After that, it is likely a mediation process will begin to resolve all claims. Those who believe they have a claim for clergy sexual abuse against the archdiocese, but haven’t yet filed or notified the archdiocese, will be able to file a claim with the bankruptcy court, confidentially if they wish, during a designated period that is usually four to six months after Monday’s filing. They will also have the opportunity to have a committee appointed, usually of five to seven abuse survivors, that will be a representative group able to hire expert bankruptcy attorneys to represent the broader group of all sexual abuse claimants, according to posting on the website of the archdiocese. While the civil lawsuits will not move forward, sexual abuse claimants will continue to be represented by attorneys in the bankruptcy action. Some of those priests were released into New Mexico Catholic parishes and schools.Ĭivil litigation against the archdiocese proliferated in the 1990s in New Mexico and has continued in recent years, with more than 100 cases alleging clergy abuse filed by one Albuquerque law firm alone since 2011.Ībout 20 Catholic dioceses and religious orders nationwide have filed for bankruptcy, citing the financial drain.Īccording to the posting by the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, the bankruptcy filing effectively halts the progress of active civil cases, which are expected to be consolidated into the bankruptcy action. New Mexico has been described by survivors’ attorneys as the “epicenter” of priest clergy abuse, in part because a religious order called Servants of the Paraclete operated a center decades ago to treat pedophile priests sent from around the country. The Gallup diocese emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy nearly two years ago, paying out more than $17 million to claimants. The archdiocese, the largest diocese in New Mexico, is the second of the state’s three Catholic dioceses to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization. Though insurance carriers paid “a substantial portion” of the abuse claims, “the resources of the Archdiocese have been diminished,” the archdiocese said in a website posting titled “frequently asked questions about reorganization.” The document also was made available to parishioners after Catholic Masses last weekend. Wester said he decided to file for reorganization to ensure that all claims of child abuse survivors, including those who come forward in the future, can be settled “fairly and equitably.” (Jim Thompson/Albuquerque Journal)Īrchbishop John C. Wester announced the decision to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last Thursday in Albuquerque. More than $57 million in property is being held in trust for the dozens of parishes in the archdiocese more than $34 million in property transfers to parishes occurred in the past two years.Īrchbishop of Santa Fe John C.The total of all archdiocese assets was listed as $49 million, including real estate with an estimated value of $31.5 million.Creditors with the 20 largest unsecured claims are clergy sex abuse claimaints who are listed according to their initials, and their lawyers in Santa Fe and Albuquerque the petition estimates each claim at $100,000.An estimated $3.7 million in liabilities, although elsewhere in the petition the total estimated liability is from $10 million to $50 million.The archdiocese’s petition for reorganization shows: The number of pending sex abuse cases listed in the filing is 36. The filing comes after the archdiocese has settled nearly 300 claims of child sexual abuse by Catholic clergy, according to the Santa Fe Archdiocese in a recent website posting. The Archdiocese of Santa Fe, as expected, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Monday under the weight of civil litigation alleging decades of clergy sexual abuse of children and the failure of church officials to prevent such abuse. The Archdiocese of Santa Fe has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Parishioners walk into San Felipe de Neri Church in Old Town for Mass on Sunday. Archdiocese of Santa Fe Files Bankruptcy Petition, by Colleen Heild, Albuquerque Journal, Īrchdiocese of Santa Fe Files Bankruptcy Petition
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |