The Roman Catholic parish in Fresno, plagued by 153 allegations of clergy sexual abuse, announced on Tuesday it had voluntarily filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition.
The financial restructuring process takes place more than a year after the parish declared its original intention to seek relief in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court.
Officials at the Fresno Church said the behavior was exc or expended to the church that victims of abuse and their lawyers described it as a delayed tactic to help the parish avoid justice.
Church officials are scheduled for Monday at the Eastern District Court in Fresno for their next hearing before Judge Renella Strato II.
“This path makes it clear that this is the only path in which we can handle allegations of sexual abuse with just and impartial compassion, while simultaneously ensuring the continuation of ministry within our parish,” Bishop Joseph V. Brennan wrote in a letter to the parish craftsmen. “Our churches must deal with the suffering victims of clergy sexual abuse endure.”
The church does not grant liability for all 153 claims, but Brennan said the fund will be established by the court for distribution to survivors.
Jeff Anderson, who represents cleric abuse victims in 11 of 12 California dioceses, including the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, said the lawsuit would help the parish and bishops avoid accountability.
“By enforcing survivors to the bankruptcy court, they are once again denying liability,” Anderson wrote in a statement. “But we stand with the survivors and fight for the perfect measure of truth, justice and healing that they deserve.”
In May 2024, the church acknowledged that more than 150 sexual abuse allegations have been made since Congressional Bill 218 was enacted in January 2020.
AB 218 opened the window for three years due to civil sexual assault allegations that had previously timed out due to restrictions laws.
The deadline for filing a request was closed on December 31, 2022 under the law.
Attorney Jennifer Stein said all 50 people filed a direct lawsuit for AB 218 and filed it once in anticipation of the passage of the Congressional Bill in 2019.
She said most of the victims were children who were “harmed” forever by the trauma that stemmed from the abuse of clergy.
“It’s the trauma of being with you in interpersonal relationships and marriage throughout your professional and academic career,” she said. “Each survivor has a story to tell as a result of abuse, which is not fully emphasized.”
Stein said bankruptcy has taken victims in the spotlight and focuses on property and corporate structures that could last several years of court cases.
“Compared to state court cases, bankruptcy is about the church’s ability to pay,” she said.
Fresno’s parishes include over a million Catholics among 87 parishes and 21 schools in Fresno, Kahn, Kings, Inho, Madera, Mariposa, Mercedo and Tulare counties.
The parish has released a list of 63 clergy accused in 2021, including priests who were appointed as early as 1906. Most were local, but there were also clergymen from Guatemala, France, Ireland, Mexico and the Philippines.
On Monday, attorney Rick Simons filed a motion in court seeking an investigation into Fresno’s bankruptcy announcement. He said he believes that more than a year delay since May 2024 has been fraudulently used to delay dozens of cases. Simons manages legal proceedings known as the Northern California Clergy Case, with nearly 1,800 individual cases being filed against seven Catholic parishes, including Fresno.
Simons told the Times that the benefits of the church include survivors dying, leaving tired, or significantly reducing their expectations.
He also said the church could use this time to relocate money and property to ensure that certain funds or accounts are not part of the debtor’s property. The declared intent of bankruptcy is “stop the ju trial and discovery while the case awaits bankruptcy, and will stop the discovery in the future,” according to Simons.
The church declined to comment on the charges.
Church officials say they do not expect to affect the parish-run primary and high schools, along with Catholic charities and other local affiliates.
Diocese officials say they don’t expect any impact in the Catholic cemetery, but these properties are listed in Chapter 11 submission.
The parish acknowledged that the value of the parish assets available to settle claims, including coverage for available insurance, is not sufficient to cover the claims and the parish could be bankrupt.
The parish also confirmed that it had not received financial assistance from the Vatican.
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