This is rich: Mel Gibson has ceased having Mass and other services at his private church in Agoura Hills, California (adjacent to Malibu).
Every year, as this column has exclusively reported, Mel plops $10 million into his tax exempt AP Reilly Foundation. The money is supposed to be for running the church, which is not recognized by any archdiocese. Holy Family is for Mel’s religion. it has about 70 member families. It also can’t cost more than $500,000 a year. What’s all that money for, one wonders?
According to Federal Tax Filings, AP Reilly now has assets of $59.1 million. Remember, on the famous tapes, he told babymama Oksana he was broke? Not exactly.
Anyway, one of Mel’s parishioners decided to sell him out. They took a picture of him and illegitimate daughter Lucia at the church. The picture is all over the place, on the web etc.
So, just like Jesus, Mel has been sold out by a follower. His punishment? No more Mass or other regular services according to TMZ.com.
Here’s the question, then: when is a church not a church? If they’re not going to have their religious services, does Holy Family still qualify for non profit tax exemptions? That may be an answer only God can give us.
