I applaud Gayle Johnson and Jim Shaffer for their letters to the editor, published Sept. 11.

Several years ago, my husband and I were visiting our son in Austin, Texas. At Mass, there was a second collection. When my husband reached in his pocket to put money in the collection bag, our son stopped him. After Mass, our son told us that the second collection was for a defense fund for accused pedophile priests. We were both glad he stopped us contributing to that collection.

Now the church is once again collecting money, this time for a political issue. I’m not sure of the rules/laws in Maine, but in Texas those espousing a political agenda and collecting money, or signatures, from voters must register as a political action committee and have specific reporting rules/laws they must abide by or they are fined.

If the church really wants to get in the “political business,” it should abide by the rules and end the intimidation tactics it now uses.

How about taking away the tax-exempt status of the Catholic Church and have it pay its fair share of taxes like the rest of us non-religious? What would the property tax be on Bishop Malone’s “million-dollar mansion”?

Donna Cheshire, South Paris