Ah the priorities of the Catholic church. When it’s about compensation for victims of child-raping priests? Then it’s bankruptcy, or transfer of funds to the protected Cemetery Account, or a quick trip to Vatican City. But when it’s legalization of marijuana? Money is no object!

The Boston Archdiocese is pouring $850,000 into a last-minute effort to defeat a state ballot measure to legalize marijuana, calling increased drug use a threat to the Catholic Church’s health and social-service programs.

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“It reflects the fact that the archdiocese holds the matter among its highest priorities,” archdiocese spokesman Terrence Donilon said of the donation. “It’s a recognition that, if passed, the law would have significantly detrimental impacts on our parishes, our ministries.”

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In 2012, the church helped lead the fight against a ballot measure that would have allowed doctor-assisted suicides. The Boston Archdiocese and its affiliated entities contributed about $2.5 million, and the proposal failed.

So they perhaps helped ensure that people in pain cannot choose to exit life in Massachusetts. They perhaps helped ensure that people afraid of dying in pain cannot have the reassurance that the choice is available in Massachusetts. People for whom marijuana is medically helpful in controlling pain or nausea or both – they can take a hike too. Nice job, archdiocese.