CNA Staff, Jul 15, 2020 / 17:01 pm
Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York has written a response to an Associated Press report that characterized Catholic participation in the federal Paycheck Protection Program as an "aggressive pursuit of funds."
The July 10 AP story, authored by Reese Dunklin and Michael Rezendes, "was so inaccurate, and left such a damaging impression I felt it was important to set the record straight with you," the cardinal wrote in a message to his archdiocese.
He called the article "scurrilous" and "heavy on innuendo," and added that "many news outlets picked up the story, which implied that there was something amiss in Catholic institutions receiving paycheck protection money."
The PPP is a $669 billion initiative that allows entities to obtain low-interest loans that can be forgiven if the money goes mostly to cover payroll expenses, and to keep people employed who are in danger of losing their jobs.