A federal bankruptcy court approved a reorganization plan for the Diocese of Harrisburg, Pa., Feb. 15. The settlement follows litigation from abuse survivors in the wake of the 2018 Pennsylvania grand jury report into child sex abuse in the Catholic Church in Pennsylvania.

Bishop Ronald W. Gainer of Harrisburg said in a Feb. 15 statement that he made “the difficult decision” to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protections three years ago “as a means of stabilizing the diocese’s financial situation, while at the same time allowing us to make restitution to survivors of clergy sexual abuse and continue our ministries.”

The bishop’s statement noted the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania confirmed Feb. 15 the “Joint Plan of Reorganization for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg,” concluding the three-year process begun Feb. 19, 2020.

Bishop Gainer said the journey was “a difficult, emotional process for many, most…