A Roman Catholic charitable order in California filed for bankruptcy this week to ensure “fair financial compensation” in nearly 100 lawsuits related to sexual abuse allegations spanning a decade.
Franciscan Friars of California, Inc. filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection on New Year’s Eve following a change in state law that allows victims to beat the statute of limitations, the Oakland-based organization announced Tuesday.
“The Franciscan Friars of California filed a Chapter 11 Bankruptcy petition to address 94 child sexual abuse claims filed as a result of a state law that allows survivors of abuse to file decades-long complaints that would otherwise be time-barred or expired under the state’s statute of limitations. ,” the statement read.
“All claims are based on alleged abuse that occurred at least 27 years ago, with some claims dating back to the 1940s,” the writing added.
Only six of the priests named in the lawsuit – almost all of which were filed in California – are still alive, the organization said.
The surviving clerics “have long been permanently removed from all public ministries and ministry environments, and live under strict third-party surveillance,” the order asserted.
The Franciscan Friars of California are based in Oakland. Google Maps
“The care of victims of abuse is our primary concern and has always been at the core of our response,” Fr. David Gaa, OFM, provincial minister of the Franciscan friars, said.
“As a result of the state’s most recent temporary suspension of the statute of limitations, we are overwhelmed by the number of cases filed, both in terms of the human cost and our ability to pay fair compensation to all victims of abuse,” he continued, noting that “Chapter 11 Bankruptcy is a -the only viable path to ensure fair, equitable and compassionate compensation for all victims of abuse,” he concluded.
The bankruptcy would not only account for the monks’ assets, but it would also prevent abuse victims from having to compete for the earliest or larger claims, Gaa explained.
At the time of the Dec. 31 filing, the organization had between $1 million and $10 million in assets and between $10 million and $50 million in assets.
California is one of the few states to pass a law allowing sexual abuse survivors to file lawsuits in cases that would otherwise pass a statute of limitations, the Catholic News Agency said.
The new law would also eliminate the statute of limitations for child sex abuse starting in 2024, KEYT reported last fall.
The prosecutor’s order lists between $10 million and $50 million in liability. Google Maps
The Diocese of Santa Rosa, the Archdiocese of San Francisco, and the Diocese of Oakland all filed for Chapter 11 in the same case in 2023, Bloomberg News said.
The Catholic Diocese of Sacramento has also announced plans to file for bankruptcy protection by March, the outlet added.
“I am deeply saddened by the sinful acts committed and the damage caused by abuse survivors – then only children – who put their trust in priests. No apology or any amount of financial compensation can reverse the harm, but perhaps victims of abuse will find some peace in knowing that we acknowledge their pain and that they are important to us,” Fr. Gaa said.
Founded in 1209 by St. Francis of Assisi, Franciscans are known for helping the poor and the sick.
The Franciscan Friars of California, in particular, provide clothing, food and addiction counseling through the St. Anthony in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood.
St. Anthony House – as well as the work of other organizations throughout California and Arizona – will not be affected by the bankruptcy filing, a spokeswoman told Reuters.
With Postal wire
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
