RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION
The priest scandal . . .
. . . and a nun’s story.
Sister Jean Kenny, once known nationally as the “Super Bowl Sister” for her amazing NFL championship predictions, is not placing any bets these days.
Not when it comes to how long it will take the Catholic Church to return trust and transparency to its flock due to this week’s pedophile priest disclosures by a Pennsylvania grand jury — revelations dubbed a “moral catastrophe.”
Kenny, a Chicago native who was once a national TV regular due to her sports acumen, and now a semi-retired educator living in Indianapolis, tells Sneed:
“Pennsylvania is the tip of the iceberg! So many cover-ups! We are beyond the embarrassed stage. Catholics are rightfully enraged.
“The pray, pay and obey days are over. Father doesn’t know best. We now have a very educated Catholic laity, and the church leadership has been exposed.
“We need justice for the victims and serious consequences from Rome for the enablers who permitted this crime to continue.
“Thank goodness we now have the right Pope in Francis. Catholics want actions from the USCCB (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops) and not more wordy charters!”
Ka-ching!
It’s in the bag.
And it’s working like clockwork! Tick. Tick. So slick. Sneed is told Cook County Treasurer
Maria Pappas usually counts 450,000 hits a month on her website, especially when property taxes are due.
So why did visits to her website spike at nearly 750,000 in July, an all-time high?
Well, for lack of a more boring description, Pappas has become the “bag lady”!
Backshot: Sneed tipped earlier this year Pappas had begun to pass out bags emblazoned with her name during election season.
Upshot: Sneed now hears Pappas has passed out nearly 200,000 bags, which she stuffs with info not only urging homeowners to use cookcountytreasurer.com to pay their taxes but to use it to search for $94 million in overpayments going back 20 years.
Bank shot: She’s also alerting senior citizens they may be missing property tax exemptions worth $43 million going back four years.
“People like bags, especially if they can go to a computer to see if they might get something more than a Pappas bag,” said the crafty Pappas.
The book beat . . .
A time when news was newsworthy? You bet.
Veteran TV newsman Peter Nolan has just written his second broadcast memoir. Titled “News Stories,” it chronicles Nolan’s many years in journalism in the latter half of the 20th century and includes a vignette on how Geraldo (“gag me”) Rivera scooped him.
Be still my tongue.
The Rauner report . . .
This and that from hither and yon. Here’s a few tips on tasty treats if you are planning dinner with Gov. Bruce Rauner and wife Diana anytime soon: To wit: Rauner’s State Fair purchase of honey and brie cheese is a fav of the state’s first lady. And although the gov’s favorite food group is ice cream and he chose Grand Champion vanilla on the fairgrounds this past week … his fav flavor is chocolate chip.
Now aren’t you glad you read Sneed?
Sneedlings . . .
I spy: Rap superstar Drake spotted sneaking in the back entrance of RPM Italian Thursday night with 13 friends. He’s in Chicago for his Aubrey & the Three Migos Tour. … Across town, Brit singer Sam Smith dined on Aba’s patio while sipping wine with friends following his United Center performance Thursday. … Saturday’s birthdays: Christian Slater, 49;
Mitchell, 25; and Mika, 35. … Sunday’s birthdays: John Stamos, 55; Bill Clinton, 72; and Matthew Perry, 49.