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US Diocese Files for Bankruptcy in Face of Abuse Claims
UCANews ^ | 3/15/23

Posted on 03/19/2023 5:55:07 PM PDT by marshmallow

The diocese of Santa Rosa has cited new lawsuits from more than 200 survivors of child sexual abuse by Catholic priests

The Diocese of Santa Rosa filed for bankruptcy March 13, days after its bishop finally concluded the decision was necessary in order to address potentially 200 new claims brought against the diocese by survivors of child sexual abuse.

Bishop Robert F. Vasa said in a March 10 statement posted to the diocese's website that after "months of careful and prayerful consideration" -- including consultation with the diocese's priests, the diocese's finance council, and other professionals retained by the diocese, "it was clear that such an action was necessary."

Bishop Vasa pointed out the diocese faces at least 160 new claims against it as a result of California legislation opening up a three-year window in the statute of limitations, from Jan. 1, 2020 to Jan. 2, 2023, that allowed survivors of child sexual abuse to file lawsuits within that time frame. He acknowledged those claims could potentially exceed 200.

"These cases are too numerous to settle individually and so they have accumulated until the closing of the three-year window," he said.

The March 13 petition to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy submitted by Bishop Vasa before the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California informs the court the diocese has between $10 million to $50 million in assets and faces $10 million to $50 million in liabilities, and potentially 200 creditors or more to satisfy.

Bishop Vasa said the diocese faced similar circumstances in 2003, "but with many fewer cases." He pointed out the diocese at the time sold excess property, borrowed funds, and paid out "approximately $12 million dollars with an additional $19 million coming from insurance." Since then, he said, it has paid "an additional.....

(Excerpt) Read more at ucanews.com ...


TOPICS: Catholic; Current Events
KEYWORDS: donatefreerepublic; romancatholic
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1 posted on 03/19/2023 5:55:07 PM PDT by marshmallow
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To: marshmallow

Cool. One of the three in Alaska was bankrupted for the same reason after pedophile priests banished to Alaska raped their way across the state. The carnage they left behind in Alaska Native villages is unbelievable. Every diocese deserves to be bankrupted for what these animals did.


2 posted on 03/19/2023 6:02:09 PM PDT by AlaskaErik (There are three kinds of rats: Rats, Damned Rats, and DemocRats.)
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To: marshmallow

Morally, spiritually, and now financially bankrupt.


3 posted on 03/19/2023 6:14:15 PM PDT by Ken Regis (I concur. )
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To: marshmallow

So the “one, true, universal Church” doesn’t believe in universal liability apparently


4 posted on 03/19/2023 6:21:03 PM PDT by armydoc
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To: marshmallow

After all these years, yet more cases? It never ends.


5 posted on 03/19/2023 6:29:54 PM PDT by TChad (Progressives are in favor of removing healthy sex organs from children. Conservatives oppose this.)
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To: marshmallow

The Reformers nailed it.


6 posted on 03/19/2023 6:57:04 PM PDT by Salvavida (“Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former.”)
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To: TChad
Bishop Vasa pointed out the diocese faces at least 160 new claims against it as a result of California legislation opening up a three-year window in the statute of limitations, from Jan. 1, 2020 to Jan. 2, 2023, that allowed survivors of child sexual abuse to file lawsuits within that time frame.

These are old cases, in other words.

7 posted on 03/19/2023 7:05:31 PM PDT by Campion (Everything is a grace, everything is the direct effect of our Father's love - Little Flower)
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To: Salvavida

Pretty sure the “reformers” didn’t create a church free from sin or one free from sinners, at least based on the number of sexual abuse cases that happen in Protestant congregations (and are posted in the FR religion forum regularly).


8 posted on 03/19/2023 7:08:29 PM PDT by Campion (Everything is a grace, everything is the direct effect of our Father's love - Little Flower)
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To: TChad

It seems like these priests must have been molesting minors on an indistrial scale.


9 posted on 03/19/2023 7:28:36 PM PDT by Reynoldo (BurnLootMurder)
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To: Campion

You are actually going to compare systematic abuse by Catholic priest all over the world, that get hidden for years, to isolated Christian churches that get exposed quickly.

You want to graph that data out?

The RCC doesn’t follow Scripture. Period. And their putrid fruit is manifest, as it has always been. How is that Pope working out for you? No Scriptural support.


10 posted on 03/19/2023 7:40:32 PM PDT by Salvavida (“Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former.”)
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To: Salvavida

Keep reading. You’re missing a lot.
It’s easy to make broad generalizations. Quite another to back it up.


11 posted on 03/19/2023 8:05:14 PM PDT by Texas_Guy
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To: marshmallow

Time after time, we see institutionalized perversion with the Catholic church hierarchy.

God does not endorse perversion. Why does the Catholic church?


12 posted on 03/19/2023 8:22:44 PM PDT by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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To: Salvavida
You are actually going to compare systematic abuse by Catholic priest all over the world, that get hidden for years, to isolated Christian churches that get exposed quickly.

It doesn't always "get exposed quickly". Sometimes it goes on for years. Read the reports.

What ever happened to "sin is sin"?

13 posted on 03/20/2023 8:16:17 AM PDT by Campion (Everything is a grace, everything is the direct effect of our Father's love - Little Flower)
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To: Campion

So they are “old cases”? What is your point?


14 posted on 03/20/2023 9:13:32 AM PDT by Honest Nigerian (.)
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To: Honest Nigerian

How do you defend a 30 year old case? Especially if 5he priest in question may have died.


15 posted on 03/20/2023 10:06:42 AM PDT by circlecity
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To: marshmallow

The Albany, New York diocese filed for bankruptcy last week.


16 posted on 03/20/2023 10:08:23 AM PDT by 1Old Pro
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To: Ken Regis

Bergoglio’s not missing any meals.


17 posted on 03/20/2023 10:10:20 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: ConservativeMind

We don’t. That’s why priests take vows.


18 posted on 03/20/2023 4:34:07 PM PDT by Texas_Guy
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To: Texas_Guy

You aren’t the Catholic church hierarchy and you have no voice in their matters.

You are but a lowly peon and no one in the Catholic church ever answers to you, or any other parishioner.

Prove me wrong.


19 posted on 03/20/2023 4:37:08 PM PDT by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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To: ConservativeMind
You aren’t the Catholic church hierarchy and you have no voice in their matters.

The "catholic church hierarchy" is not the Catholic Church, ergo there is nothing to "prove you wrong".

20 posted on 03/20/2023 6:07:33 PM PDT by ebb tide
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