As the future of six Catholic dioceses in New York remain clouded by bankruptcies brought on by thousands of lawsuits from people who say they were sexually abused as children by clergy, a statewide settlement that would tap into a multi-billion-dollar revenue source appears to be under consideration.
Such a “global” settlement — which would likely need to be approved by Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, the archbishop of New York, and possibly the state attorney general — could help resolve the bankruptcy proceedings that have frustrated aging survivors in Buffalo for more than four years because of their slow pace.
That prospect was welcomed by abuse survivors who spoke with 2 On Your Side on Friday, but the Diocese of Buffalo expressed skepticism about the idea, with a spokesperson for Bishop Michael Fisher saying the diocese was “not seeking to use” the funding source “to satisfy survivor claims.”
Documents filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court that were obtained and analyzed by 2 On Your Side Investigates make clear that a statewide settlement with the use of proceeds from the $3.75 billion sale of Fidelis Care was discussed by attorneys for the church. The Catholic bishops of New York used proceeds from the 2018 sale of Fidelis to create the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, a nonprofit with a stated mission of providing care to low-income and vulnerable populations.
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