A Roman Catholic diocese in Louisiana has become the latest to file for bankruptcy amid nationwide sexual abuse claims that have seen more than $6 billion in settlements awarded to survivors.
In a letter published Friday, Bishop Robert Marshall of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Alexandria, Louisiana, announced that he had “directed attorneys for the diocese to file a petition for a Chapter 11 reorganization of its financial affairs under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.” He defended the move as “the most prudent course of action.”
“This action is occurring because some past priest-perpetrators sexually abused minors, actions that are evil, sinful and go against everything the Church and the priesthood represents,” Marshall wrote. “As a result, there are financial claims pending against the diocese that exceed our means.”
After apologizing “to abuse survivors for the harm, pain and suffering they experienced and continue to experience in their lives,” Marshall detailed how bankruptcy proceedings are the most effective way to “compensate those who have been harmed” and “carry on the essential ministries of the diocese.” He vowed that “the Diocese is also committed to making sure that nothing like this can ever happen again.”
“Together as One Church, we will move forward, not forgetting our past, but addressing it and taking appropriate responsibility for those who were harmed, and placing our trust in God, who is our strength and our hope, and who is with us always,” he said.
Marshall added that he would provide more information about the settlements reached between survivors and the diocese later on, while stressing that he didn’t have further details available at this time.
A frequently asked questions page compiled by the diocese, which accompanied the letter, explains that 85 people have come forward alleging they suffered abuse at the hands of clergy or church officials. It noted that the large number of claims follows the passage of a 2021 state law removing the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse litigation for three years, enabling victims to seek compensation for incidents that allegedly took place decades ago.
The diocese assured concerned parishioners that their donations would not be used to cover the costs of the claims. Bankruptcy proceedings are expected to last 18-24 months.
The Diocese of Alexandria is not the only diocese in the U.S. to file for bankruptcy as it works to settle sexual abuse claims. Other recent settlements that followed bankruptcy proceedings include the Diocese of Rochester in New York, which reached a $246 million settlement with survivors after filing for bankruptcy, and the Diocese of Buffalo in New York, which paid $150 million to survivors of clerical sexual abuse after entering bankruptcy proceedings.
A report compiled by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University and released earlier this year found that Catholic dioceses across the U.S. had paid $5 billion to sexual abuse survivors between 2004 and 2023.
That figure does not include the settlements made by the aforementioned upstate New York dioceses, as well as a $323 million settlement reached between the New York-based Diocese of Rockville Centre and sexual abuse survivors last year and an $880 million settlement made by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The more recent settlements bring the total amount of money paid to survivors of clerical sexual abuse to well over $6 billion.
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
