Milwaukee archdiocese files for bankruptcy protection

Comment by Terence McKiernan, president, BishopAccountability.org

It is disheartening to see another Catholic bishop try to dodge his responsibility to victims of sexually predatory priests by seeking bankruptcy protection. For Catholic officials, Chapter 11 has become a capping strategy - a tactic designed not to respond justly to victims, as Archbishop Listecki claims, but to restrict the number of victims who are compensated and the compensation they are offered. In 2010, the archdiocese celebrated the success of a fundraising campaign that raised around $100 million. Instead of taking cover under Chapter 11, Listecki should use his proven ability as a fundraiser to ensure just compensation for every victim of child sexual abuse by Milwaukee priests, nuns, and religious.

It's also important to recognize that today's move is not just a financial ploy but a concealment gambit -- another stratagem by Listecki for ducking survivors' requests for disclosure of crucial abuse information. Let's hope the archbishop's cynical tactic does not succeed, and that as part of re-organization, he finally will be compelled to do what he has heretofore refused: to reveal the names of all credibly accused Milwaukee priests and to release the personnel files of those priests.

For our overview of the US Catholic dioceses have filed for bankruptcy protection, go to:
http://www.bishop-accountability.org/bankruptcy.htm

About BishopAccountability.org

Launched in 2003 by lay Catholics in Boston, BishopAccountability.org is a comprehensive archive and data center focused on the worldwide sexual abuse crisis in the Roman Catholic Church. It has compiled an online database of 3,400 publicly accused US priests. Its online library contains more than 100,000 pages of church records, legal documents, and media reports. Its mission is to give the public one-stop access to information about the crisis throughout the world. BishopAccountability.org is an independent non-profit with an archival mission. It is not a victim's group, does not advocate specific church reforms, and is not affiliated with any advocacy or religious group.

Contact:
Terence McKiernan, President and founder, BishopAccountability.org, 508-479-9304
Anne Barrett Doyle, co-director, BishopAccountability.org, 781-439-5208

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