MINNESOTA
Reuters

(Adds details from lawyer representing sex abuse claimants, details from archdiocese)

By David Bailey

Jan 16 (Reuters) – The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis filed for bankruptcy protection on Friday, saying the move will allow its finite resources to be distributed among victims and survivors of child sex abuse by clergy.

The archdiocese, which has been criticized for its past handling of clergy abuse cases, is the 12th Catholic diocese in the United States to seek bankruptcy protection over sex abuse claims. Most of the Minnesota cases date from the 1950s to the 1980s.

“I make this decision because I believe it is the fairest and most helpful recourse for those victims/survivors who have made claims against us,” Archbishop John Nienstedt said in a statement on the archdiocese’s website.

The filing does not include parishes or schools and will allow the archdiocese to provide…