MINNESOTA
Star Tribune
By Jean Hopfensperger Star Tribune MAY 24, 2016
The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis is shielding $1.7 billion in assets from bankruptcy court in order to keep them out of reach of clergy abuse victim claims, according to a motion filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court by the abuse survivors committee.
The motion, filed Monday, argues that the archdiocese has not acknowledged its financial stake in its parishes, cemeteries, the Catholic Community Foundation, the Catholic Finance Corporation and more. It asks the court to consolidate the archdiocese assets as it moves toward a victims’ settlement.
“It’s a serious and sinister scheme to hide and conceal their true net worth,” St. Paul attorney Jeff Anderson said at a news conference Tuesday.
Archbishop Bernard Hebda said that “the archdiocese has disclosed all of its assets” and that it has cooperated fully with the bankruptcy court.
Hebda said that the archdiocese has been working “to marshal and maximize our assets” and that it has followed all of the rules set forth by the court. This week it will file its reorganization plan, which will include proposed compensation for victims.
The archdiocese filed bankruptcy in January 2015 as it faced a barrage of abuse claims following the passage of a new law that gave older abuse claims their day in court. The archdiocese reported a net worth of $45 million, which the motion claims is a fraction of its true worth.
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