From The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette-
An Allegheny County court awarded the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh more than $15 million in endowments, bank accounts and other assets that a secessionist diocese had sought to retain.
Judge Joseph James of the Court of Common Pleas in Allegheny County ruled yesterday that the assets -- although not necessarily buildings and land titled in the name of the parishes that seceded -- belong to the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh of the Episcopal Church of the United States of America.
The secessionist church, the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh (Anglican), is in violation of its October 2005 agreement with the Episcopal Church of America, Judge James ruled.
Many pages of the parties' briefs, he noted, were spent explaining the meaning of Paragraph One of the agreement, which describes what must be done with the diocese's centrally owned assets.
"However, I find that the language is clear and unambiguous and, therefore, requires no further explanation," the order states. "The property is to be held or administered by the Episcopal Diocese of the Episcopal Church of the United States of America. Regardless of what name defendants now call themselves, they are not the Episcopal Diocese of the Episcopal Church of the United States of America."
Assets must be detailed within 30 days and transferred within 20 days after that, the order states.
More here-
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09280/1003568-455.stm
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