Philly diocese cuts 45 jobs, cites $17M deficit

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia is cutting 45 jobs to address a $17 million deficit.

Archbishop Charles Chaput says the budget gap is unrelated to the extraordinary legal costs incurred from criminal and civil priest-abuse cases.

The church will consolidate jobs in the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center, which now employs 244 people in more than 40 ministry programs and offices.

Chaput says the programs have run a deficit for years.

The archdiocese has also stopped publishing The Catholic Standard & Times, and moved news content to a website, http://catholicphilly.com.

The June issue is the last for the newspaper after 117 years.

The church’s legal bills this fiscal year top $10 million and are climbing, based on the ongoing criminal trial of Monsignor William Lynn, the former secretary for clergy.