The past year saw several cases where clerics were accused of stealing from their faithful. Some churchgoers say the thefts result from putting too much trust in one person and say more oversight is needed to stop it.
Many religious denominations, especially the Roman Catholic Church, say thefts are rare and they are wary of imposing corporate-style regulations on clerics who need the freedom to address the needs of their flock as they and their teachings see fit.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops will be taking up the issue of whether to adopt more stringent finance guidelines at a meeting this month.
"I don't think we're in any state of epidemic," says Bishop Donald Trautman of the Diocese of Erie, Pa. "But these cases have certainly raised a heightened awareness. We're treating an illness that's been there since original sin."...