The House at the Lake

or, the continuing Saga of Bishop Alois Schwarz:

There will just not be peace in the Causa Bishop Alois Schwarz.

At first there is the easy manner in which he is said to have handled his promised Celibacy.

Then we hear about his sense of justice, covering for a rogue sexual predator Priest.

Not enough of that, there are the financial dealings which caused losses to the Bishopry amounting to Millions of Euros.

He apparently was not only a lousy Man of the Cloth, but also a less than clever businessman.

Now comes the story of

“The House at the Lake”

According to the Bishop, it was an elderly lady who wanted to “do something good for the church”.

She sold some real estate (building with 5 apartments) with private access to Lake Wörther, to the Bishopry for 1.38 Million Euros, which the Bishopry, one year later, sold for 1.5 Million Euros to a Foundation owned by the Austrian weapons manufacturer and dealer Gaston Glock.

Now, would you believe such a coincidence, at the same time, this same Glock Foundation made a most generous donation, amounting to 600,000 Euros to the Bishopry.

Had the Bishopry sold this Real Estate to Glock for 2.1 Million Euros,

an amount closer to the real market value of such Real Estate, the entire upside would have been taxable. There is however, no tax payable on Donations received by the Church from generous donors.

So, what does a devious, tax cheating Bishop do? He sells the property for just a little more than the purchase price, so as not to excite the tax department, and for the difference he graciously accepts a non-taxable donation to the Bishopry from the purchaser.

Now with Bishop Schwarz, transferred to another Bishopry, and the Vatican having sent an “Investigating Team” a “self accusation” is quickly filed with the Tax Authorities, in order to mitigate possibly arising penalties.

How does it happen that a man with the character of Alois Schwarz rises to the upper echelon of the Roman Catholic Church, when he would probably have been well suited for membership in the Mafia?

Because there is seemingly not much difference between those two organization.

Bertstravels

will just have to ignore 

the RCC, as he ignores the Mafia.