Associated Press
SANTA ANA, Calif. — A federal bankruptcy court hearing aimed at settling the future of the financially ailing Crystal Cathedral turned into a bidding match Monday with a university and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange competing to buy the church’s sprawling grounds.
The daylong hearing also highlighted a deepening rift between the Rev. Robert Schuller and the ministry he created more than 50 years ago over intellectual property rights and lifetime payments to the founder of the megachurch.
The Diocese — which wants to use the gleaming 3,000-seat sanctuary for a countywide cathedral — boosted its bid for the property to $57.5 million from $55.4 million to ensure enough money would be available to cover yet-to-be-quantified claims made by the Schuller family. Click here to continue reading.
