Lest we forget that religion can provide a powerful cover for those looking to abuse the trust of believers, The New Jersey Star-Ledger reports that a local archdiocese built a lavish addition to an archbishop’s retirement home two years after closing a school for alleged lack of funds.

According to the paper:

The 4,500-square-foot home sits on 8.2 wooded acres in the hills of Hunterdon County. With five bedrooms, three full bathrooms, a three-car garage and a big outdoor pool, it’s valued at nearly $800,000, records show.

But it’s not quite roomy enough for Newark Archbishop John J. Myers.

Myers, who has used the Franklin Township house as a weekend residence since the archdiocese purchased it in 2002, is building a three-story, 3,000-square-foot addition in anticipation of his retirement in two years, The Star-Ledger found. He will then move in full-time, a spokesman for the archbishop said.

Read more here.

— Posted by Alexander Reed Kelly.

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