Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options

A year to the day after his installation as the 11th archbishop of Milwaukee, Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki announced Jan. 4 that he had directed archdiocesan attorneys "to file a petition for a Chapter 11 reorganization of its financial affairs under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code." Milwaukee is the largest archdiocese to file for Chapter 11. The Archdiocese of Portland, Ore., with approximately 410,000 Catholics, according to the 2010 Official Catholic Directory, filed for bankruptcy in July 2004. In February 2007, the Diocese of San Diego, with more than 980,000 Catholics, filed for Chapter 11 protection. The archbishop said in a letter to the Catholic community and at a news conference at archdiocesan headquarters in St. Francis that Chapter 11 reorganization is the best way to achieve two goals. "First, we want to do as much as we can, as fairly as we can, to compensate victims/survivors (of clergy sex abuse) with unresolved claims -- both those with claims pending and those who will come forward because of this proceeding," he said. "Second, we want to carry on the essential ministries of the archdiocese so we can continue to meet the needs of our parishes, parishioners and others who rely upon the church for assistance." The reorganization makes it possible for the archdiocese to use its available funds to compensate victims/survivors with unresolved claims "in a single process overseen by a court, ensuring that all are treated equitably," according to the archbishop.

Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.

The latest from america

Although overtly campaigning to be pope is discouraged and would be counterproductive, the cardinals do a lot of politicking in private prior to the conclave.
Thomas J. ReeseApril 22, 2025
Pope Francis’ final moments were peaceful, and he managed to give one last farewell to his nurse, Massimiliano Strappetti, before slipping into a coma early April 21, Vatican News reported.
All of Pope Francis' gestures, meetings and desires for encounter were themselves a form of “teaching.” And L.G.B.T.Q. Catholics and their families have told me repeatedly what a difference this change in approach has meant. 
James Martin, S.J.April 22, 2025
Pope Francis was a great lover of literature: He peppered his homilies, talks and even encyclicals with literary references from Dostoyevsky, Proust, Hopkins, Dante and more, and he also encouraged his flock to read broadly and often.
James T. KeaneApril 22, 2025