Current:Home > StocksSan Francisco Archdiocese declares bankruptcy amid hundreds of lawsuits alleging child sexual abuse -MarketPoint
San Francisco Archdiocese declares bankruptcy amid hundreds of lawsuits alleging child sexual abuse
View
Date:2025-04-14 11:26:04
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — San Francisco’s Roman Catholic archdiocese filed for bankruptcy Monday, saying the filing is necessary to manage more than 500 lawsuits alleging child sexual abuse by church officials.
The Chapter 11 protection filing will stop all legal actions against the archdiocese and thus allow it to develop a settlement plan with abuse survivors, San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone said in a statement.
“The unfortunate reality is that the Archdiocese has neither the financial means nor the practical ability to litigate all of these abuse claims individually, and therefore, after much consideration, concluded that the bankruptcy process was the best solution for providing fair and equitable compensation to the innocent survivors who have been harmed,” Cordileone said.
The San Francisco Archdiocese is the third Bay Area diocese to file for bankruptcy after facing hundreds of lawsuits brought under a California law approved in 2019 that allowed decades-old claims to be filed by Dec. 31, 2022. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland filed for bankruptcy in May. The Diocese of Santa Rosa became the first one in California to file for Chapter 11 protection, in March.
The overwhelming majority of the more than 500 claims stem from allegations of sexual abuse that occurred 30 or more years ago involving priests who are no longer active in ministry or are deceased, said Cordileone.
Survivors of clergy sex abuse victims criticized the bankruptcy filing, calling them a ploy to keep information hidden.
“Cordileone will use every tactic and tool at his disposal to continue to run from the truth. He refuses to identify offenders in his diocese, he attempts legal maneuvers to eliminate the California Child Victims Act, and now he is attempting a last-ditch effort to hide the truth behind bankruptcy,” said Jeff Anderson, an attorney representing over 125 survivors in the Archdiocese of San Francisco, in a statement.
The Archdiocese of San Francisco is the only diocese in California yet to release a list of clergy credibly accused of child sexual abuse, Anderson said.
Cordileone said in his statement that a list of priests and deacons who are in good standing can be found on the Archdiocese website. He said those under investigation for alleged child sexual abuse are prohibited from exercising public ministry and are removed from the list.
Cordileone has established himself as one of the most prominent and outspoken of the hard-line conservatives within the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
He attracted national attention in May 2022 when he said that then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a San Francisco resident, would be barred from receiving Communion in his archdiocese because of her support for abortion rights.
The San Francisco Archdiocese serves about 440,000 Catholics in the counties of San Francisco, Marin and San Mateo.
veryGood! (54)
Related
- The Louvre will be renovated and the 'Mona Lisa' will have her own room
- 3 people found shot to death in central Indiana apartment complex
- Maine lawmakers reject bill for lawsuits against gunmakers and advance others after mass shooting
- Boston College vs. Denver Frozen Four championship game time, TV channel, streaming info
- Meta donates $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund
- Masters champ Jon Rahm squeaks inside the cut line. Several major winners are sent home
- Shohei Ohtani interpreter allegedly stole $16M from MLB star, lost $40M gambling: What to know
- J. Cole takes apparent swipe at Drake in 'Red Leather' after Kendrick Lamar diss apology
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- Guilty plea by leader of polygamous sect near the Arizona-Utah border is at risk of being thrown out
Ranking
- Man can't find second winning lottery ticket, sues over $394 million jackpot, lawsuit says
- How a hush money scandal tied to a porn star led to Trump’s first criminal trial
- Fugitive police officer arrested in killing of college student in Mexico
- California man sentenced to 40 years to life for fatal freeway shooting of 6-year-old boy
- Finally, good retirement news! Southwest pilots' plan is a bright spot, experts say
- Houston area teacher, son charged with recruiting teenage students for prostitution
- Nearing 50 Supreme Court arguments in, lawyer Lisa Blatt keeps winning
- Roberto Cavalli, Italian fashion designer whose creations adorned celebrities, dies at 83
Recommendation
Gen. Mark Milley's security detail and security clearance revoked, Pentagon says
US border arrests fall in March, bucking seasonal trends amid increased enforcement in Mexico
In politically riven Pennsylvania, primary voters will pick candidates in presidential contest year
Can homeless people be fined for sleeping outside? A rural Oregon city asks the US Supreme Court
In ‘Nickel Boys,’ striving for a new way to see
Masters 2024 highlights: Round 3 leaderboard, how Tiger Woods did and more
Alaska judge finds correspondence school reimbursements unconstitutional
When does NBA play-in tournament start? Games could feature Lakers, Warriors, Heat