THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 6, 1995 TAG: 9501060496
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MIKE MATHER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
The Roman Catholic church should print its own money to boost the wages of followers and to offset the religion's financial persecution by outsiders, John C. Salvi III said in a written statement released Thursday.
Salvi's statement decries the current welfare system and says Roman Catholics should set up a welfare system of their own.
The church needs to ``start printing a currency so that individuals who work and make minimum wage can have a supplement'' to incomes so their families ``will have what they need,'' ensuring that Catholics ``have the basic necessities in life . . . a roof over their heads, food, clothing and a little bit more job security,'' Salvi said.
A system like that would benefit people like Salvi. At his last two jobs, Salvi, 22, was a minimum-wage earner, making $120 a week, according to a financial statement he filed with the court. A lawyer was appointed for Salvi Tuesday because he couldn't afford one, and he had almost no assets.
This is the first glimpse into Salvi's thoughts since he was arrested in Norfolk Dec. 30. Salvi's attorney said he wanted the statement released and used in its entirety.
The 22-year-old Salvi, charged with shooting at a building housing an abortion clinic in Norfolk and with killing two employees of clinics in a Boston suburb, didn't answer some nagging questions:
Why did he travel to Virginia while being sought in the Massachusetts slayings? Did he conspire with anyone?
Most of Salvi's statement dwells on what he sees as a wholesale persecution of working Catholics, and someone's intent to make him ill by tainting his ham sandwiches and grits.
Salvi wrote that Catholics are being purposefully laid off from jobs in education and public safety to weaken the religion.
The Catholic church, he wrote, ``is being floored financially.''
``These individuals run society and have a good system for themselves but seek to keep the Catholic church from printing a currency and having the same system,'' Salvi wrote. ``In a nutshell, if you can't collect you're a little bit screwed.''
Salvi apparently believes that church-controlled welfare could end financial depressions and wars.
``We as a people need to turn our minds away from individual thinking and more to the church as a whole, the country as a whole,'' he wrote. ``It would take brain cells on behalf of the Catholic people to do it.''
A spokesman for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond voiced distaste for Salvi and his ideas.
``My immediate reaction is that Mr. Salvi is not a credible spokesperson for the Catholic church,'' said Dr. Stephen Colecchi. ``And I hesitate to comment on specifics of the rambling statement because it will give it more credit than it deserves.''
Salvi said that if he is found innocent, he wants to become a Catholic priest and if he is found guilty, he wants to die.
The statement was distributed by Salvi's attorney on the steps of the federal courthouse shortly after hearings inside gave U.S. marshals custody of the New Hampshire hair-styling student.
Salvi has declined all interview requests, but said in the statement he wanted to talk to TV journalist Barbara Walters. Walters said she isn't interested. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
Salvi's statement says:
If convicted, he wants the death penalty.
If found innocent, he'll become a Catholic priest.
He wants an interview with Barbara Walters.
Catholics are being persecuted financially.
His food in Norfolk City Jail was being tampered with.
KEYWORDS: ABORTION CLINICS ANTI-ABORTION SHOOTING ARREST by CNB