The Catholic Diocese of Phoenix is
facing a budget shortfall just months after donating to the campaign
that reversed a gay marriage law in Maine, the Arizona Republic
reported.
The diocese is cutting 15 positions and
laying off 12 employees in an effort to head off a projected budget
shortfall.
This is the second year in a row that
the diocese has shrunk its workforce. Last year 17 positions and 11
people were dropped.
Most of this year's cuts will affect
the diocese newspaper, the Catholic Sun, which lost 3
positions, and the Division of Education and Evangelization, where 5
positions were eliminated.
“These additional changes will help
us meet our budget and be more efficient with our resources,” the
Rev. Fred Adamson, vicar general, told the paper.
The diocese supported a November
people's “veto” in Maine that cast aside a gay marriage law
approved by lawmakers before it went into effect. Church officials
chipped in $50,000 to the campaign.
The diocese's workforce has tapered
down from 113 employees two years ago to 90.