Do you believe this is in the best interests of all involved Church, Congregants and victims orArchdiocese of Portland, Ore., filed for bankruptcy Tuesday, the first U.S. archdiocese to seek federal protection from multimillion-dollar settlements in the clergy sexual abuse scandal.
The archdiocese filed for Chapter 11 reorganization just moments before the opening of a civil trial by two plaintiffs seeking more than $155 million, charging they were abused by the Rev. Maurice Grammond, accused of molesting more than 50 boys in the 1980s. Grammond died in 2002.
Portland Archbishop John G. Vlazny posted an online letter to western Oregon's 356,037 Catholics Tuesday spelling out his reasons for filing and his reassurances that he is committed to helping heal victims of abuse. He cited $21 million paid on more than 100 claims in the past four years.
"This is not an effort to avoid responsibility," he wrote. "This action offers the best possibility for the Archdiocese: to resolve fairly all pending claims, to manage a difficult financial situation and to preserve the ability of the Archdiocese to fulfill its mission."
But "the justice question is not that simple or straightforward," says Mark Chopko, general counsel for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, because the line of creditors is not finite. It often takes decades for a victim of childhood sexual abuse to step forward.
do you believe this is in the best interests of the Church alone?
How far should the responsibility for abuse reach, Regional, State, Country or the World Wide Catholic Church?
