Roman Catholic Archbishop of San Francisco seeks bankruptcy relief to pay child abuse victims
-Move is prompted by more than 500 child sexual abuse lawsuits filed against RCASF under California’s Bill 218
SAN FRANCISCO, Northern California — The Roman Catholic Archbishop of San Francisco (RCASF) has sought bankruptcy relief under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.
The move is prompted by more than 500 child sexual abuse lawsuits filed against RCASF under California’s Bill 218.
That law allowed decades-old claims to be filed by Dec. 31, 2022, that otherwise would have been barred by the statute of limitations.
Most of the lawsuits involve abuse allegations that occurred more than 30 years ago and involved priests who are no longer active or are already deceased.
Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone said bankruptcy is the best solution to compensate survivors while allowing the archdiocese to fulfill its mission.
The bankruptcy filing pauses legal action while RCASF develops a reorganization plan based on available assets and insurance coverage to pay the claims of abuse survivors.
This is the second time California has allowed the filing of such time-barred child sexual abuse cases.
The archdiocese’s 88 parishes, schools, seminaries, and universities are not affected by the bankruptcy filing.
These entities will continue to operate as usual.
Archdiocesan employees will be paid as usual, benefits will continue without interruption, and vendors will be paid for services provided after the filing.
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