archdiocese of Philadelphia said that "mistakes" were made.

     According to reports, the school principal at St. Philomena's sent
students home with campaign leaflets endorsing a specific candidate for
the William Penn School Board. The St. Cyril's case involved literature
distribution and the charge that the candidate's campaign was virtually
run by the Home and School Association.

     The Lansdowne resident who filed the complaint said "What they (the
Churches) did clearly violate the Internal Revenue Code. . . . I just
want tax-exempt organizations to get out of electioneering."

     Although the archdiocese said that precautions were being taken to
prevent similar incidents in the future, the Roman Catholic organization
in southeastern Pennsylvania has been involved in blatant political
action on issues ranging from anti-abortion activism to a campaign for
government support of private-parochial schools. Last month, parishioners
throughout the region were given mail-in post cards during church
services to send to elected representatives in support of the school
voucher campaign.  The archdiocese has also contributed funding and other
resources to a coalition running advertising on behalf of the vouchers,
now being debated in the Pennsylvania legislature.

     Critics charge that the incident in Lansdowne is, in fact, part of a
pattern which is encouraged by the Roman Catholic leadership in
Philadelphia.

     No action was taken against Sister Margaret John, the principal at
St. Philomena, although she "admitted that she made a mistake and should
have read the flier more carefully."

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