Archdiocese Says Sale Listing Of Closed Church Was "Premature"
BOSTON (AP) - The Boston Archdiocese has pulled the real estate listing of a closed Roman Catholic church, saying it was causing confusion about its intentions for the property.
Former parishioners at Boston's Holy Trinity Church asked the Vatican on Monday to stop any sale of the building, after it was listed at $2.3 million.
They argued the archdiocese hadn't completed a process to convert it to secular use, required before sale to a secular buyer. The Vatican has recently denied some similar requests by other dioceses.
On Friday, spokesman Terry Donilon said the listing meant to gauge the market or attract a buyer from a Catholic organization. He said the archdiocese never intended to prematurely sell the property to a secular buyer.
An adviser to the parishioners said they would still ask the Vatican to block any premature sale.
(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
