US: Catholic Charities of Boston has accepted a cash donation from a lay group unwilling to donate directly to the archdiocese because of the clerical sex abuse scandal.
The move, which is unprecedented, could ultimately weaken the financial power of the bishops.
Catholic Charities, which runs 154 programmes for the needy in the archdiocese, accepted $56,035 raised by the lay activist group, Voice of the Faithful, despite the disapproval of archdiocese officials, the Boston Globe reported yesterday.
Cardinal Bernard Law and Catholic Charities had reportedly for months been on a collision course over the prospective donation.
Voice of the Faithful, formed in response to the sex abuse scandal, is not recognised by the archdiocese and is banned from many Church premises.
Donations to the Catholic Church in Boston dwindled this year as the scandal deepened and tens of millions of dollars of Church funds were being diverted to settle damages claims.
The Voice of the Faithful offered the money to the archdiocese, but with the condition that it not be used for archdiocesan administrative costs, but only to supplement the annual cardinal's appeal. It was refused.
The board of Catholic Charities, one of the largest social service providers in Massachusetts, is made up of nominees of the cardinal, who resigned on Friday as Archbishop of Boston over his handling of the scandal.
Mr Joseph Doolin, the president of Catholic Charities, received a telephone call yesterday from a top archdiocesan official objecting to the decision, the Boston Globe reported.
Bishop Richard Lennon has been given interim charge of the diocese since the resignation of Cardinal Law, who is to spend time in a monastery.