MINNESOTA
Los Angeles Times
By BRITTNY MEJIA
The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis filed for bankruptcy Friday following years of sex abuse claims that have plagued the jurisdiction.
The purpose of filing for bankruptcy is to provide the “fairest and most helpful recourse” for victims and survivors who have made claims against the archdiocese, Archbishop John Nienstedt said in a Friday letter.
The archidocese has been criticized heavily for its handling of the sensitive issue.
“This is not an attempt to silence victims or deny them justice in court,” Nienstedt wrote in the letter. “On the contrary, we want to respond positively in compensating them for their suffering.”
The archdiocese, which serves about 825,000 Catholics in the Twin Cities area, is the 12th U.S. diocese to seek bankruptcy protection after sex abuse claims. The archdiocese has 21 pending clergy sex abuse cases and faces the potential for more than 100 additional suits.
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