Posts Tagged Milwaukee Archdiocese bankruptcy
Is the Milwaukee archdiocese too broke to pay its legal bills? / National Catholic Reporter
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Catholic Church Finances, Clergy Sexual Abuse, Voice of the Faithful on July 30, 2014
The Milwaukee archdiocese has filed for bankruptcy, but is it too broke to pay its legal bills?
“Currently, the archdiocese has paid or owes just shy of $14 million in legal and professional fees related to the bankruptcy. As the debtor, the archdiocese is required by federal law to pay the legal expenses of those who have filed claims as well as its own lawyers. Lawyers for the archdiocese filed a 63-page statement to back up a $204,451 bill for the month of June alone.
“The legal bills are far greater than the $4 million the archdiocese offered survivors of sex abuse before filing for bankruptcy on Jan. 4, 2011. That prompted Peter Isely, the Midwest director for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests and one of the Milwaukee claimants, to question whether the archdiocese’s actions are consistent with what Pope Francis has said.
‘Although it is unclear what this pope is doing or not doing on the issue, one thing that is perfectly clear is that paying lawyers three to four times what they have offered victims is directly opposite to this pope’s pontificate,’ Isely said. ‘He has said that victims have a right to and must be justly compensated.’”
By Marie Rohde, National Catholic Reporter — Click here to read the rest of this story.
Most Milwaukee Abuse Claims Will Receive No Money / National Catholic Reporter
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Catholic Bishops, Clergy Sexual Abuse, Clericalism, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on February 18, 2014
The Milwaukee archdiocese will walk away from bankruptcy relatively unscathed if its proposed reorganization plan is accepted by Judge Susan V. Kelley.
“Although it was lawsuits brought by 570 alleged childhood victims of clergy sex abuse that forced the archdiocese into bankruptcy court, a close reading of the 337-page document shows that the vast majority of those claims will get no financial compensation from a $4 million fund for survivors.
“Most other creditors in the case will be paid, although some will get less than they say they are due.
“The archdiocese has no plans to reduce its annual $24 million operating budget or sell any property. It will have to put some property up as collateral to “borrow” $2 million from the controversial cemetery perpetual care trust fund — the same $57 million fund church officials fought to keep out of the bankruptcy case that is now being appealed.”
By Marie Rhode, National Catholic Reporter — Click here to read the rest of this story.
Voice of the Faithful
A lay movement for governance reform in the Roman Catholic Church, responding to the clergy sexual abuse scandal and supporting survivors.
Voice of the Faithful- An error has occurred; the feed is probably down. Try again later.
Voice of the Faithful ® 