Wilmington becomes 7th US diocese to file for bankruptcy
October 19, 2009
The Diocese of Wilmington, whose territory comprises the State of Delaware the nine counties in eastern Maryland, has become the seventh diocese in the United States to file for bankruptcy. Following the lifting of the statute of limitations for abuse cases in Delaware, the diocese has become a defendant in eight abuse trials, the first of which had been scheduled to begin today.
“This is a painful decision, one that I had hoped and prayed I would never have to make,” wrote Bishop W. Francis Malooly in an October 18 letter. “However, after careful consideration and after consultation with my close advisors and counselors, I believe we have no other choice, and that filing for Chapter 11 offers the best opportunity, given finite resources, to provide the fairest possible treatment of all victims of sexual abuse by priests of our Diocese.”
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Further information:
- Bankruptcy filing delays church sex abuse case (AP)
- Catholic Diocese of Wilmington Inc. Files for Chapter 11 Reorganization (Diocese of Wilmington)
- Destroyed diary, vicar general’s notes at center of Delaware abuse case (CWN, 10/15/2009)
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