Bogged down by 153 claims of clergy sex abuse, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno announced Tuesday it voluntarily filed a petition for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
The financial reorganization process comes more than a year after the diocese declared its initial intent to seek relief in U.S. bankruptcy court.
Fresno church officials said the action will help them avoid insolvency, while victims of abuse and their attorneys excoriated the church for what they describe as delay tactics to help the diocese evade justice.
Church officials are scheduled at Eastern District Court in Fresno on Monday for their next hearing in front of Judge René Lastreto II.
“I am clear-sighted that this path is the only path that will allow us to handle claims of sexual abuse with fair, equitable compassion while simultaneously ensuring the continuation of ministry within our Diocese,” Bishop Joseph V. Brennan wrote in a letter to parishioners. “Our Church must address the suffering that victims of clergy sexual abuse endure.”
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