Philly archdiocese fires top financial officer

PHILADELPHIA – The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has fired its top financial officer as authorities investigate what happened to an unknown amount of missing church funds.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Anita Guzzardi was escorted from the church offices on July 14. Diocese spokeswoman Donna Farrell says that was a day after city prosecutors informed church officials about an investigation into the missing funds.

Farrell says the diocese is cooperating with the investigation and is also conducting an internal probe. The newspaper reports Guzzardi was fired Friday based on preliminary findings. She had recently been named to the archdiocese's chief financial officer, but had worked for there for more than a decade.

A message left by The Associated Press for Guzzardi, of Haddon Heights, N.J., was not immediately returned Friday.